Why Do I Need To Advertise?

Advertising is the way in which you communicate your business message to others. Unless you actively work at letting people know about your complementary health practice and the range of conditions and problems you can treat, you will not be able to build a successful client base.

There are three main factors you should consider before doing any advertising:

• the unique features of your practice
• the kind of people who would be interested in what you have to offer
• the media you are going to use for advertising.

What’s Unique About My Practice?

In order to attract new clients you need to present your practice in some way which differentiates it from the rest. When making an initial decision about which practice to contact, your clients will want to know why they should come to you for sessions rather than a similar practice in the next street, or the other practices listed next to yours in the trade directories.

Consider what unique selling points your practice has to offer. What can you promote about your practice that others don’t mention or offer. These could be things such as:

• offering a free initial consultation
• offering home visits
• offering evening or weekend appointments
• promoting any new or specialised techniques you have been trained in
• listing any areas you specialise in and your qualifications for treating those conditions
• detailing your experience of and willingness to work with couples or groups
• detailing any other therapies you are trained in and how you integrate these into your work.

 

Make sure that these details are included in any leaflets you send out, and that they feature on your website and in any advertisements you make.

Who Would Be Interested In My Work?

The kind of people who will be interested in your work will vary according to the therapy you offer. For example, if you are working as a massage therapist this will have a more general appeal than someone who is working as a cranio-sacral therapist, similarly a session with an aromatherapist is more likely to appeal to women than men. Take some time to review your therapy and the kind of person it might benefit. Start by making a list of the sort of things you help your clients to achieve – is it greater relaxation, a toned and supple body, pain relief, the resolution of personal problems?

Once you’ve listed the main benefits to be achieved from your work, you can then start to match these to personality types, particular occupations or other social groupings such as mothers with young children. This will then help you to target those people who will have a genuine interest in what your practice has to offer. For example, if your therapy is particularly helpful to those in high-stress jobs you might want to directly target groups such as teachers, corporate managers, firefighters, nurses and doctors.

How Should I Advertise My Practice?

There are many types of media that you can use. These include:

• local, national, trade and specialist newspapers, journals, directories and books
• posters
• advertising boards outside your practice
• the internet – your own website or using on-line health directories
• local radio
• leaflets
• notices in local newsagents’ windows or cards in local supermarkets.

 

Some of these methods are more expensive than others, so it is worthwhile contacting your colleagues in the same line of business to find out what has worked well for them before you decide to part with any money.

How Much Should I Spend On Advertising?

As part of your business and financial planning process you should already be clear about the amount you have allocated for your advertising budget, at least for the first year. Don’t be tempted to exceed it, but do be prepared to monitor how much income you have achieved from your various marketing approaches so that you can decide how this money can be better spent in subsequent years.

Your advertising costs can be roughly divided into three categories:

• advertising methods which cost you nothing
• advertising methods which cost a minimal amount
• advertising methods which are more expensive.

 

It’s good marketing practice to use all three methods.