When marketing stops—The patients stop coming!

That’s why the time to plan your fall marketing is in the summer!  Don't let it sneak up on you. 

Here are 10 marketing ideas to try this fall. 

1. Hunting season is coming-Hand therapy campaign- -Are your hands ready? Promote it with camo themed mailers and promo items. 
2. Back to School & Back to Sports Training- Have trainers put together basic training for students to get back into shape for sports. Promote in local newspapers, mailers, social media, and with past patients. 
3. Fall Blitz- Send your marketing team out of the clinic and into the offices of referral sources armed with educational information about your treatments and fall goodies like donuts and cider. Who doesn’t want cider and donuts? 
4. Fall Risk Screening- This is not a play on words. Near the end of fall, just before the snow flies (if you’re in a colder climate) hold a fall risk screening for your seniors. It’s a community service and can help you get new patients. Promote this to all of your past patients, local newspapers, social media, flyers around town, and even start a word-of-mouth campaign. 
5. Fall themed Patient T-shirts- T-shirts are the #1 promotional item. Give them to patients at their first visit and encourage them to wear them at every visit. For the fall, change them out. Give them a nice fall color with an inspirational message to keep them motivated throughout their treatment. 
6. Concussion Baseline Testing- Fall is football season, and men’s soccer season in some areas. Offer concussion baseline testing to youth football teams or teams in the school system. Then, if they are injured you will be able to help them more thoroughly because you have a baseline test on file. 
7. Time for Self-Care Mailer- Send a postcard to your past patients suggesting that now that the kids are back in school, you’re ready to help them! Call now! They will come! 
8. Fall Patient Appreciation Day- Celebrate your patients with donuts and cider set up at the practice.  Add a bushel of apples for a healthy choice. Don’t forget to set up the table with fall themed tablecloths and napkins. Maybe add some fall table decorations?  Promote on social media, emails, in clinic flyers. It’s a great way to say, “thanks for choosing us.” 
9. Update your Patient Referral Program (or create one)- add in some fall themes like maybe a choice with pumpkin latte! 
10. And the mother of all fall promotions…. THE THANKSGIVING PIE PROMOTION- It is guaranteed to improve your relationships with your referral sources. Here’s what you do. 

• Go to a LOCAL orchard or bakery and ask for a bulk price on apple, pumpkin, and pecan pies.  
• Make an order form.  
• Fax the order form to each of your referral sources, customized with the name of the referral source. Dear DR. _________.  
• Write a note—"Thank you for trusting your patients to us. We’d like to bring by a pie before Thanksgiving. What’s your favorite?” They will fax back the order. 
• You will take them the pie in a beautiful box with a beautiful presentation. You will include promotional materials and you will speak to each referral source personally while handing them this wonderful gift.  They will remember you. They will associate you and your practice with something amazing.