It is no secret that fall is ramp up time in the business world. Schools reopen, vacations end, cottages close, RVs get packed up, the boats go into storage, people resume their routines. Fall is a well known period of time when bustle begins. What better time to be prepared to accelerate community awareness efforts for your practice and getting the word out about who you are and what you have to offer your potential clients?
Below are 5 tips for marketing your practice that take a little time, and good news, they’re all FREE to you.
1. Plan a speaking engagement.
When you understand who your primary target market is, think about ways to reach out to them as a group. Or, where are people who work with your target market gathered? If your target is children in schools, offer a free seminar to parents and teachers, if your speciality is ergonomics, offer a one hour workshop to a local corporation on truths and myths about office ergonomics.
2. Blog.
You can set up a blog for free, however it is best to consider hosting under your own domain or website, which costs a little money. After setup, a blog is free, but it takes some care and feeding. You need to produce regular and relevant content for blogging efforts to be effective. Spend the slower summer months brainstorming and researching great blog topics. Create a list of titles, and then when the mood strikes, write! There are ways to optimize your blog posts, here are some tips, and the more you blog, the better!
57% of people who blog monthly acquire clients from their blog. 82% of people who blog daily acquire clients from their blog. – @Hubspot 2012
3. Use social media.
Social media is a brilliant opportunity to network with relevant parties, fellow experts, referral sources, potential clients, without having to leave the clinic.
Social media produces two times the amount of leads as tradeshows, direct mail or telemarketing @hubspot
There are many social media tools available that will allow you to pre-schedule posts. But remember, using social media tools such as facebook and twitter aren’t just about sharing information, they are about interacting and reciprocity. Start by finding a colleague who is doing something amazing and sing their praises. Here are some instructions to get started using twitter for your practice, and here are some general social media guidelines to help you get started.
4. Approach local newspapers about writing a column.
Position yourself as a thought leader in your community by offering to write a weekly column about relevant topics in your field. Best of all, most newspapers will pay you for your submissions and you can repurpose the content on your blog.
5. Do a radio interview.
Yes, radio campaigns are difficult to measure, however we know that they are being listened to, especially in the morning hours. Approach your local information morning station about the potential about doing an interview, or an information session that is relevant to the time of year and your target market. For example, if you work with families, parents or children, backpack safety could be an interesting and relevant topic for parents as summer winds down.
So there you have it, 5 ways that you can market your practice for free this summer. Remember, it takes some time to see the benefits of your marketing efforts, the results are not likely to be immediate. Effective marketing is raises awareness of your practice and creates demand for what you have to offer offer. In time, the fruits of your labour will shine, and the clients will come.
How do you market your practice? Do you have one technique that works better than another?
For more tips from entrepreneurial experts in the clinical community, download our free ebook, 30 things every clinician should know.