Are we seeing the end of newspapers as we know it? Hasn’t the internet pushed the newspapers out of business? Should you even spend money putting ads in your local paper?

Since releasing my Ultimate Chiropractic Ads in January of this year, occasionally I get asked the above questions. So I thought it would be a good idea to discuss some of the answers on the blog.

First let’s address the question…”Are newspapers disappearing?”

Before I answer this question, let’s look at a couple of other industries going through tough times. GM and Chrysler are getting bailed out and on the verge of bankruptcy. Yet, new cars are still being sold and, my guess is, will continue to be built for years into the future. In the past year, hundreds of banks have folded and been bailed out by the government. But, I predict banks will be around for a long time. My bank just built a whole new wing for “wealth management”.

What do these businesses have in common? They  made bad decisions for years and are now paying the consequences during a recession. The same goes for large newspaper companies. The newspaper corporations grew large and wasteful. They disconnected with their readership and begin to twist stories into one-sided arguments. Plus, they designed and encouraged the use of poor ads for their clients. When the economy took a dip, these same clients were not willing to pay for advertising that couldn’t bring in a return on investment.

So the answer is yes, some newspapers have gone out of business. But, does this really mean anything? Businesses disappear every day. A few that have folded: The Rocky Mountain News, Baltimore Examine, Kentucky Post, and the Cincinnati Post. However, the important point here is that newspapers didn’t disappear into thin air in these cities. Someone is still printing papers and making money. For example, the Cincinnati Enquirer, Baltimore Sun, etc.

A recent MarketWatch.com (owned by the Wall Street Journal) report shows newspaper readership down 7% in the last six months. Not surprising, since the economy itself is down more than that. Spending is down. The stock market is down. My retirement account is down 40 %! So, in the big scheme of things, a 7% decline is rather healthy.

Does newspaper advertising still work?

Yes, of course it does.  (If a chiropractic office closes it’s doors because of poor marketing, does this mean chiropractic itself no longer works?) But the key is running the right kind of ad.

To get a good return on your investment with newspapers, you have to run niche-targeted ads.

Patients that come in to your office from a condition-specific ad are much easier to convert, compared to patients from other sources.  In fact, I would rate “newspaper ad patients” just below a referral patient when it comes to quality.  The most important thing you want when it comes to newspaper ads is diversity. You don’t want just one newspaper ad. If you purchased my Ultimate Chiropractic Ads, make sure you are running at  least 2-3 different ads on a regular basis.

Just like you should never rely on just one type of new patient marketing, you should never rely on just one type of newspaper ad. (This was the problem with a popular newspaper ad kit released years ago.)

Here are a few examples of it working in chiropractic offices for 2009…

Dr. Beck, Just an update on the ads I’ve run .  On Feb. 10, I ran the “Could One Hour With This Doctor…” half page ad and got 13 patients to come in . We closed 10 of those for a total of $18,885 already collected. We paid $1134 for the ad. That’s a 16:1 ROI !!

On March 24, we ran the same half page ad and 10 patients have come in. We converted 6 of those so far and have 1 more coming in today for ROF. We have collected $14,,066 so far. That’s a 12:1 ROI !!

I just ran the “Herniated Disc” ad yesterday. We are scheduling patients as we speak.

THANKS!!!
Denton James, DC

P.S. I ran 2 other ads from another source on 1/21/09 and 3/3/09. The ROI is about 5:1, which isn’t bad, but your ads get us 3 times the ROI !!

Here’s another email I received from a doctor running a full page ad (which is not required with my ads, but he did so to get a bigger ROI)…

Hey Doc,
Just wanted to let you know how great the ads are working for me.  We ran the \”Are you living with sciatica or back pain\” ad on March 30, 2009 which is a Monday. It was $2950 for a full page ad. We had 8 new patients scheduled before lunch on Monday.  For the week we ended up with 14 new patients. We have had 3 referrals so far this week. (the week after running the ad). We have a case $ average of around $1500, so we are figuring about $26000 in income. I couldn’t be happier with the ads so far.  We are looking forward to running another ad in the very near future. – Dr. Chad Keeney

“But aren’t online news sites competing with newspapers?”

Yes, but there’s still a lot of money to be made with print newspapers ads. Many newspapers realize they need an online presence, and are now creating hybrid type papers that are in print and online. Some papers have shut down their print editions, but publish regular online newspapers.

This is why you should be in both places. Never focus on one source of new patients too much. It’s much safer and more profitable to diversify.

No one can say if and when newspapers will become obsolete. If you’re concerned about it, my advice is to stop trying to predict the future and focus on what is working now.

To discover how to bring in quality new patients with done-for-you ads (without outdated marketing strategies or free reports) visit http://www.chiropracticmarketinguniversity.com/newspaper

Recently on one of their crazy excursions, Rustee and another of the GNO-gang members went to watch Julie & Julia.  Rustee said one of the main scenes that stuck with her, was when Julia Child (played by Meryl Streep) first received a copy of her finished book.  She was jumping and dancing about with excitement.

Can you relate?  I can.  When I first received a copy of Profit Practice 2.0, I literally could not stop smiling for days.  It is an incredible feeling of accomplishment.

Now my desire is for you to achieve and experience that same accomplishment.

The ABC’s of a Leader, is a book that I have worked on for years.  During this process, I learned several tricks and tips about the writing and publishing industry.  Since then, I developed a step-by-step system that allows you to write and publish a book in as little as three weeks.  This is the exact same process I used for Profit Practice 2.0.

Writing and publishing Profit Practice was so much easier.  Because I had already been down this road, I knew the short cuts and the dangers to avoid.

Now you can follow my road map and avoid the same pitfalls so many newbie authors fall into.  Instant Influencer will save you thousands of dollars in publishing cost and save you months, even years, of writing time.

You will even learn how to publish your book for as little as $2.22 per book with no minimum orders.  At that price, you can give your book away as a fancy business card or you can sell them and make more money than most authors.

For more information on the easiest, fastest, most cost-effective way to write a book, go to InstantInfluencer.com.  And it’s guaranteed, you have nothing to loose!

1. If you choose to participate, it will be a life/career altering event.  I do not say that lightly.  Twenty years from now, you will look back on this “happening” as a key event in your life, not just your career.
2. It will be area exclusive.  Your participation will exclude any of your competition from participating.  Along those same lines, if you choose not to participate, another chiropractor in your area might.
3. For now, we will only be allowing 15 chiropractors to participate.  This will allow full attention be given to these select few.  If you miss out, we may add additional spots in the coming months (but we can not promise).
4. Here is another hint: I recorder the audio for the “Big Announcement” yesterday.  The title of it was “How to Write a Book in as Little as 3 Weeks, Virtually Eliminate the Competition, and Become THE Recognized Expert in Your Local Market!”

I believe too much as been said already…  Stay tuned.

NOTE: An email will be sent out to everyone on the list.  They will have first chance to participate.  So if you want the first opportunity, you need to sign up for email updates ASAP!

Let’s Recap:

• There is already a Buzz in the community.  (Curious?)
• It will be Area Exclusive.  (You will want to secure your spot before the DC down the street does.)
• Only 15 spots are available.  (They will go quick.)
• CMU email subscribers will be notified first.  (Make sure you sign up NOW.)
• It will be announced within the next 48 hours. (It might be later today!?)

Updated 9/10/08:
Here is a link to “The Big Announcement.”