Opening a new office? Here are some quick and easy ideas to help you announce your new location or facility expansion. Engaging in all of them would give optimal exposure with your audiences—patients, referral sources, vendors, but you can scale the approach to meet any budget constraints you may have.

Consider these ideas when you begin sharing your news:

• Send announcement postcards or letter to vendors with your new address and telephone numbers. Plan to send them approximately four to six weeks prior to the move. A “save-the-date” type postcard (4.25 in. x 5.5 in.) is less expensive than a letter, which requires an envelope and more postage.

• Develop a mailer for referral sources and patients to announce the move. Include more details on your expanded services, new location specifics, parking, a photo of your new building, and contact information. Use this opportunity to promote overall services and your certified staff. This should be sent the week of the move. Consider a larger size to stand out in the mail. 

• Send news release to local, trade, and association media to announce the move to the general public and industry. Send this the week of the move. Proofreading is essential, and leave out the hype and “promotional” language.

• Include a story in the company newsletter announcing the new location and providing more details on the expanded space and services. Include this in your next available issue.

• Post a new location notice on the company website the week the move takes place. Be sure to include a description of the location and expansion details with the “Locations/Facilities” information. Also add it to Facebook, if you have a page.

• Send an e-mail, e-newsletter, or e-nnouncement to vendors, referral sources, and patients, in addition to the mailers, if you have electronic contact information for these audiences.

• Order and distribute a giveaway item like a candy jar, Post-its, or notepads with the address information. These would be given away to referral sources over the weeks following the move.

• Host an open-house event for your patients, physician’s list, therapists, and referral sources, giving them a chance to see the new location. If possible, partner with a manufacturer to offer a preview day of a certain device as an additional angle to draw attendees. Light refreshments should be served. Check if your local Chamber of Commerce will support and promote your event, if you are a member.

• If your budget allows, consider a series of advertisements in the local newspaper to announce the new location. Find smaller weekly papers that are more cost-effective, and look for publications that target the older generation.

I hope these ideas help or at least generate more ideas. Remember, these activities can be applied to announcing new employees, new services—anything new going on with your practice. 

Make your day matter.