Alternative wellness practitioners, it’s time to get your marketing on and finally share the message of what you do. Alternative health businesses, like those offering acupuncture, naturopathy, chiropractics or massages are mostly held to the same marketing rules as normal businesses. However sharing the message of an alternative health business and building a customer base can be a bit more challenging. This type of business has to not only market a service but also build awareness around a way of life that promises significant improvements in the lives of its customers – no small task! The good news is that there are some very specific steps you can take in order to create this sort of marketing strategy which will make all the difference.
1. Create an Education Portal for Your Business:
Alternative health practitioners and wellness companies need to be very clear about their intended customer base. The more specific the better when determining who you want to connect with. You can then use your education portal for this audience (and no one else) which will serve as an important tool in helping customers understand how your services can help them specifically. While you might be tempted to create SEO friendly content (search engine optimization), this is not the right move and will only serve to confuse your customers. When creating an education portal, it’s important to focus on quality content that reinforces your services in a way that makes sense for your customer base. For example, if you are targeting people with back pain, you should create content that focuses on this specific issue.
An example blog topic content for Acupuncture could be:
Blog Title: Can a Needle replace Combiflam?
Content: Acupuncture can help cure your back pain. This ancient technique has been used in the treatment of chronic conditions for centuries. It involves inserting thin needles into specific points along nerve channels which are known analgesic or “pain killing” sites on various body sections related specifically with musculoskeletal complaints including treatments associated spine problems, headaches and dental care among others according these practitioners who use it successfully overseas where they hail from China where its usage spans prehistory……..(contd)
2. Look to Build a Community Around Your Wellness Brand:
When marketing an alternative health business it’s often helpful to build a community around your company, which will reinforce the claims you are making about what your products or services can do. Customers who are already following your social media accounts, reading content online that is geared specifically for them or receiving emails from you on a weekly basis are more likely to feel a greater sense of loyalty to your business. Plus, they will be more likely to trust the information you provide and feel compelled to pay for your services.
3. Generate Buzz with User-Generated Content:
One of the best things an alternative health practitioner can do is create organic buzz through user-generated content (content that has been created by customers rather than the company itself). Customer generated content (CGC) is information shared about a specific product or service that has been created by a user and shared with others through word of mouth. This type of content can have a huge impact on your company’s success especially when it comes to building brand awareness and generating sales leads. Since customers who are sharing their experiences online with friends and family are more likely to be higher quality leads, CGC is a powerful tool for a health business.
4. Be True to Your Business:
One of the most important things an alternative wellness practitioner can do with their marketing is be true to their brand and what they offer customers. In other words, don’t contradict. If your company is focused on helping people lose weight through natural remedies, don’t create ads that are geared to people looking for cosmetic surgery. Customers will see the inconsistency and may not trust you which will ultimately hurt business success.
5. Create an Empowering Environment for Customers:
Building credibility is very important in the alternative health industry because many of the claims being made are often not supported by scientific studies. This means that you have to find ways to educate customer go about making positive changes in their lives, thus building trust and rapport which will ultimately help create a loyal customer base. Providing customers with tools that are easy to use and support their goals is an invaluable resource when it comes to generating sales leads. Promoting your website or social media platforms in a way that makes sense, is true to your brand and empowers your customers will play a key role in increasing sales leads for any wellness business.
6. Share the Message of How You’re Different on Social Media:
One of the most effective ways to build an online presence is to share your message with potential customers through social media. However, when it comes to marketing your wellness business, it’s important that you focus on sharing information about how you are different than competitors in your industry. For example, if you offer alternative health options for cosmetic surgery clients you should focus on sharing your message on social media sites like Facebook or Instagram. If you are in the business of helping people with depression, there may be other groups where your ideal customer could be found so you should choose to share your message there instead. Consider joining relevant communities online and sharing information that is unique to what you do as a wellness business. By focusing on creating content that educates, empowers and illuminates what makes your business different than others will be a key component in increasing sales leads.
7. Pay Attention to Analytics and Make Changes When Necessary:
When it comes to increasing sales leads, one of the best things you can do is constantly pay attention to analytics and make changes as needed. Paying close attention to your website analytics will help you identify which pages are being viewed most often and how visitors are interacting with your marketing content. This information will be crucial when it comes to identifying trends that you can use to improve your marketing efforts. If you notice that your webpage dedicated to “Weight Loss” isn’t getting much activity it may be time to shift gears and focus more of your attention on pages that are popular. Through making changes based on analytics reports, you will see an increase in sales leads for sure!
If you’re looking for a way to increase your alternative wellness practice, it might be time to think about how medical marketing principles can help. With the right approach and marketing strategy in place, you could see an immediate boost in profits. The first step is understanding patients emotional state and why people make certain decisions when they shop medical services. From there, you can use that information to create targeted strategies that will result in more leads. If this is something you want to explore further, I suggest giving us a call today for a complimentary consultation.
Explore our patient-centric healthcare marketing strategy & program, which can help you succeed in this rapidly changing world.