Piggybacking Onto Other Communities

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. Joined as always by my trusty co host, Tyson Franklin. Tyson, how are you doing today?

I'm fantastic today. Big Jim, how are you doing?

Doing well. Doing well kind of muddling through this cold, dark winter here in Canada, but what do you expect when you when you live up here? So no yeah. No complaints. Just trying to get through the winter.

What's your favorite season?

I would say fall. Like Okay. I like the cool nights, but the days are, you know, the the leaves are changing colors. It's not too hot, not too humid. Yeah.

Really beautiful scenery up here in the Northeast in the Montreal area. So

Yeah. I have been in Vancouver, Power River in October, but it's getting a little bit cooler. And it must admit the just the change in the color of trees and all that is just amazing, which you don't get in cans. In cans, everything's green in summer, and in winter, it's green, and everything's green. Nothing changes.

It's just always green. Yeah. Okay. Well, let's get on to today's topic.

Yeah. So we're gonna jump into.

It is piggybacking onto other communities. Mhmm. Yeah. A lot of people I think everyone's piggyback once or twice before in their life. But I was recently reading this book.

It's this book here called The Culting of Brands that a friend gave me, doctor Jesse Green. And he gave it to me about a year ago, it should be sitting there, and I hadn't hadn't read it yet. So I thought, this year, I'm gonna just I've set this goal. I'm just gonna read a ton of books this year. I just wanna get through a lot more books.

When I was reading this book, it mentioned something that I thought was really interesting when they were talking about cults. I'm not I'm not telling you when I started a cult. But what they were talking about is how like, Christianity, for example. When it first started, it was a cult. That's that's how it was sort of viewed.

So Christianity basically piggybacked off of Judaism. And then later on, the Mormons piggybacked off of Christianity. So and it was funny as you're reading through it, they're talking about the the Mormons originally, when they first started, were classed as a cult when they first kicked off, but then as it grew, it became mainstream. So what they're saying is just this whole piggybacking principle has been there for thousands of years, and it's something that we can actually do in podiatry. And I've mentioned it to a lot my coaching clients in the past that piggybacking is just a fantastic marketing strategy.

And giving example, Nike, for example, Nike couldn't piggyback off of Adidas because they're, like, competing brands. So because Nike couldn't do that, they then piggyback off of running communities. And we were talking about that off air, how they they turned up at running meets, and they had shoes in the back of the cars. And they were just they were seen and heard without really just screaming at everybody, hey. You must wear a Nike shoe.

They were just they were there. And because they were there, it would start conversations. So they didn't so much market the Nike Shoe. They just they piggybacked off of communities that already existed. And like I said, we can do the same thing in podiatry.

I think it's a pretty cool topic. I think there's a lot of ways that you can provide value to a specific community, learn from other communities, you know, share different things and just kind of be either a, you know, a valuable resource or, you know, providing some value to community will not only ingratiate you, but, yeah, it just helps, you know, build relationships. But, yeah, I'm excited to jump into some of these specific examples with you today.

Well, another example I mentioned before I press the call, I mentioned the company, Solomon. And I I've I've heard the company, but I don't really know the company. And he said, oh, yeah. They're a ski company. So straight away, you knew they were a ski company.

And they said when they tried to get into the snowboarding market, they couldn't do it because snowboarders looked at Solomon as there was this there was a company that produced skis for old farts. So they reckon if they just made a snowboard and said and tried to compete against the people who are already big in the snowboarding sort of industry, they would have just been laughed at. So what they did, they piggybacked off of other communities. So there were groups that would meet at snowboard parks. So they would turn up, they'd have their equipment there, they'd have a few people riding it, but then they had all their boards there and say, hey, just take one for a ride.

Test it out. Practice it. We're not trying to sell any here. We just want you to use them. And the more communities that they sort of got themselves into and let people test and try their product, and and they could see the quality of it, then all of a sudden, their company grew and became quite big in the whole snowboarding industry.

Yeah. It really helped it sounds like they kinda help give them some exposure for their brand. Right? They weren't they weren't trying to do the hard sell. They weren't trying to push people to do something.

They just made their products available and if people happen to like them, you know, it could kind of facilitate some word-of-mouth and some some goodwill by, you know, this kind of renting out or letting them trial those snorbodes. So I think that's a pretty interesting, you know, way to think about it.

It's almost like a try before you buy. I I have purchased certain spirits. I've seen it on the shelf and I'm going, oh, okay. I don't know what that is. But then all of a sudden, they may have a rep that's in one of the larger, like, bottle shops, and they're doing tasting.

And you're trying to go, oh, that's actually really nice. You may not buy it that time, but then later on, you see it again, you might try it again, okay, now I'm gonna buy a bottle. So it's it's just that exposure without them saying, hey, you must buy this bottle. Have mattered how much they screamed at me about buying it. I probably wouldn't buy it unless I probably saw it probably 50, a hundred times before it would actually really start to sink in.

So with podiatrists, I think there's simple things that they can do.

I was just gonna jump in and say, like, when you can facilitate that positive experience, that's worth more money than, you know, like some some type of advertisement like you said, like when you actually get to try the thing and you kinda make it a make people feel special by having that sample. Yeah. And then they're more willing to down the future like you talked about then, oh, I've I've had a little bit of that and had a good experience with it. So you're more likely to take action than as opposed to like, well, I saw a magazine ad with that on that one time and, you know, it's it's definitely as much more it's a different level of emotion and connection with people.

Yeah. And especially if it's something new that is gonna compete against something you're already using. Say rum, for example. Bundaberg rum's a rum that I I like to drink. It's an Australian rum.

And is it the best rum in the world? No. But I still enjoy it. But we were at we were at a local bottle shop, and while we're there, there was a young guy who had produced his own rum. And he was actually in the store, and we're I was walking past with my wife, and you could see the whole rum bottle.

It was really designed it was targeting women to try actually drinking rum because rum's not usually a drink that women would try, but he's got pink labels. It was really targeted that way. And as we walked past, my wife stopped and went and started talking to the guy because of this pink this pink label. And he said, oh, this is a new rum. Would you like to try it?

We both tried it. We both went, well, that is actually really, really nice. But without that sample, I never, under any circumstance, would have even considered buying a bottle of that rum.

Makes sense.

So so with podiatrists, for example, there's running and walking groups. There's a lot of them around. You can do two different things. You can participate live, so you can actually turn up at the running group or at the walking community and be involved and just be there. You don't necessarily have to have a podiatrist shirt on that has a big arrow, so look at me.

I'm a podiatrist, ask ask for help. You're just there. And by talking to people, someone's gonna say, oh, by the way, what do you do? I'm a podiatrist. So that's that's if you were doing it live.

But just being involved on their in their online groups and forums. Joining the groups, letting them yeah. When you're seeing certain posts, making a comment but not yelling at, hey. I'm a podiatrist. Just giving really quality information over and over again.

Eventually, people will see that and start taking note. Do exactly the same thing with personal trainers on some of their forums and page online groups. And I know a lot of personal trainers that actually have running groups off. Like, it's like a group they run off of the personal training business. And through that, once you're in some of those groups and you're you're talking to them, when they know who you are, they will start to approach you.

And this is how I used to get a lot of speaking engagements with personal trainers, And next thing you have twenty, twenty five runners sitting there listening to you talking about podiatry. But I didn't do it by just blurting that I'm a podiatrist. You can do the same thing with gyms. Any any business where you think your community could be, you can actually be involved in those groups.

No. I think that's a great point. It's it is that, you know, getting in there providing value, not being a pain in the ass. I think everyone's had experiences Yeah. With some with some of that either joins up or jumps in and is like super self promotional and kind of over the top, you know, trying to be kind of the smarty pants in the group or trying to sell people on something, it really comes off as really negative.

So if you can have, you know, be authentically interested, you know, if you like to go to to walk or run or be a part of a gym and just kind of ingratiate yourself and become a part of the community and then provide that value or that that kind of help that people in need within the community. That's how that's how you build long term relationships and that's how you you win and your clinic wins long term.

Yeah. Well, even with the podiatry business owners club, the group I have on Facebook, with that group there, I to be in the group, you gotta be a podiatrist or you gotta be a really, really close friend of mine that I I think has a skill set that will be beneficial. And I'll get somebody who will join, and I'll go and look at their profile and go, I know they all they also do something else. But the rules are they're a podiatrist, and I can't just exclude you because I yeah. I don't wanna look like I'm feeling threatened by anybody.

So I let them in the group. Oh my god. I tell you some of them, as soon as you let them in the group, they just start pouring. Everything that they do, they're now trying to sell it to that community. And as soon as I see it, I just beat them straight out of the group.

I don't even I don't even give them a warning because I know if that's what they're gonna do right from the start, they don't understand what the group or what a community is actually all about. A couple of points I've got down here. A community is not something that should be invaded. You don't you don't join a group and then all of a sudden just start attacking it or invade everybody in that that group and start pushing things out to people. Even if, like, the podiatry business owner club had somebody who joined, and then I had somebody else who was in there send me a message and go, do you know this person?

They've just started direct messaging me their their information. I went, thanks for letting me know. Boom. You're gone. But so many people do it.

It's it's just something you've got to not do. Don't invade the group.

And I think it's you'd make a good point as far as the moderation of a group. Right? If you do have a group where it's a close trusted group of individuals that are trying to provide value to each other, maybe answer each other's questions, provide resources in a helpful helpful manner, it's one of those things where someone violates that, you know, it's it's it's pretty clear. And I think there's a lot of groups right now, especially on Facebook and the podiatry community where it just people blasting self promotional things that really have nothing to do with providing value or helping other people. So you're right to and I wish other groups like, you know, moderate as well as you do yours because that's if if once you let a lot of that stuff kind of start seeping into a group, it kind of destroys the morale or the trust within a group and just kind of a group or a community will kind of tank after a period of time just because no one's kind of minding the store and people are just, you know, joining and and blasting other people and that that's not really what community is all about.

Yeah. And I I have been part of some of those groups where you join it. Every post that's coming through just one half would be 10 posts a day and it's all the different people in the groups that are just flogging constantly flogging their their own stuff. And that's a positive feedback I've had with the group. Somebody said they like it, that it's actually a really safe group.

They never feel like anyone's yeah. If they've got a question, they can ask it. They never feel intimidated. And and the thing I think the main part with any group you're trying to piggyback off of is remember, the group is more important than you, and it's more important than your business. It's the group that's important.

So you wanna constantly just be adding value to the group. If somebody posts something, post a positive comment and try to add value without ever saying that, hey, look at me. I'm a podiatrist.

And I think a huge part of that is reputation. You know, I think we you know, we got used to doing things in person so much that, you know, people that are self conscious or people that are aware that, you know, your your livelihood is based upon how good your reputation is. It's easy to kind of have that barometer maybe when you're in real life, but some people just, for whatever reason, they don't they don't treat the online world in the same fashion or the same kind of caution that, you know, if you if you are crazily self promoting and blasting people all the time, people are gonna lose respect for you and lose trust in what you have to say if you're always trying to sell your product or sell your event. So, you know, in the in the kind of Internet age we live in now, your personal reputation can really be ruined online unless you're really careful about how you, you know, craft what you say and how you interact with people in a in a helpful and genuine way. People can smell that stuff a mile away now.

You know, the Internet's been around for fifteen or twenty years and you think that, you know, it's not the wild wild west anymore. You have to do things that are building trust and maintaining your reputation at the utmost and being a valuable member of that community and being trustworthy is a huge part of that.

Yeah. And once you become a trusted member of that community and people will know who you are. If somebody like, I've been part of groups where someone will post a comment and I go, that was a really, really good comment. Straight away, my first inclination is, I wanna know who this person is. So I then go and click on their name, see where they are, and then I hope that they do have a business, that they may mention their their business within their their own profile, so then I can go and have a look at that.

And if I keep seeing really positive information from them, I'm like, well, this person can be trusted because they're offering value without actually trying to sell me anything, and they're letting me come to them. So sort of like, you know they say? Attract attract more bees. They say you attract more bees with honey, not salt. Is that the saying?

Yeah. Or vinegar sometimes.

Yeah. I don't are bees actually attracted by honey?

I mean, make honey, so I guess they would be attracted to it.

So Bears would be. I'm not sure if that's true either. It always Winnie the Pooh was just crazy about honey. Do you know who Winnie the Pooh is?

Of course. I know who Winnie the Christopher Robin.

Okay. Just checking. Checking because yeah. Just every now and then I'll say something to you that I assume you know, and then you just give me this really blank look. And I'm like, okay.

That's right. Yeah. You're on the other part of the country. The other part of the world.

That's usually that's usually like rugby, Australian rules football, mythical, like folk heroes. Those kind of places, you know, any kind of sometimes, I guess, TV shows I might not know. You know, if you throw out the, like, the obscure Margot Robbie, you know, Robbie t shirt TV show, I wouldn't know it. But but yeah.

No. That's okay. Jeez. We get off track. Anyway, the last part I just wanna sort of talk about is if you well, one is always be humble.

It's really important just to be humble when you're in these groups. But also, eventually, community will adopt you as their in house expert. When you're providing value and people can see that you're always offering value, whoever's running that group will eventually reach out to you. I think if you add value, the community will will adopt you as an in house expert, and then they will ask you to either contribute more, or like I said with the personal trainers that I knew, they will say, hey. We've got a running group.

We get together on a Tuesday night, and we we have a, yeah, a different speaker come in. Would you be interested in actually speaking? And, of course, you go, of course, I would. Unless you don't like public speaking, then you say no. I'll write an article for you.

Yeah. I I kinda reminds me actually of how we, you know, we met and I was on your podcast and over time, you know, kind of trust and relationship between us grow. Obviously, we've done a lot of podcasts. We've talked many hours together, but then, you know, you kind of gave me the opportunities like, hey, go ahead and you you now have permission to kind of post into our into the podiatry legends group even though I'm not, you know, part of the podiatry legends, you know, group at all. Like, I don't I'm not on your I don't kinda help facilitate your other podcast, but you were kind enough to to trust me and to invite me into your Facebook community.

So now I can, you know, spam everybody I want to in that group. That's now I know you might kick me out, so I might have to pull back on some of the stuff I've been posting here lately.

No. But it it is one of the things. When I see people posting it like I love people posting stuff into the group because and especially if it's if it's good information. When I see any post in there, I'll I'll look at it and I'll go, gee, that was really good. Then I'll comment, that was really good.

But if I know it's purely just self promotion, they've they've never commented on anything since they've been in the group for eighteen months, then all of a sudden, they're now promoting something that they're doing. I'm like, yeah. Yeah. No. That's not that's not gonna happen.

And the trust level sort of dives at the same time. In summary of all this, piggybacking onto other communities is just a great marketing tactic to use. It doesn't cost a lot of money. It's just a little bit of time to find out where these groups are. You can do a lot of them online.

You don't have to physically do a run or or do a walk unless you you want some exercise. And you don't necessarily have to do public speaking if they invited you. But just being involved in these groups is one of the easiest ways of just slowly getting known in a wider community outside of, you know, of the the people that already know you.

Yeah. I couldn't agree more. I think it is one of those things where, you know, you don't have to reinvent the wheel. Right? You don't have to always just push out your own content and just have your own channels.

Those are great to have because you can, you know, kind of give information to people in the way you want to. But when you can contribute to community and you show that you're involved with other people as well, then they're probably more likely to want to contribute to some of the things that you're doing. Right? So if you're being generous and providing value in other communities, those same people that you're building long term relationships with are gonna be much more apt to kind of come over to you and see what you're doing and help you out in the future. So it's a real synergistic or it's a real collaborative way to kind of grow your practice and to get visibility for what you're doing.

Yeah. And also don't rule out other allied health professionals or just other health professionals. If there's physiotherapists that have got groups or chiropractors or the local GP, local doctors, if they've got a page that is a fairly active page and they've got a group, join it. But do the same thing. Just add value where where you think you can add value.

Eventually, they'll see your name. When they see your name enough and they realize you're not trying to spam people, you're just adding value, they will appreciate that. And then you'll probably find you get more referrals from

them. Yeah. I definitely agree.

Okay, Jim. I think I've covered this subject enough. It was that was good. I enjoyed that one. Not that I don't enjoy all of I enjoy all of them, but that was fun.

So that that was good. I look forward to talking you next week.

Sounds great, Tyson.

Okay. See you. Bye.

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