Should An OD Advertise During Slow Times?

Dear Jerry,

May and June tend to be slow months in my practice. This year, I am considering spending some money on an ad campaign in effort to stimulate business. Does that make sense?

Or, would you recommend that I take some vacation time during my traditionally slow periods?

I look forward to hearing your thoughts.

Megan Sumrall, OD

Hi Megan,

Good to hear from you again! 

Does It Matter When You Advertise?

Yes. Most marketing experts will tell you that advertising is like fishing.

There are prime times when the fish are active. Sure, you might get lucky and get a few bites outside of prime time. But for the most part, you won’t catch much during slow times, no matter what bait you use.

By the same token, if economic activity is seasonally slow in your community due to weather, school vacations, harvest, factory slow downs, etc., patients are not coming in for a reason. And, that reason means they won’t be overly responsive to even good promotions during slow times. 

My advice is to save your advertising dollars and go some place interesting during those slow times.

Best Regards,

Jerry Hayes, OD

Agree with this blog? Disagree? Have a comment or question of your own? Click the red 'Click To Discuss' link below to share your thoughts. Or, to send me an e-mail or suggest other topics click here.

Become a FAN of Dr. Hayes' Blog simply go to Facebook. 

Disclaimer: The information and opinions contained on this site are for discussion purposes only and are NOT intended to serve as legal, accounting or investment advice. ©2010 Jerry Hayes, OD. Not to be reproduced without written permission of the author.