Low Cost Alternative Health Marketing Strategies to Get More Clients for Your Alternative Health Business

This article will explain low cost marketing techniques to get more clients for your alternative health practice. These techniques include using the internet, proper use of signage, using the power of your mind, marketing with other alternative health professionals, as well as other techniques.

Are you struggling with your alternative health business? Do you need more clients? Do you worry about not having enough money at the end of each month? Even though alternative health is becoming more and more popular each year, many professionals struggle to get by. There are many low cost and free alternative health marketing strategies that you can use to help your business.

1) Post ads on Craigslist every two days.

Post an ad about your business on the website www.craigslist.com , under the therapeutic section in the city or town where you live. This is a fantastic, very popular site that is totally free that has brought my practice thousands and thousands of dollars worth of business. Ads are placed chronologically and when too many ads are above yours, you get fewer calls. You will get the best results if you delete and repost your ad every two days.

The ad should have a powerful headline to draw people in that focuses on the reader's problem such as, “Is Stress Ruining Your Life?” or “The Secret to Eliminating Back Pain”. The ad should explain the benefits the person will get from using your service, include your contact information and a link to your website if you have one.

2) Schedule a networking meeting with another alternative health professional once a week.

Networking with other alternative healthcare professionals is a great way to get more business. A good way to start is to approach other professionals that you have gone to in the past that you have liked, or get a recommendation from other people you know. You also can get names from the internet or telephone directory; however, it is easier to approach people when you can say, I know so and so and they suggested that I call you.

You can meet with them for coffee or lunch, and let them know what a good referral is for you, and give them as many details about your business as you can. The best way to get other health care professionals to refer business to you is for you to refer business to them. If you are trying to network with an acupuncturist who specializes in allergies, and one of your clients mentions to you that they are having a problem with allergies, give them the acupuncturist's card and suggest that they call.

You should make sure that you get a treatment from anyone that you want to network with before you send one of your clients to them. It is a lot easier for people to refer to you and for you to refer to them if you have actually had the service yourself, and if by chance, they do not do a good job, you don't want your client to be upset with you for referring them.

3) Get a car sign or bumper sticker

Car signs are great because most people spend a lot of time in their cars and a trip down the highway can give you exposure to hundreds of people everyday. Parking your car at a busy mall or health food store can you give a lot of exposure also. You can also make up a bumper stick with a catchy headline and your website address or phone number. You can get the supplies to make it at an office supply store and make it yourself on your computer.

4) Get t-shirts made up with your logo .

Another great way to do marketing is to get shirts made up with your logo, business name, phone number, and website address. This is great because if you wear these at the gym, yoga studio, health food store, or supermarket, for example, people will ask you about your services, and many will schedule appointments. You can get the supplies to make these at an office supply store also.

5) Create a signature file

This a signature that you can set up to go at the end of every email message you send. This should include your name, title, address, phone number and your website address if you have one. You basically are advertising your business every time you send an email. If you have a slogan or tag line for your business, this can be included, as well as any special offers or that you have gift certificates available. This is easily set up through your email program. a sample signature file that is effective is as follows

“Get a brand new body in 15 sessions or less.”

Refer a friend and get ½ off your next session
6) Post at least 5 messages in online discussion forums each week.

Posting and responding to messages in online discussion forums can be a great low cost way to get business. You should look for groups that your target market is likely to belong to such as a group related to chronic pain or people suffering from depression in your area.

These groups are generally for support and exchange of information, and while it is almost always against the rules to directly promote your services, you are usually allowed to have a short signature file at the end that has your contact information and a short description of what you do.

If you post helpful information, you will become known as an expert and people are likely to go to your website or email you. You can find groups by searching in Yahoo or Google groups. The health forum on Craigslist is a good forum to post in also.

7) Practice creative visualization twice a day

Creative visualization is the process of using your imagination to create what you want to achieve in your life. By imagining what you want, you can actually draw things to you.

Some things that I often visualize are that whenever I check my voice mail and email, they are both filled with messages from clients who want to book appointments, and whenever I check mail box, it is filled with checks.

Imagine your schedule being totally full, having plenty of money in the bank, having zero balances on your credit cards, having a new, perfect office, or getting thank you notes in the mail from clients who are really happy with your work. Whatever it is for you that you want, imagine it.

Creative visualization is more powerful when it is done in a meditative state. The best times to do it are when you wake up, before you go to bed or after doing yoga, as you are more relaxed at these times and it is easier to go deep.

8) Watch “The Secret” once a week .

The Secret”, www.whatisthesecret.tv, is a phenomenal film that goes into great detail about the power of our thoughts, and is full of inspirational stories of how people used the power of their minds to achieve great things in their lives and overcome extreme obstacles and hardship. Watching this movie once a week can really help you achieve success in your business and accomplish all of your goals. This movie makes you feel like there is nothing you cannot do. I know several people who were having a difficult time achieving certain business goals. What they did was watch “The Secret” every day for a week and it helped them move beyond the blocks they were having.

You need to be consistent with the alternative health marketing strategies that you choose, and do them every week. People often need to see your message two to seven times before they will contact you.

Susanne Runion is very passionate about alternative health and has been involved with it her whole life. It is her mission to help alternative health professionals to be as successful and prosperous as possible. She is the author of the online course, “Marketing Secrets for Alternative Health Professionals