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Hey Practice Builders — it's Steve with Healthcare Marketing Vitals!

Last week, we explored the "Disney Effect" of multi-channel marketing.

This week, we're bringing that concept much closer to home.

In a world obsessed with global reach and viral content, some of the most powerful and cost-effective marketing opportunities for your practice are often right in your own backyard.

We're talking about the local papers, community events, and neighborhood businesses that your ideal patients engage with every single day.

Spotlight Preview

If you’re just focusing your marketing efforts online, you’re missing out.

Strong practices—whether they have one location or many—are built within their local communities.

Consider this: What would your practice look like if you could build a moat of local awareness so strong that you become the default, trusted choice for your community?

This week, we're exploring how to dominate your local market with simple, often-overlooked offline strategies.

In This Week’s Email:

• [30 sec] Worth Your Time: Resources for effective, real-world local marketing

• [3 min] Spotlight: Dominate Your Zip Code: A Guide to Hyper-Local Marketing

• [30 sec] By the Numbers: The data behind why "going local" works

• [30 sec] Quote for the Week: Healthcare is always local

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH ADQUICK

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3 Key Local Marketing Insights

✅ Trust is Built Locally: While patients use Google, even Google Ads or your website can’t mimic what people see, hear, and experience locally—the community paper, the neighborhood fun run, the nearby businesses they frequent. Aligning your practice with these trusted entities creates a powerful "trust by association" effect.

✅ Offline Drives Online: Local marketing isn't a replacement for digital; it's a catalyst for it. A well-placed ad in a local magazine or a sponsorship of a school event prompts people to search for you online, boosting your website traffic and Google Business Profile engagement. No piece of your marketing strategy lives in isolation.

✅ Hyper-Targeting Without Ads: Local marketing is the original form of hyper-targeting. Instead of complex ad algorithms, you're using geography. Advertising in a local senior center's newsletter or sponsoring a youth sports team allows you to connect directly with a specific demographic in a way that feels authentic, not intrusive.

WORTH YOUR TIME

Links from This Week

💡 [Insights] Offline Marketing Power for Healthcare - Explore strategies like community health talks, local event sponsorships, and targeted direct mail campaigns that can build trust and brand awareness directly within your community. Discover Offline Impact →

🗺️ [Article] Hyperlocal Marketing for Small Clinics: Own Your Area - Unite online tools like local listings and review management with offline tactics such as targeted direct mail and building strong referral networks with other local businesses. Own Your Neighborhood →

💥 [Join] Our Free Discord Group is Here! 💥 - If you’re not sure what a Discord Group (or Server) is, check out this explainer video. I’m sure it will take some time to get going, but you can already Join Fellow Practice Owners →

BY THE WAY

There’s just one more slot remaining in my agency to start in August. If you want your providers to have a consistent and predictably full schedule, apply here.

I run 90-day patient acquisition sprints as well as longer retainers. We work best with practices that are currently under 90% appointment fill rate 2-3 weeks out, but would like to get there.

If that sounds like you, apply.

SPOTLIGHT

Dominate Your Zip Code: A Guide to Hyper-Local Marketing

4 min. read

Okay.

So, you've optimized your website and you're running some social media.

…But so is every other practice in a 20-mile radius.

As you hear over and over, the digital space is crowded and ads are getting more expensive all the time.

The question is: How do you create a competitive advantage that can't be easily copied?

You go local.

(gasp!)

You build a real-world presence and goodwill right where unsuspecting patients are day in and day out!

…in your neighborhood.

The Narrative: The Enduring Power of the Corner Store

Think about the classic neighborhood corner store or local diner. For decades, they were the undisputed hub of the community.

Why?

Because they were physically present, consistent, and deeply involved in the neighborhood's daily life.

• They sponsored the local little league team

• Put up flyers for the school play

• And knew their customers by name

They didn't have a marketing funnel; they had a reputation built on proximity and trust.

In our digital world, this "Corner Store" method is more powerful than ever because it's authentic and hard to replicate.

It's about becoming a visible, trusted part of the community fabric.

Getting Started: Your 3-Step Local Marketing Plan

Here’s how to apply the "Corner Store" method to your practice with realistic costs, timelines, and a clear measurement plan.

Step 1: The "Community Billboard" (This Month)

Your first step is to create a physical presence in a place where your ideal patients already spend time. This is about getting your name seen in a trusted, non-medical environment.

• Your Action: Choose ONE of these to execute this month:

  • The Local Business Ad: Contact a hyper-local community newsletter (like one from a neighborhood association or a popular local blog) and place a small ad.

  • The Welcome Wagon: Partner with local real estate agents to include a "Welcome to the Neighborhood" offer from your practice in their new homebuyer packets.

• Estimated Cost: $100 - $500 for a small ad placement or printing costs for flyers.

• How to Measure Success: This is the most important part. Do not just print your website URL. Create a unique QR code for each specific ad or flyer that links to your website. Use a tool to embed UTM tracking parameters in the link. This allows you to see in your analytics exactly how many website visits came from that specific flyer at that specific gym, coffee shop, etc.

Step 2: The "Community Pillar" (This Quarter)

Now, move from passive advertising to active engagement. The goal is to become a resource for the community.

• Your Action: Choose ONE of these to focus on for the quarter:

  • Sponsor a Youth Sports Team: Your practice's name appears on jerseys and banners all season, building goodwill with dozens of local families.

  • Host a Free Workshop: Offer to host a valuable health workshop (e.g., "Backpack Safety for Kids") at your local library or community center.

• Estimated Cost: $250 - $1,500 for a team or event sponsorship. A workshop can be free, aside from your time and the cost of printing materials. You’ll want to promote this yourself, but often libraries or community centers can help you do that too.

• How to Measure Success: Your sponsorship banner or workshop flyers should feature a unique, trackable QR code leading to a specific page on your site (e.g., a "New Families" page or a "Community Events" page) with UTM parameters (like above). This lets you measure direct traffic from that specific initiative. You can also track "direct" traffic spikes in your analytics on the days of games or your workshop.

Step 3: The "Direct Connection" (This Year)

This is the most targeted step, where you reach out directly to potential patients in their homes in a helpful, professional way.

• Your Action: Plan and execute a strategic Direct Mail campaign.

• The Strategy: Use the USPS's "Every Door Direct Mail" (EDDM) service to target specific mail routes in the neighborhoods immediately surrounding your practice. Your mailer should provide value—like "5 Tips to Avoid Spring Allergies"—not just be an ad.

• Estimated Cost: $0.20 - $0.50 per piece for printing and postage, so a campaign to 2,000 local homes could cost between $400 and $1,000. Often, these campaigns work even better if done 1x/month for ~6 months.

• How to Measure Success: This is where tracking is essential. Your mailer should have a compelling offer (e.g., "Scan for our guide to local walking trails") linked to a unique QR code. You can also include a specific, easy-to-remember URL (like yourpractice.com/neighbor) that redirects to a trackable link. This tells you exactly how many people took action from that specific mail campaign.

By combining these classic local marketing tactics with modern, simple tracking methods, you can confidently invest in your community, knowing exactly what's working and what's not.

💥 Join the HMV Community 💥

A few weeks ago I put out a poll about starting a free Discord group so everyone could have a mini-mastermind.

The results were positive and so I went ahead and created the group.

It’s a free place (similar to Slack or Teams) for you to talk to other practice owners, managers, or providers and help one another grow.

TOGETHER WITH SEMRUSH

You know how marketing agencies are expensive?

Well, SEMRush gives you powerful tools to run your own marketing—content marketing, SEO, paid ads, and even analytics—without needing an agency.

I’ve personally used their tools to help with SEO for clients and they’re excellent for reporting, keyword research, and even coming up with a content plan.

Use SEMRush to market your practice faster and more effectively on your own, without paying 10x as much for an agency.

Try it free for 7 days.

BY THE NUMBERS

Multichannel Marketing Stats

• 74% of marketers across say direct mail has the best ROI (FYI, I’ve also seen that this number is 42%)

• 47% of patients remember print ads compared to only 17% who say they remember digital ads

• 44% of consumers have made a purchase as a result of direct mail

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

When You’re Ready, Here are 2 Ways I Can Help

1. Reply to this email: What's your single biggest challenge with marketing your practice? I read every response and use your questions to shape future newsletters.

2. Under 90-95% appointment fill rates consistently? - Maybe it’s time for a 3-month growth sprint. Apply below 👇

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That’s All for Now

Have a great week—and remember that healthcare is always local.

See You Next Week,

Steve