Written by By : Lisa Wozniak
You’ve worked hard on your education and training to get where you are. You’re ready to open up your own practice. So, why does your Private Practice need marketing? Why can’t you just pass out a few business cards to other influences in your target market? Referrals have worked for tons of private practice owners, shouldn’t it work for you? The answer to this question is simple. Yes, you can get some great business from referrals. But no, you shouldn’t rely upon that as your sole option of marketing. For the purposes of this discussion we’re going to use medical professionals as our example. Although, the same applies to coaches in private practice as well.
For years private practice owners have relied upon other medical doctors in a particular specialty for their referrals. They would build a relationship with those doctors and in turn they would receive a fairly steady stream of clients. There would be no need for advertising as a handful of doctors and certain insurance agencies would be filling this need for them. The fact that their education and training did not include marketing know-how didn’t matter because it was a factor that never really came in to play.
Today we live in a digital society. The power of the internet has made everyone and everything transparent. You can find out more about a doctor, therapist or coach in a few clicks than you ever thought possible. This makes growing your private practice incredibly competitive. Think about how many private practice owners live in your town. Doing business nationwide? Think about how many private practice owners in your field there are nationwide. Now think about what your practice does that sets you apart from the rest. How will anyone know that you are different and better than the competition if you don’t tell them?
Today’s online marketing is based upon the ability to build like and trust. If you can show empathy and understanding of their pain points, they will follow you. If you can show that you possess the skill set to take those pain points away, they will hire you. But the key point here to remember is that if you don’t articulate this to potential clients the moment they come across your marketing material then they’ll move one. So, whether you’re marketing your website, social media, blogs or email campaigns you need to be able to articulate your ability to remove the pain points of your followers. They need to be astounded as they read or watch your content at your ability to describe them in vivid detail. If they don’t see that, they will keep searching until they do.
You’ve worked so hard for the moment you have your own practice. Your success is too important to leave to chance referrals from others. To be the successful practice owner you’ve always dreamed of you need to take your future into your own hands. We’d love to hear how you’re marketing your practice and reaching people. Comment below and let us know how you’re building relationships with your future clients.
Still not convinced? Contact our office to learn more ways that your private practice needs marketing.