My website and my fortnightly newsletter are the only ways I market my practice.
Here’s why.
I started writing my Homeopathy with Tracy newsletter over ten years ago, and it’s evolved a great deal over time.
I kept going with it because it works, and because I enjoy it.
I like having people write back (which happens a lot!)
Plus, it’s a creative and joyful practice for me.
It’s also my best tool for keeping my practice busy.
Every marketing tool in the book
I tried pretty much every idea in the book to promote my practice, especially in the first few years.
Most of them involved me ‘putting myself out there’ in different ways.
There is no ‘magic bullet’ and they all helped me grow.
Here’s the list of all the things I tried:
- Advert in my local NCT magazine for 5 years
- Workshops on Homeopathy for Childbirth
- Workshops on Homeopathy for the Family
- 2x talks about at my local Women’s Institute
- Talk on Hormonal Wisdom
- 3x stalls at NCT fairs
- 4x consultations donated for raffles and auctions
- Therapy swaps with other therapists
- Talks and treatments on retreats for carers
- Low Cost Clinic at my local Carers’ Centre for 3 years
- Posters pinned on local noticeboards
- Fliers in coffee shops, children’s centres etc.
- Networking group meetings for 3 years
- Free ‘self-care’ email course
- Paid ‘decluttering’ email course
- Monthly advertorial in local magazine for a year
- Online listing on Findahomeopath.com
- Online listing in Therapy Directory
- Online listing on the Hip List
- Facebook page for 3 years
- Instagram page ongoing (personal)
Two types of marketing
I started my practice newsletter in 2009, but it was very sporadic for the first few years.
Gradually I got into a routine to send one monthly, but I used to find it hard to come up with topics to write about that weren’t always the same.
Then I attended an incredibly helpful newsletter workshop run by David Hieatt from the Do Lectures.
I learned there is one big difference between social media marketing and my practice newsletter.
Social media is designed to attract new clients.
My newsletter is designed to build relationships and keep people in touch with me.
In my newsletters I give value by sharing things I feel will be of interest.
I hope to make people feel warm, optimistic and inspired.
Client-centred marketing
I have many clients who have been with me for more than a decade.
These long-term relationships help make my work more enjoyable and feel more meaningful.
- Women who came to see me for UTI or candida ten years ago come back for support through pregnancy
- Women who brought their kids to see me for eczema are back for support with perimenopause
- Women who came to see me for hayfever during pregnancy are bringing their children to see me for anxiety about starting secondary school
The thread that keeps them in touch with me is my newsletter
Sure, some of them follow me on Instagram, where I share pictures of my dog walks in the park.
But my newsletter is where we have a more personal connection.
Plus, when they reply to me with a question or a hello, they’re right in my in-box which is where I want them to be.
If you haven’t started a newsletter yet, why not give it a try?
Tips to get started with newsletters
- Look at newsletters you enjoy receiving – try to figure out what you like about them and then use that as inspiration
- Sign up for a free trial with a few different newsletter tools: Mailchimp, Sendinblue, Mailerlite, Flodesk are four I recommend
- Ask your designer (if you have one) to create a template for you
- You can also have a go at designing your own
- Choose a date as a deadline to send your first one
- Allow a few weeks to draft, redraft and send a test before you press SEND for real!
- Ask current clients if they would like to subscribe
- Ask for newsletter permission on your intake form
- Add a newsletter sign up on your website
- Collate links to share as content
- Add images
- Have fun with it!
Everything gets easier with practice
As with anything new, and especially with anything new involving tech, there is a bit of a learning curve.
I will be honest and say there is a time investment at the start.
It take some discipline, but the more often you do it, the easier it becomes.
I recommend a monthly newsletter initially because if you only send it quarterly there is a chance you’ll forget what you learned.
Monthly gives you a nice rhythm and, most importantly, a deadline.
Try to have a half day in your week when you focus on marketing and use that time for working on your newsletters. Related post: The secret to time management for a successful practice
Learning how to write a regular newsletter is a process, not something you can easily learn by watching a webinar or through a workshop.
The Radiant Business Membership is where I offer teaching and guidance in the process of learning about newsletters and blogs.
The community there gives us a space to learn and support each other on the journey.
If you’d like to find out more, please drop me a line.
Or, if you’ve got a newsletter already, but you’d like some input or fresh ideas, then a mentoring call might be a good option for you.
You can get in touch via email: hello@yourradiantbusiness.com
I hope you found some inspiration here.
Good luck with your newsletter!
