Got A New Practitioner Business? What You Need To Market Effectively

You've graduated! Now it's time to get out there and do the awesome things you want to do. But marketing is a lot more than what they covered in the business management at uni. It's changed rapidly over the last decade. So how can you market a new practitioner business in this day and age?

The good news is that marketing effectively doesn't mean throwing money away. In fact, you can pretty much market a new practitioner business for next to nothing - if you're smart.

So let's look at what you need, and what you don't.

What You Need To Market A New Practitioner Business

A target audience/ideal client

You cannot market to someone when you don't know who they are! Humans are bombarded with marketing almost 24-7 these days, so we tend to filter out anything that doesn't talk directly to our specific situation.

I've mentioned this before. But targeting your marketing does not mean that you can never see anyone outside of that target. It just means they're less likely to respond to your marketing.

For example, if you market to mums with low energy, you might still have women without kids coming to see you. But creating content that appeals to mums with low energy encourages those women to see you as an expert in what they experience.

An understanding of what you can solve for your ideal client

As practitioners, we can help with almost anything. But that's not what you want to say when you market to a potential client.

You want to say 'I can help with (whatever their main issue is)'. This is usually whatever their main symptom or condition is. It's the reason why they're considering seeing a practitioner in the first place.

Have a brainstorm - which of these do you help with?

• Low energy levels

• Sleep issues

• Stress overload

• Digestive symptoms

• Low immunity

• Allergies and intolerances

• Food cravings

• Weight loss/body composition

• Skin issues

• Mood swings

• Brain function & productivity

• Athletic performance

I know YOU know that you help with much more than these surface symptoms. But honestly, your potential client doesn't care about those - at least not yet. They want a fix for what is wrong RIGHT NOW.

You also don't want to claim that you help with all of these - stick to 3-4 symptoms that your ideal client experiences most often. There is nothing more 'eh' for a potential client than to read that you help with every condition and symptom under the sun.

A way of delivering your services

Next up, you need a way to service those people who want your help. Otherwise, you can't ask them for money!

Guess what? It's a technological world nowadays. So you don't actually need to deliver your services in person in a clinic room. You can do it from the comfort of your home office or loungeroom.

Many practitioners use Skype, but I find Zoom to be far more reliable and functional. You can use a 1:1 room with clients on their free plan.

You also need a way for them to pay you. Again, technology is king - you have access to services such as Paypal and Stripe. These take a small percentage of your fee, so keep that in mind when pricing yourself.

A way that clients can contact you

Finally, you need to be contactable, so potential clients can reach out and say 'hey, I wanna work with you!' This can be a phone number, a Facebook page, or an email.

Try to keep whichever option you choose as professional as possible. If you use a phone number, set up your voicemail and mention the business name in the recording. If you use an email, don't make it the one you have from when you were 14.

No judgement - I still have my 'sageluvsu' email from back then, but I use that for subscribing to newsletters, not client contact!

What You Don't Need To Market A New Practitioner Business (But You Might Want As You Grow)

Honestly, everything else is kinda optional when it comes to marketing your new practitioner business.

Yes, it's good to have these things. Yes, it can make marketing easier. But if you are on a budget, you can put them on the backburner for a few months while you get the ball rolling.

A website

I love my website - it's my own corner of the internet. I get to write awesome content about marketing and wellness on it. But it is something that came well after I started my biz up.

Getting a website is something that's best kept for when you're feeling comfortable with claiming your niche.

If you're already good to go, head over to Tech For Pracs - Shonelle creates awesome websites for new pracs. I suggest starting with her one-page option if you’re on a budget.

A physical clinic room

There are plenty of benefits to having a physical clinic room. But there can also be a lot of downsides. One downside is the money you have to pay for it!

If you're on a tight budget, start seeing clients online first. If you have a little bit of financial backing and feel comfortable doing so, then start looking for a room.

Branding, logos and the like

Again, these make it much easier for clients to identify with you and what you offer. But you can start seeing clients before you have a beautifully designed logo, branding and so on.

My branding, social media designs and other goodies are handled by my two faves - Shonelle at Tech For Pracs and Julie at tractorgirl viz biz.

Pretty much anything else

If anyone tries to tell you that you need Google Ads, Facebook ads, professional copywriting, etc etc etc before you can see a single client - they're selling you something.

All you need from a marketing perspective to get started is a client, a way to communicate and a way to deliver. Everything else is a bonus.

Ready to hash out your strategy for marketing your new practitioner business? I'm here to help! Grab yourself a 1:1 support session here.