How to Market Your Orthotics

You're listening to Podiatry Marketing, conversations on building a successful podiatry practice with Tyson Franklin and Jim McDannald.

Welcome back to Podiatry Marketing. I'm your host, Jim McDannald. With me as always, it's Tyson Franklin. Tyson, what's happening today there in Australia?

Oh, you know, it's always the same over here. Beautiful one day, perfect the next. That's what they tell us. That used to be that was our advertising campaign in Queensland. Perfect one day, A beautiful one day.

Perfect the next. That was our campaign. No. It's all good over here, Jim. Keeping busy as usual, and I hope you're doing the same.

Yeah. Yeah. Things are good. Enjoying the client work. Enjoying working with some clinics here, and excited to jump into this topic today.

What are we gonna be talking today on the on the podcast?

Today's topic is one of my favorite things and it's how to market your orthotics. And this is this is not about selling more orthotics to patients. It's about marketing your orthotics. And the reason I bring it up is because if every podiatrist makes orthotics, then why should patients or referrers send people to you? What makes your orthotics special?

And I think most podiatrists can't answer that. They have no idea.

I think that that is a great point. I think, you know, it it kinda comes back to podiatrists is that foot and ankle specialist, right? And we all we're supposed to take everything, we're supposed to do it all. And to set yourself apart or to differentiate yourself is something that either we're not taught at school or we don't really understand the value of that differentiation. I think we're gonna touch you know, touching on this topic today is great because we can kinda jump into some of those nuances or or especially in the area of orthotics.

Yeah. Well, it's it's if people really think about it is what makes your orthotic different? And I think if you can't answer that, then you've you've got problems. And I know when I first graduated, I we're all podiatrists. We're trained the same way.

We all make the same orthotics. So, therefore, I didn't think there was any difference between us. But as time went on, all of sudden, I realized, no. What I make and what you make and what the podiatrist down the road makes is completely different. On the surface, it might look very similar, but there's so many variations on on what you can actually do.

And you've gotta get a thought.

Yeah. The thought part is very important. Obviously, sometimes the type of orthotics you make or the style can kinda mimic the type of practice you have as well, whether it be, you know, you're more into the sports medicine side of things Yeah. You're more into accommodative type of orthotics. But the type of orthotics you make, like you said, it can set you apart and, you know, kind of be a signature of your practice or the way that you practice podiatry.

Well, a simple thing could be, what material do you use for your orthotics? Do you use a polypropylene, a harder, a carbon type material? And like you said, do you tend to go more towards the sports orthotics? Is that what your whole clinic is based around? Or are you going more into the, you know, the varying densities of EVA?

Do you do three quarter length? Do you do full length? Because I know when I first started, everything I did was polypropylene. Well, actually, there was a material called Roeder. I don't know if you remember Roeder, Jim.

I don't.

Bit bit bit before your time. Great material, except it killed the environment. Still, it was a good material, but it was it was it was one of my favorite materials to work with. And I used to make things out of roller with an acrylic post, and I would buff these things down to that you couldn't even tell with the acrylic join the roller. It was just they were so nice.

I don't wanna give them patience sometimes. They just look too good. So that's how I used to do it. And then moving that material into polypropylene is different, and there was another one, and sub. But then as the years went on, I slowly moved to EVA and different densities at EVA.

Some podiatrists use both, but I think it's really important to realize, what materials do you use? What is everybody else in your area using? And and are you all using the same material? If you're not, one there there's something that sets you apart straight away.

I think that's a great point. I think podiatrists coming out of school or out of residency, I think we get hard pretty with the biomechanics of things and that rigid materials have to be used for all of these different types of deformities or types of correction. But at the same time, have to understand who your patient is, what their activity is. You have to understand kind of what they're willing to tolerate. Because I think, I don't know if you ever experienced this, but if you become like a polypropylene or like a hard orthotic maxi, no matter what the patient is or how old they are, what their activity is, they're not always gonna, you know, adjust well to that type of device.

So getting a read on the patient, communicating with them, you know, during that orthotic process, I think is almost a huge part of the marketing of that orthotic device as well. Because if they if they're sold something or they're not explained in a, you know, what type of orthotic they're getting, it can set them, you know, down the path of a bad experience with an orthotic.

Yeah. But what I used to explain to patients is just because an orthotic might be made out of a hard material doesn't mean it's going to be uncomfortable. I said you can have somebody that's a soft material and can still be uncomfortable. And I used to show patients, I would grab an orthotic that was really, really soft. And what I'd do, I'd turn it upside down.

I'd put it in the sugar. Here, stand on that for me. And then stand and go, oh, that that just hurts. And I go, but it's a soft material. Okay.

So it's not the material. It's it's the design that goes in behind material. Whether you're using a polypropylene, is firmer or a soft material. If if you haven't made if the design's no good, it's going to be uncomfortable regardless. So I think the material you choose, what's everybody else using, what are you using, that is something that you can market to the community that that sets your orthotics apart from everybody else.

The second thing might be, what lab do you use? So if you're using an external lab, you're not making them yourselves, are you the only person in your area that's using a particular lab? So is that something that can that you can use in your marketing that sets you apart from everybody else as well?

No. That totally makes sense. I think there's different levels of quality and different types of materials that can be used depending on what type of lab you're associated with. It's been a little while since I've been since I've made an orthotic. Yeah.

So I don't really, know I know we kinda used one the entire time, but I think that's definitely something that you can use to differentiate yourself for sure.

Yeah. And another thing that you could ask yourself is do you do you have a faster turnaround time than everybody else in your area? So there's a lot of podiatrists I talked to who still make their patients wait two weeks before they get their orthotics. And I'm like, if I'm in pain and I know that I need orthotics, I don't wanna wait two weeks. I want them now.

I want them tomorrow. I want them as soon, as fast as you can get them to me. Are you prepared to put things in place to get them to your patients as quick as possible? And if you can and you're prepared to do that and all the podiatrists in your area won't do that, straight away, that is something that sets you apart from everybody else, and it's something you should be marketing to your patient. In my clinic, yes, we end up setting up our own milling machine on-site.

We had a twenty four hour guaranteed turnaround. You saw me today. I will guarantee they'll be ready for you tomorrow. However, if you want them the same day, if you have an appointment before 11:00, I will have them for you that afternoon. Now for patients who used to travel two, three, four hundred kilometers to come and see us, 50, two hundred 50 miles, they loved that same day service.

They could come and see us, see us in the morning, go and have lunch somewhere, get them fitted, jump in the car, and basically drive away. That was something that we really used to market. Now not every person can have a milling machine on-site, but can you negotiate a deal with the lab you're currently using and say, hey. I do thirty, forty, 50, hundred pairs per month with your business. I want you to provide them to me in two days.

If they go, oh, I can't do that. Go, okay. Well, I may need to find somebody else who can. I'll guarantee if you're a good customer, they will give you a better service and won't charge you any more for doing it. You just gotta ask.

No. That that's that's huge. I think this you kind of, you know, having the milling machine, but I think the the technology pieces kinda ties into the lab or the technology and the turnaround as well these days because, you know, obviously three d printing has kind of taken off. Oh, yeah. It whether it's with a a scanner or like a three d printer that's now available, I've seen some different companies at least in The States that are have these kind of like on-site three d printing machines.

I think you've even you might have even had a guy on your podiatry legends podcast

I some

three d printing capabilities.

Some three d printing orthotics butt plugs, something else. I'm not gonna be going through the whole thing, but he does. He has a big three d printer set up with his business. But what what I find funny is I graduated in 1988. So in 1988, we used to do a plaster cast of the person's foot.

We used to wait we had to wait till the plaster cast dried for twenty four hours. We'd box it up, and we'd post it to a lab. And it took about two weeks before the orthotics were ready to fit. That was over thirty years ago. That was thirty four years ago.

If you're still doing it that way, plaster cast and waiting two weeks, I I think you're doing a disservice to your patients. I'm not saying there's anything wrong with the plaster cast. I still think the plaster cast are great, But you know that you can get them to the lab within twenty four hours. Either to

the lab or upload that file to your three d printer and like you said, maybe you have it even same day. So I think, you know, that that's a huge differentiator. You know, the fact that you are investing into technology is a huge way to differentiate yourself from a competitor or other clinics. And it makes you look like you're thinking about your patients and being kind of future forward in ways that maybe other clinics aren't currently doing.

Yeah. So another thing might be when when it comes to marketing your orthotics, are you the cheapest podiatrist when it comes to making orthotics? Now I'm not saying that I I don't always say that you should market yourself as, hey, we're the cheapest podiatrist in town. But if you know that you make your orthotics at a certain price, and it is cheaper than what everybody else is doing, if you if you are, then use that in your marketing. Don't don't be the cheapest and then not actually tell people that you're the cheapest because it's not doing you any favors to be the cheapest, you may as well use that to your to your favor, and therefore, you might get okay.

You're still the cheapest, but if you're turning over a lot more, in the end, you're still gonna be making more money. And there's a lot of businesses that classrooms are, know, over here in in Australia, you know, discount pharmacy. There's discount this and that. They are thriving businesses because they've known how to market their their differentiation of being cheaper than what everybody else is doing.

For sure. There's no shame in, you know, basically providing that value and kind of making it known because if it's only known to you, then really you're you're you're kind of you're losing the opportunity there.

Yeah. Because they they will tell you, oh, I don't charge like everybody else does, they're proud of not charging that. Well, that's great. Then use that in your marketing. Let people know, hey.

We make the cheapest pod the cheapest orthotics in town. There's nothing wrong with saying that if that's what you do and you're providing a good orthotic. But if you make cheap shit orthotics, then don't put that in your market. Hey. We make the cheapest and the shittiest orthotics in in town.

That's not what you wanna do. The next thing is like you said before. If if you specialize in certain things, whether it's sports, it could be kids orthotics. If you really have an interest in the area, I definitely think and you brought that before, Jimmy, about sports. It's think about interests you have and, you do you make the orthotic for the triathlete?

I used to make a lot of orthotics for cycling shoes, and the advantage I had is I had patients that were in the Tour de France. So that gave me a lot of street cred when it came to some of what I could actually make for cycling shoes, and they were different to everything else.

No. I mean, that's huge and there's so many different kinds of co marketing opportunities like you said with the whether it be with the cyclist or in the Tour de France or local running shoe store or a marathon. There's lots of different ways to get your name out there that you are the sports medicine orthotic maker. So I think there's just there's a limitless amount of marketing opportunities when you're when you're when you kind of find that niche within the profession to kinda go after, whether that's kids or wound care or sports. You know, there there's some type of orthotic to match that kind of patient persona.

Yeah. And it's and it sort of matches with what you're interested in. And and I always have this I saw this saying years ago, I think it was, like, 1990, is you can't eat status. So you might think, oh, but I'm more qualified than everybody else in town, or I have more degrees. Or do they realize I used to be a lecturer at a university?

Patients don't care about your qualifications. They just want a good product. So if you're trying to rely on your status of who you are and what you've done in the profession, And, you know, what people will just learn about you and and wanna come to you and get orthotics. No. You need to tell them what makes your orthotics better or different, or do you provide a better service, a cheaper service?

And you need to get this into your marketing, and you need to get it out there. If you want people to come in and be talking about your orthotics.

Now I think you said it perfectly there. You have to have provide that visibility to community about, you know, almost kind of reflecting the type of patients you want to have come into your practice in your marketing, or you're saying it out there so they see that you you treated cyclists, or you treated runners, or you treated triathletes. And then they they identify and they see themselves in those advertisements as being that weekend warrior or triathlete or something. And then you are become that kind of go to expert. I think that's a perfect tie in.

And like you said, you can't just like, well, I've been to 300 sports medicine conferences. Like, patients don't care about that. No. Like, they don't like, who cares? Like but if you're showing face at these events or in your marketing that you are that person and then you treat them well and you differentiate yourself during those patient visits, that's where you make the inroads.

Yeah. Well, there's with our orthotics, yeah, going back years and years ago, we ended up because all podiatrists were making orthotics, and I was at a barbecue once. I got this barbecue and said something to somebody and they said, yeah. I've had orthotics. I've had those things before.

And I went, oh, did I make them for you? And I went, no. No. I saw another podiatrist, but they're all the same. Orthotics are all the same.

And I got the shits. And I went, I'm sick of everyone thinking we all make the same thing. So I decided to give our orthotics a name, and I called them ProArch Foot Supports because our business was ProArch Podiatry. Actually, it wasn't at the time. It was North Queensland Podiatry, and then I changed the name to ProArch Podiatry, the business.

So we called them ProArch Foot Supports. We'd never refer to orthotics, in our clinic as orthotics. They were always pro arch foot supports. We're talking to doctors, physios. We make pro arch foot supports.

Talking to patients. Oh, no. We don't make orthotics. We make pro arch foot supports. And eventually, we're having people ring up and say, oh, wanna find out more about those pro arch foot supports.

So the name started to actually get around. So I don't think there's anything wrong with giving your orthotics a name. That is something you might be making the same orthotic from the same lab that everybody else does, but if you can give your so it could be a gym sports orthotics. Could be what they are. We actually got business here in Australia.

Jim's Mowing. There's a guy Jim Penman, I think his name is. So massive business. I mean, hundred million dollar business. Jim's mowing.

Then Jim got into Jim's fencing, Jim's painting, Jim's electrical. So I'll tell you right now, if all of sudden Jim's mowing guy got hold of Jim's orthotics, it could be big.

I I think that's a pretty pretty clever way of going about doing it because not only does it allow you to differentiate yourself with the name and just have, you know, promote that name. But I think also when people come back to you, like you said, saying the name of your product to you Yeah. It's a it's a great way of measuring the effectiveness of your advertising, of your website, of the other places, you know, of those one on one interactions you had with someone to talk about pro arch, you know, pro arch foot supports. Right? So like

We had pro arch foot support socks, hats, t shirts, and we you'd be in the you see someone wearing a pro arch foot support hat, and we just go people knew the name pro arch foot support. It was I've still got the trademark for it.

And I think it's those keywords are much much cheaper in Google Ads as well as opposed know, trying to advertise on things like orthotics. So I think that's a it's a it's a win in multiple ways.

But I think every business can do it, and it's it's creating a name for your product if you can, and then tying a story to it or or how it came about. But then it's just it's making a part of your business. So like I said, if you had gyms sports orthotics or gyms triath yeah. Triathlete orthotics, it's if you can give it a name, and you might, you know, call it the Trojan the Trojan orthotic. You know, so many hidden features in there you don't know until you start wearing them, that all of a sudden that name could become popular within a certain sporting group.

No. For sure. I think it's it's it's pretty interesting like you said tying that narrative or a patient persona to a specific device can definitely be something that people definitely should consider.

So I think if you're making athletics, and I assume most podiatrists are, sit down and really think about the product you've got. How are you marketing it to the community, to your to your patients, even internally with your existing patients? Do you realize that not every patient knows what you do? So you might have hundreds and hundreds of routine care patients that are also going to other podiatrists to get their orthotics, and you don't even know it because you haven't told them. And the reason I know that is I had a lady that came into my clinic one day and said, I need a pair of para foot support, so I have really sore feet.

And as I'm talking to her and treating her, I I mentioned that I said, oh, you should come back for general foot care because I noticed a few things. She went, oh, no. No. I have a podiatrist that does that. I went, oh, okay.

How come you didn't see them about getting something made up for your feet? Oh, I don't think they're qualified to make those sort of things. And I knew who it was because they were in my year at uni. And I said, you may be right, but I don't know. But I knew that they were well qualified to actually be making them, but she came to me because her current podiatrist never told her that they actually did that.

So if you've got a lot of routine patients at the moment, make sure that they're aware. Ask them a question. What do you feel like when you get out of bed in the morning? And surprising that they will tell you, and then that leads on to another another whole conversation.

No. That's super helpful. I think, like you said, the the whole point of doing a lot of the the marketing is to make, you know, in your local area and even your own patients aware of all the care you provide. Because it's all in our heads. Mhmm.

We

all know what we do, but those patients don't know what we do. So those opportunities to do that I think is a huge is is like, you know, you don't have that many opportunities with people in your clinic to let them know those things. So the more you can do it, the better you're gonna be for practice.

Yeah. Well, I reckon a little secret tip I'm gonna share with everybody right here is I think marketing in general is very very simple. You've just got to do it. So two simple questions that people can ask, and this is not just to do with orthotics. If you asked every patient starting tomorrow, what do you feel like when you get out of bed in the morning?

Every single patient. Doesn't matter who they are. Just ask them that question and see the conversations that spark from that. And the second question you can ask people, when somebody phones up to make an appointment and you ask them while you're on the phone, while I've got you on the phone, is there anybody else in your family that needs an appointment? You'll be surprised how many people will go, oh, well, actually, my husband's been meaning to come in as well.

Might even be five percent. It might even be ten percent of people that will make an appointment for somebody else in their family, but you'll never know unless you ask the question. So they're two simple questions you can ask patients guaranteed to increase turnover.

Excellent, Tyson. I think that's a great way to leave us today. Yep. Thanks thanks so much for anything else you wanna add before we wrap up today?

No. Just that I just I'm loving this podcast. I love the subject of marketing and always reminding people that if you're having difficulty in this area, reach out to Jim or reach out to me and and see if we can help you in some way. So that's it for me. I look forward to talking to next week, Jim.

Sounds great, Tyson.

I'll see then. Okay. Bye. Bye now.

Thanks for listening to Podiatry Marketing with Tyson Franklin and Jim McDanald. Subscribe and learn more at PodiatryMarketing. That's the website address, podiatry.marketing.