As holistic practitioners, many of us cringe when we see medical adverts on tv, ads for pharmaceuticals that push sales, or when we see guarantees of good health delivered by over-zealous clinicians promising miracles. For years, holistic practitioners have shied away from traditional means of advertising, instead relying on organic word-of-mouth marketing to bring them patients. 

 Unfortunately, this isn’t an effective way of attracting clients, since many people seeking alternative medicines and holistic care don’t have existing connections. Instead, they turn to the Internet to find providers; and this is where they run into a wall. Far too few holistic practitioners have not focused their efforts on becoming ‘findable’ online, making it nearly impossible for new contacts to reach out, or ever hear about your business. 

 In this guide, we break down the pain points most holistic practitioners face when trying to launch their marketing and share a few tips for simple avenues to advertise your business.  

What Makes Marketing Difficult? (Pain Points)

If you’ve been hesitant to begin investing in marketing for your holistic practice, you’re not alone. Many practitioners have focused their energies on developing the best possible clinic environment, the best techniques, and the most talented teams, and haven’t spent time thinking about drawing in new clients. Many practitioners simply don’t have the time to consider what they could be doing to advertise and figuring out where to start can feel like an insurmountable task. 

 Because few holistic practitioners are spending the time to get the word out about their practice, the industry is also lacking in positive examples of successful advertising. A general lack of industry experience has also helped to tamp down the motivation of individual advertisers, concerned that their efforts would be wasted and non-lucrative in an already underrepresented branch of medicine. 

 So, what are those key pain points stopping holistic practitioners from advertising? 

• Time
• Budget
• Expertise

Value of Marketing for Holistic Practitioners

While word-of-mouth advertising may work for some practitioners, there are so many potential clients you are missing out on by not putting the word out there. Most individuals who could benefit from holistic care have no idea that holistic practitioners are even out there and may never find the right care for their needs as a by-product of poor advertising. Most patients find their medical care online and rely on well-known resources and directories to choose the most qualified providers. 

 Even if you have a website for clients to learn more about your practice, you still might not appear in search results. Google and other search engines prioritize specific results based on their time spent building their sites, creating backlinks to other authoritative sources, and representation across multiple platforms. 

 By making a few simple moves to enhance your brand awareness, you can increase your chances of being found online, and ensure that your website appears in front of the right people searching for services like yours. 

Top Avenues for Marketing Your Practice

You don’t need to be a marketing expert to begin advertising your business, and you certainly don’t need to spend tons of time or money. Here are a few super-simple avenues for you to begin marketing for your alternative or holistic practice. 

Social Media

Social media is ostensibly the new ‘word-of-mouth’ marketing. Many people are more likely to take a recommendation if the recommendation is coming from someone they trust: a friend, family member, or known influencer. On top of organic sharing, social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn use targeted advertising to show users relevant information and even recommend following other users that could be relevant to their lifestyle. 

If you haven’t already created a social media presence for your business, this should be one of the first steps you take to beef up your advertising. Social media sites are free and easy to use, and you can easily re-use content across all platforms to minimize the time you spend managing each account. 

Google Business Profiles

When you search for a type of business on Google (like ‘acupuncture near me,’) the first results you’ll get are Google Business Profiles. These verified businesses are given a premium spot right at the top of the search result page, ahead of even the most authoritative websites. Super simple to set up, a Google Business Profile can instantly elevate the reputability of your business upon first glance and give you a far greater chance of being found by people using Google to locate holistic practitioners. 

Directory Listings

Mainstream medical providers use directories to advertise their practices all the time, and patients have grown accustomed to visiting these resources whenever they need to find a new provider. Directories like Psychology Today, WebMD, and ZocDoc have millions of visitors and collaborate with mainstream providers to amplify their already overwhelmingly prevalent message. As holistic providers, it’s important that we also begin to practice coopertition if we have any hope of reaching a broader audience. 

 Alternative Pain Treatment Directory is a national resource for alternative pain treatment practitioners and treatment seekers to connect. Far and beyond a simple business listing service, Alternative Pain Treatment Directory’s team works with you to create a custom profile highlighting your niche strengths and providing visitors with all the necessary information to take an actionable next step. You can include photos, videos, links to content and resources, and so much more. Alternative Pain Treatment Directory even does the work of advertising for you by pushing targeted ads, optimizing SEO, and sharing news and information with an extensive list of contacts. 

 Basically, when you join the Alternative Pain Treatment Directory, you get an instant internet presence boost with the support of a skilled promotional team to help you along the way, all for $15/month, or $149/year!

 Not quite ready to sign up? Take some time to explore the Alternative Pain Treatment Directory or contact us with questions about advertising your business!

Sonja is a content writer who specializes in culture, cannabis, plant medicines, wellness and marketing. She is a graduate of Loyola University Chicago and continues to reside in the Chicago area.