Clients buying habits are changing.
But has your business responded to this new trend?
As a result, content marketing is becoming an essential tool in your marketing toolbox. And if you’re not sure what content marketing is, here’s a quick definition:
Content marketing involves the creation and publication of FREE quality information which your target audience finds useful, relevant and interesting.
So what’s changed?
Before a client picks up the phone to call you, they are likely to have done some research first.
This probably involves finding out a bit about you (it’s why your About page, linkedIn profile, twitter timeline is so important). But perhaps most interestingly, they will also have done some research in and around the service they are intending to buy.
Let’s say you’re a coach, a hypnotherapist, a massage therapist or a reflexologist.
Before a customer decides to book a treatment with you, they will probably search the web to discover answers to their questions. Things like:
- How can coaching help me build my self esteem?
- Can hypnotherapy really help me to quit smoking?
- What are the advantages of having a weekly massage treatment?
- Will reflexology help me to manage my stress?
And if they find quality information that answers their questions that’s been published by you, suddenly your chances of getting selected over your competition increase – significantly.
Sounds good?
Then read on and I’ll show you how to use this powerful marketing technique in your own practice.
What should you publish?
Content marketing can take many forms. The key is to let your creativity run loose and then test your idea against the needs of your perfect customer. Here are 7 ideas to get you started:
1. Write a regular blog.
A regular blog is a fantastic way to drive traffic to your website, find more customers and establish authority in your niche. But to achieve tangible results with your blog, you’ll need a strategy and a calendar of topics to write about.
Here are ten headline ideas to get you started:
- Ten Top Tips For Tackling The day-to-Day Stress In Your Life
- 5 After Care Tips To Help Maintain The Effects Of Your Reflexology Treatment
- Simple Ways To Boost Your Chances Of Quitting For Good
- Warning: Is Your Self-Critic Undermining Your Chance Of Success?
- 20 Heartwarming Quotes That Leave You Uplifted On A Bad day
- The Zen Of Quitting Smoking With Hypnotherapy
- The 7 Warning Signs You Really Need To Manage Your Stress
- How To Take Charge Of Your Internal Critic Once And For All
- 10 Surprising Reasons Regular Massage Could Improve your Wellbeing
- Revealed: How To Spot A Fake Coach / Therapist
2. Create a free download and grow your subscriber list
With a free eBook, download or a series of videos based around a topic that appeals to your target audience, you’ll have a powerful incentive to grow your email list. If you don’t have a capture form in place to collect email addresses of people who have visited your website, you are seriously missing out.
Fix it today and brainstorm topic ideas for your freebie. And if you’d like to see an example, simply click here.
3. Script a video for your home page
People are more likely to work with you once they get to know, like and trust you.
This is even more true with complementary therapies where you’ll be working quote intimately with an individual. Treatments such as massage involve physical touch whilst during hypnotherapy, NLP and coaching, an individual is likely to let go and reveal their inner thoughts and feelings.
In order for the client to feel comfortable, they have to get a good feeling from you.
A short introductory video where you introduce yourself, talk about the treatment you offer and answer some common questions is a really powerful and effective way to showcase your whole personality. Through a video, potential clients can pick up on your body language, hear your tone of voice and get a far better impression of what you would be like on a 121 basis. It could make the difference between a phone call and a look elsewhere.
4. Create an auto responder sequence
In some cases a client may have demonstrated an interest by signing up to your email list, but they are not yet ready to buy. This could be for lots of reasons. Perhaps they don’t have the cash, or maybe they lack the confidence to get in touch.
But once you’ve collected someone’s email address you can start to interact with them and build a relationship. An email autoresponder is a really effective way of doing this. An autoresponder is simply a sequence of emails that a person receives once they’s set the trigger (for example when they sign-up for your free download).
It means each new subscriber receives your sequence of emails in exactly the same sequence and time as anyone else.
Autoresponders do require some work up front, but once they’re created they ensure you stay on potential client’s radar.
The secret is to figure out what to say, you could:
- Reveal a bit more about you
- Encourage them to follow you on Twitter and like you on Facebook
- Invite them to tell you what they’re struggling with right now (great for market research)
- Send them a special offer
- Offer some top tips related to the treatment you offer that only subscribers receive
The key is to set your autoresponder up as a sequence. And if you’d like to see an autoresponder in practice, simply sign-up to my mailing list.
5. Write a guest blog
If you’re looking to grow your audience and establish the authority of your website, writing a series of guest posts can really pay off. Identify the key sites in your particular niche and start to establish a relationship with the blog owner. You can do that through social media and by leaving comments on their blog. Then think of a cracking article idea and pitch them.
If your article is published, not only will you benefit from tapping into a new audience, but in terms of SEO, you’ll also benefit from the link.
6. Chicken Soup For The Soul
Have you read the heartwarming Chicken Soup For The Soul by Jack Canfield?
Stories of success and accomplishment against the odds appeal to human nature and fill everyone with hope. It’s true to say that within your practice you’ll have powerful anecdotes and stories to tell of people who have overcome obstacles and experienced better health as a result of your treatments.
The real stories of your existing clients will directly appeal to your target market – and hearing from a satisfied customer is infinitely more powerful than anything you could say.
So subject to client confidentiality and client permission, could you create your own heartwarming book of success stories?
7. Create an amazing, out of the ordinary aftercare “pin up”
After care advice can add value to your treatment. So why not invest some time and creativity and develop something that little bit special to give to clients after a session. It could be:
- A series of your favourite uplifting or motivational quotes
- Affirmations and a calendar to tick off smoke free, stress free (etc) days
- Top ten things to do at home to stay calm and relaxed after a reflexology or massage treatment
- A journal for clients to record their thoughts and feelings containing little nudges and reminders
Ensure you brand whatever you choose to create because you never know…
As well as adding value to your client, these little extras could be just the type of thing they talk about with their friends. And as you know these type of conversations are a hot breading ground for referral business.
Over to you
How do you use content marketing in your alternative health business? Which of these ideas could you use to attract new clients? Please let me know in the comments below.
Ellie says
I like that article, it has some very useful tips in. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it too!
Thanks for sharing it with us,