Advertising Your Private Practice: Beware of the Problems-Part 1

One of the biggest mistakes coaches, counselors and other healing professionals make is to assume that they must advertise their private practice in order to get clients. These professionals often tell me they have spent a lot of money on advertising with minimal, if any, results. Many become discouraged with advertising, and some even give up on the idea of having a private practice assuming they have no other options for marketing their practice.

It is not surprising that this happens. Not knowing how else to market their private practice, advertising is usually the first method that comes to mind when thinking of promoting a practice. Advertising is one method of marketing that you see on a daily basis, so it's only natural that you would think of using it.

The problem is that in most cases, advertising your private practice is one of the most costly and least effective ways for you, as a coach, counselor or healing professional, to attract clients. There are a variety of reasons for this.

For starters, on average it takes approximately 5-7 contacts with a person before they buy a product or service from you. This means that potential clients or referral sources would have to be exposed to your ad numerous times before they might take action, i.e. pick up the phone and call you. Many counselors and healing professionals never run their ads long enough to get this kind of exposure.

Furthermore, a larger problem with advertising is that people are more interested in seeing a coach, counselor or healing professional who they have had personal exposure to in some way, or a professional who has been referred to them by someone they know and trust.

Finally, advertising works best when you target your ads to a very specific population. Few counselors and healing professionals have a defined target market for their private practice, and even if they do, they don't know how to write effective ads.

However, there can still be benefits to advertising your private practice. The important thing is that you know how to do it effectively.If you are convinced you need to advertise, read part 2 of this article, "Advertising Your Private Practice: 6 Tips for Maximizing Your Results."

© Juliet Austin, 2004

In The News:

---

Google News Updated : Sat, 30 Aug 2008 06:25:42 GMT Hurricane Gustav plows through Cayman Islands - The Associated Press BBC News Hurricane Gustav plows through Cayman Islands The Associated Press - 35 minutes ago GEORGE TOWN, Cayman Islands (AP) - Hurricane Gustav plowed through the Cayman Islands toward Cuba, gathering strength on a journey that could take it to the US Gulf Coast as a fearsome Category-3 storm three years after Hurricane Katrina. Video: Gustav Set to Batter Cuba, Enter Gulf of Mexico AssociatedPress Now a hurricane, Gustav heads for Cuba, eyes US AFP ABC News - BBC News - The News-Press - New York Times all 6,453 news articles Publ.Date : Sat, 30 Aug 2008 05:50:29 GMT Forbidden fruit: learning to drink responsibly - Los Angeles Times Los Angeles Times Forbidden fruit: learning to drink responsibly Los Angeles Times - 5 hours ago Regarding alcohol, middle and high schools' only message is 'just say no.' That leaves alcohol education to parents and, increasingly, colleges, where newfound freedom can send students off track. College Presidents Stand Up for Common Sense? I'll Drink to That Wall Street Journal Lower drinking age means lost lives The Star-Ledger - NJ.com New York Daily News - Chicago Tribune - Kannapolis Independent Tribune - KXRM all 152 news articles Publ.Date : Sat, 30 Aug 2008 01:23:19 GMT Mother of missing Fla. toddler arrested again - The Associated Press ABC News Mother of missing Fla. toddler arrested again The Associated Press - 54 minutes ago ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) - The mother of a missing Florida girl was back in jail on check fraud and theft charges just over a week after being released on bond for charges related to her daughter's disappearance. Video: Casey Anthony Could Be Returning to Jail AssociatedPress Mom of missing Fla. girl arrested again WLOS FOXNews - MyFox Springfield - WPEC - United Press International all 1,729 news articles Publ.Date : Sat, 30 Aug 2008 05:31:03 GMT Millions Are Displaced by Floods in India - New York Times BBC News Millions Are Displaced by Floods in India New York Times - 1 hour ago Villagers navigated floodwaters on Friday in Jankipur, India. Aid workers said the official death toll, currently at 12, was low. An antipoverty agency estimated that 2000 people had died. Bihar displaced die as boat sinks BBC News Twenty feared dead as rescue boat capsizes in India floods AFP Los Angeles Times - Reuters India - CNN - Hindu all 608 news articles Publ.Date : Sat, 30 Aug 2008 04:52:03 GMT Obama Takes the Fight to McCain - New York Times ABC News Obama Takes the Fight to McCain New York Times - 2 hours ago By ADAM NAGOURNEY and JEFF ZELENY DENVER - Barack Obama accepted the Democratic Party presidential nomination on Thursday, declaring that the “American promise has been threatenedâ€� by eight years under President Bush and that John McCain represented a ... Republicans Keep a Wary Eye on Gustav, NFL: Campaign Notebook Bloomberg A Middle-Class Tax Cut for McCain National Review Online Boston Herald - Richmond County Daily Journal - WNBC - Seattle Post Intelligencer all 3,409 news articles Publ.Date : Sat, 30 Aug 2008 04:06:26 GMT Palin nomination may be John McCain's bid to woo Clinton loyalists - New York Daily News BBC News Palin nomination may be John McCain's bid to woo Clinton loyalists New York Daily News - 28 minutes ago BY MICHAEL SAUL and DAVID SALTONSTALL Sen. Hillary Clinton embraces supporter at Democratic convention after releasing her delegates to vote for Barack Obama. Michelle Obama: Bringing back the brooch Los Angeles Times Obama's message moves iReporters CNN New York Times - Washington Post - Wall Street Journal - Boston Globe all 10,049 news articles Publ.Date : Sat, 30 Aug 2008 05:57:15 GMT Boeing Communications Strategy May Goad Machinists Into Strike - Bloomberg Washington Post Boeing Communications Strategy May Goad Machinists Into Strike Bloomberg - 2 hours ago By Susanna Ray Aug. 30 (Bloomberg) -- Boeing Co. may have miscalculated when it made direct appeals to workers during contract talks, goading union leaders to call for a strike next week. Union Urges a Strike at Boeing New York Times Boeing union leaders recommend strike MarketWatch guardian.co.uk - Wall Street Journal - Bizjournals.com - The Associated Press all 1,165 news articles Publ.Date : Sat, 30 Aug 2008 04:17:12 GMT RSS Parser More Web Site Traffic