Marketing Tips for my private practice

“If you build it, he will come,” the disembodied voice told Kevin Costner in the movie Field of Dreams. While this phrase may be applicable to most scenarios in life, running a business isn’t one of them. And since your private practice is a business, you might want to look further than this nebulous recommendation.

Many mental health and wellness providers, if not all of them, cringe when the subject of marketing is brought up. The majority say they feel like sleazy salesman when they talk about their private practice. Some even feel like, for lack of a better term, “ladies of the night’ when tasked to advertise their practice. Sadly, marketing is something you have to do as a private practice owner. Below, we have listed 6 tips to help marketing your practice less painful.

Tip 1: Define your niche

Some providers would argue that choosing your niche is putting all your eggs in one basket, which is risky. However, marketing yourself as an all-inclusive therapist or wellness provider could be detrimental to your practice. Potential clients feel more comfortable choosing a therapist who specializes in the problem they are facing, rather than one who claims they can do it all. 

Tip 2: Do your research

There are various ways to market your practice, both on- and off-line. While all of these methods are effective in their own right, it doesn’t mean they will all work for you. Since you have already chosen your niche, you should have also identified your target demographic. This way, you will have an idea of where to find potential clients and how to market your practice to them.

Sidenote** Facebook Advertising

If you do your research and discover that a majority of your target market is on Facebook, we encourage you to pay for Facebook advertising. When done properly, advertising on Facebook has been proven to be very effective

Tip 3: Blog, Blog, Blog!

Blogging is a surefire way to direct traffic to your website. Create a section on your website for blogs, or start a dedicated website just for blogs. Make sure to post regularly and be sure to include as many SEO-friendly words as possible. 

Tip 4: Beef up your social media accounts

We may refuse to accept it but most people love social media and might be mildly addicted to it. Since we can’t fight it, how about taking advantage of it! Interact with your followers (and potential clients) regularly and don’t forget to link your blog posts there. Two birds, one stone!

Tip 5: Feature in blogs, podcasts, YouTube etc.

Offering to feature on therapy and wellness related social media sites is a great way to advertise yourself. Reach out to your peers who have blogs, podcasts or YouTube channels and ask them if you can collaborate with them. You could talk about different topics related to mental health or wellness in general, or highlight your niche. Using these avenues will expose you to a broader audience of potential clients. 

Tip 6: Old school is still cool!

While the internet is the new name of the game, we might be tempted to forget the old- school methods we used to rely on back in the day. Print those business cards, attend those networking events, and talk to people. Set up lunch/coffee meetings with potential referees. Word of mouth still remains one of the most effective methods of marketing yourself and your practice.

By following these 6 doable tips, you will be on the right track to gain more clients. Coupling these suggestions with maintaining your reputation as a professional mental health/ wellness provider will guarantee significant growth in your practice.