Osteopathy Awareness Week 
May 2 – 8, 2010

The Australian Osteopathic Association (AOA) will hold its annual Osteopathy Awareness Week during 2-8 May, 2010. This year’s theme focuses on raising awareness of osteopathy (ABS reported as the fastest growing health profession in Australia) and the services osteopaths offer. Most people, regardless of age or gender, will suffer from back or neck pain, headaches, sport injuries, stiffness or pain at some time. Osteopaths can help to identify the cause of the pain or injury and develop a safe and effective course of action to manage pain – so people can make the most of their active lives. Osteopathy is not an alternative health option – osteopaths are university trained, government registered, allied health professionals.  Osteopaths collectively treat over 30 000 people a week, generate over $200 million in the economy, plus osteopathy has been practiced for over 100 years in Australia.       TELEVISION AD AND YOU TUBE: During Osteopathy Awareness Week 2006 - 2008 the AOA placed an advertising campaign on free to air TV and Foxtel. The advert can be emailed around via a link to the AOA website or via U-Tube at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1vYxUCQ4xk Download the AOA's recent Television Commercial (wmv 1.6mb)

Here are some simple things you can do to help:

1 Set up an information display in your local shopping centre.
2 Ensure you have your new poster displayed prominently and perhaps have some give-aways with your clinic details clearly visible.
3 Make sure you have plenty of signage that clearly identifies you and/or your clinic because you can never have enough signage.
4 Photocopy the enclosed press release (see back of this letter) and send it on to your local newspapers with a photograph of yourself, the clinic staff or the actual practice; but, do it a few weeks in advance.
5 Case studies are great support for press releases, especially if it is local - but be wary of using testimonials!
6 Telephone the editor or their assistant and let them know that Osteopathy Awareness Week is on the week coming and would they please consider an article from you regarding Osteopathy and the local community. Don't be frightened of a knock back.
7 Send the paper some background literature,
8 During the Awareness Week, hand a leaflet on Osteopathy to every patient and ask them to pass it on to someone they think can benefit
9 Simply contact your local primary and secondary schools and ask if they would be interested in a presentation to the students 10 Running an advertisement in your local paper
11 Interviews on Community and local radio stations are another great way to reach a broad audience in your local area.
12 The most valuable asset that you have is your patient database, send out an sms or email highlighting OAW ad saying thanks fr your support.
13 Think about setting up a stall to promote you business in the local area, just check with your local council first
14 Send the 'YouTube' ad to all you patients and friends as a email promotion during Osteopathy Awareness Week
15 Update your Natural Therapies Page and include a video. Check out the video they produced for us about Osteopathy and their Facebook post of the osteopathy video http://www.facebook.com/ntpages There are some interesting comments and positive feedback