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Another free Marketing article for you by Kim Richardson
Titled: Learn the Three Key Aspects of Marketing your Therapy Practice
Learn the Three Key Aspects of Marketing your Therapy Practice
Article Summary: Each therapist has a responsibility to promote their practice. This means spreading the word about their therapy and the benefits they offer their clients. Well known and established therapists get plenty of promotion through word of mouth, but therapists who are lesser known or new to the profession or the area need to do their own promotion.
Each therapist has a responsibility to promote their practice. This means spreading the word about their therapy and the benefits they offer their clients. Well known and established therapists get plenty of promotion through word of mouth, but therapists who are lesser known or new to the profession or the area need to do their own promotion.
Before we look at the three key aspects of marketing your practice, you need to develop a marketing mindset.
Check Your Mindset
Many therapists think marketing and promotion are beyond their abilities. In fact they are essential. So find some way of teaching yourself about these areas: there are many books, courses and workshops around.
There are small business owners who aren’t willing to discuss advertising their business. They may believe that advertising “is a dirty word”. Are you the type of person who believes promotion is a dirty word? Think otherwise: therapists who want to get their practices to thrive, need to promote their practice.
Understanding The Three Facets of Marketing
To fully develop the promotional mind set, you need to understand the different types of promotion and how they work. There are three facets to marketing. Understanding the difference will help you to add new dimensions to your marketing mind.
The facets include:
1. Advertising
2. Promotion
3. Publicity
Advertising
Advertising includes any paid ads. It can include newspapers, radio, TV and online paid ads. The bad news - this is usually expensive. The good news – there are plenty of alternatives. Even if you have a big budget, it never hurts to find inexpensive ways to advertise your practice. Many therapists aren’t in a position to shell out big money for paid ads.
Promotion
Promotion is a broad category and there are many possibilities and price ranges; from free to expensive. You can use promotion to distribute information about the types of therapy you have to offer. It can include clients you bring in yourself, when other people refer clients or people who find you through a phone book ad, your fliers, your website or other promotional options. The most effective way to promote is through a combination of promotional options.
Over time each therapist discovers which options are better suited to them, their personality and their type of therapy. Promotion is not a “one size fits all” sort of pursuit. You learn which promotional possibilities do and don’t work for you or your practice. The goal of promotion is to increase sales and to bring in new clients, get exposure for new and existing practices, to gain a realistic chance against other therapists and to develop a “brand” for your practice.
Publicity
Publicity has the potential to reach large audiences and give you a lot of exposure. Publicity can increase the shape and scope of your marketing campaign. It’s important to find opportunities to get the right coverage which will benefit your practice. Targeted publicity which attracts your target market is the most beneficial. Publicity work can be done in conjunction with another organization. A couple of great ways to get publicity for your practice is to sponsor a youth sports team or to develop fundraising events for organizations that appeal to your target audience.
Remember your persuasive skills
When you think of marketing, remember the persuasive skills that you used to be licensed in your field, to get a position in an established practice or to start your own. Those accomplishments required conviction and motivation on your part. Marketing requires the same attributes.
Remember that promotional work is something that you can always learn more about. The market changes on a regular basis. Online promotional options change and improve all the time. You’ve got the basics, now it’s time to expand your promotional knowledge and learn to use these options in a more effective way.
Article Source: http://www.upublish.info
About the Author:
Kim Richardson
Kim Richardson - the therapists' coach - helps you make a success of your therapy business.
To download your FREE 7 Part mini course please see his life coaching website.
Keywords: marketing, therapist, success, therapy, complementary+therapists, coaching, life+coaching, business+coaching, coach, life+coach, business+coach, more+clients, home+business, therapy+business, counsell
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