Why you need to understand the concept of “wrap-around marketing.”

In this article:

• How the world has changed for marketers in the last 20 years
• Why digital marketing is not, and never will be, the end-all-be-all for marketers
• The biggest mistake I see my clients make because of that assumption
• The definition of “wrap-around marketing” and why it needs to be in your marketing toolkit

It’s pretty amazing how much the world has changed in just 20 years.  In 2000 a serious marketer would have learned all they could about their local newspapers and magazines, gotten radio and TV play, bought direct mailing lists and pressed the flesh at local networking events.  After just two short decades, the media palette is different, to say the least, replete with incredible new digital platforms and approaches...websites, SEO, Google ads, mobile devices, tables, text messaging, and SOCIAL, SOCIAL, SOCIAL!  Yes, you must become savvy with a carefully-chosen blend of these cutting-edge digital marketing techniques unless you want to stay in the advertising stone age.  I know full-well the power of digital marketing and, of course, use it myself...abundantly :)  And chances are you are reading this on a computer, tablet, smartphone, or one of the platforms listed above.

BUT, digital has never been the end-all-be-all of marketing, and it never will be.  All too often, I see my clients focus their time and energy exclusively on digital marketing to the neglect of important traditional components that would supercharge many of these digital approaches and amplify their results in a positive feedback loop.  Yet, my favorite creative strategies that I’ve seen clients repeatedly use to attract new patients and form mutually beneficial referral partnerships. These partnerships combine traditional and digital marketing techniques in unexpected ways that are incredibly effective at building your practice and generating goodwill in your community and professional network.  And I’m not talking about things like newspaper ads or direct mail. Many of these supercharged strategies that combine digital and traditional elements are more fun and energizing than you would probably ever expect marketing to be.  But I love seeing the big smiles on my clients’ faces when they talk about the great results they have gotten and the fantastic vibes that came their way in the process.

The term “wrap-around marketing” describes these enjoyable and creative strategies that combine traditional and digital components.  

Wrap-around marketing = any marketing strategy that connects traditional and digital techniques in a creative and multi-faceted way to maximize the effectiveness of both

I have dozens of them, and in the following series, I’ll be sharing three of my favorites with you.  The best part about it is that you can go right from blog post to application in your practice and see the results yourself.  Remember, these will bring you patients, referral partners, visibility, and goodwill in your community and professional networks.

The following three posts cover:

• Why “old-fashioned” newspapers of today are still one of the most important wrap-around marketing tools and the #1 question you must ask to use them to their full potential in attracting your ideal patients
• The simple but often overlooked 6-step process to find all the referral partners you need in your geographic area and create instant credibility with them
• The unbelievable trick is to reward your referral partners for helping you stand out in their minds and build more goodwill than you ever thought possible!

I’ll see you next week for the first wrap-around marketing strategy!