Private Practice 101 (Week 7): Your Top 6 Marketing Tools

Wow! I can’t believe that we are in week 7 of our 8 week Private Practice 101 series! Thank you all so much for being with me on this journey and for sharing your questions and comments. You’ve helped make this inaugural series a success!

Last week, we talked about the marketing process and why it’s important. This week, we’ll outline some of the marketing tools you can use.

One point to make about your marketing tools: use what will resonate best with your clients. I find that, generally-speaking, healthcare and education are slower to catch on to technology than the business world. So, whereas some professions may be able to use mostly digital marketing tools (e.g. social media, websites, etc.), we need to have print materials available as well.

I’ve already written about many of the tools listed below. So, where appropriate, there are links to other articles in Music Therapy Maven that will supplement the information provided here.

Without further adieu, and in no particular order, here are some of the marketing tools you can consider:

1. Business Cards. This is a must have. You need business cards. The purpose of a business card is to give someone an easy reference for contacting you. At the very least, it should include your business name, your name, and your contact information. You can hire a graphic designer to design your logo and card ($$$), use 99designs.com to design your logo and card ($$), or use a service like www.vistaprints.com for the design and printing ($). You can find other articles about business cards here and here.
2. Brochures/Postcards/Print Materials. Brochures typically include more information about what you do. But not too much! The purpose of a brochure is to provide just enough information to pique someone’s interest enough to contact you. You provide the content for the brochure, which can be designed professionally or on your home computer. You’ll find other articles about brochures here and here.
3. Website/Blog. You pretty much need a website. This is a place where people go to find more detailed information about you, the services you provide, where you are located, and a description of what you do. I had my Neurosong website professionally designed several years ago. Even though I love it, it was really expensive to set up. Now, I recommend that people use a blog for their business website. A blog can be a wonderful way to connect on a more personal level with your current and future clients. It’s easy to set up (not the first time, but if I can do it, you can do it!), inexpensive (as little as just web hosting for $45/year), and can be tailored to include all the company and services information you need. I’ve written more about setting up a website here. I currently use PowWeb to host the Music Therapy Maven (click here if you are interested in the same), WordPress.org for my blogging software (it’s free), and Godaddy.com for my domain names ($10-15/year).
4. Email Newsletter. I started an email newsletter for the Music Therapy Maven last fall. I think there’s a lot of potential for using these for marketing your therapy services and also for keeping connected with your clients. I say that knowing full well that I haven’t explored it in depth for my private practice, so don’t have any specific suggestions or ideas for you. But if you stumble on something that works, please let me know! I use (and LOVE) Aweber, which costs about $19/month. If you’re interested in checking it out, click here. And if you want to sign up for the Music Therapy Maven newsletter, fill out the fields below:
5. Social Media. I love social media! Twitter, Facebook, Youtube–I think they’re a fantastic way to brand your business and to stay connected to your community. Plus they’re free, easy to use, lots of people are using them (including many of your clients), and there are many, many ways you can use them. I’ve written more about social media here.
6. Press Releases. I truth, I have never used a press release. But I know music therapists who have and have used them quite successfully. I can see how a press release could be very beneficial in a community newspaper that people in your town read. Like I said earlier, use what will reach the people in your community. If they read the paper, put in a press release. Here’s another article that mentions press releases.

If you have any other ideas or suggestions for other marketing tools, please share them with us all by leaving a comment in the box below!

NEXT WEEK: Next week is the last week of our Private Practice 101 series. I can hardly believe it! We’ll be covering some miscellaneous topics and to-dos to consider: clinical space, staying organized, insurance, etc.

Disclaimer: The links for Powweb and Aweber are affiliate links (click here to learn what that means). But they’re also services I use and love and feel very comfortable recommending to you!

Tagged as: Advertising, blog, email newsletter, Marketing, Private Practice, start a therapy practice, therapy business, therapy private practice