Marketing is everything. You can have an amazing business plan or model. Without the proper marketing, no one will know what you have to offer. Marketing is imperative to get your message out there, sell your product and/or services, and make a profitable income. This article will discuss the Best Marketing Tips to Grow Your Dietetic Practice in 2021.

14 Top Marketing Tips from Dietitians in Private Practice

NutritionJobs caught up with some of the leading dietitians in private practice. They gave us their tips on how they market their programs and services.

1. Send a Thank You Note. “I always send a new client a personalized "thank you" note after our first meeting.” Chrissy Barth, RD, BHT, RYT
2. Referrals. “Referrals are the best way to get clients. There is nothing like a former client and/or happy MD to sing your praises to future clients. Outcomes help keep the clients coming back. I have found that clients love individualized action steps that empower them to reach their goals. Brian Wansink's book, Mindless Eating, has a great chart for focusing the client on changing 3 specific behaviors over a month's time interval. Clients love the clarity & direction.” Nancy Bennett, MS, RD, CDE
3. Do a Good Job. “My number one marketing tip comes from Jon Goodman of, The Personal Training Development Center, ‘do a great job and make sure everyone knows about it.’ Make sure you are well educated (always keep learning), and provide sound, effective sessions for your clients so that they see results and achieve their goals. When your clients are really happy with your services, they will want to refer others. Make sure you tell them you offer a referral discount or other incentive.” Gabbi Berkow, MA, RD, CDN, CPT, NASM, certified Pilates Instructor
4. Public Speaking. “Speaking is the number one way I attract clients. And when speaking, I provide a special opportunity ‘invitation’ for a complimentary coaching session at the end of the presentation. At the end I say, ‘There are 3 reasons why you need a complimentary coaching session.’ And create the list of benefits depending on my audience. My favorite is to say, ‘to see if you are ready to take your life to the next level.’ I only do this for groups that have clients that fit my niche and not giant groups of hundreds.” Be selective in who you are talking to so you can speak to groups of people in your niche who would be attracted to your services. Chere Bork, MS RD LN
   
5. Use the Latest Trends. Attract clients by discussing current topics of interest in your blog or newsletter. “Leverage the news!!! Example: Post about the 8^th Billion Person and food, sustainability, etc. Post about Halloween: Fun & Healthy Snacks. Timing is everything.” Jean Caton
6. Provide Clients with a Solution to Their Problems. “Integrated marketing such as printed materials and internet formats do bring in contacts and it is absolutely necessary that you know your target market and their needs to be able to market well. It has taken me years to figure that out, yes, there is another marketing tool available and easily accessible to all of us called relationships. Taking the time and energy to become interested in what people do themselves and communicating ‘how can I help you?’ does wonders in strengthening your business and capturing and maintaining future customers.” Emma Fogt, MBA, MS, RD, LDN
7. Support Clients’ Continued Needs. “In order to get a client, you have to first speak to what problems you will help them solve. In order to keep clients, you have to continue to help them see what's next. Many health professionals try to give too much and overwhelm clients. Thus, the client feels they can't keep up, plus they then have all they want, so they don't come back!” Marjorie Geiser, MBA, RD, NSCA-CPT
8. Updated Website. “Having a strong website in which your site comes up fast during keyword searches is essential, as well as being on insurance websites if you take insurance. As for keeping the clients again, by the end of the first session - having helpful goal-oriented strategies organized into a game plan the client helped devise and agrees to is essential for return visits.” Cathy Hains, MS, RD, CLT
9. Check-In and Reschedule with Clients. “I check-in with my clients via email in-between visits when they do not expect to hear from me. It makes them feel special, reminds them to stay on track, and decreases the likelihood they will cancel appointments. Also, never let a client leave the office without a follow-up appointment. Even if they need to check their schedule at home and move the appointment, at least one is on the calendar. Letting the client call to make a follow-up at their leisure greatly decreases the chance they will return.” Lauren Harris-Pincus, MS, RD
10. Know your audience and your niche. “Once you know your niche, you'll be able to get yourself in front of potential clients more often. Market yourself in the areas where they are. Whether it's in-person or online, you need to go to where your target audience is.” Lauren Manganiello, MS, RD, CDN, ACE-CPT
    
11. Build Your Newsletter List. “Have a way to capture names and emails on your website to follow up with website visitors. It's highly unlikely for a visitor to purchase the first time he visits your website, and you want a way to lead them back to your site over and over.” Lisa Nelson, RD
12. Keep Your Referral Sources Updated with Your Client’s Progress. “When a coach, trainer, or doctor refers a client to us, with the permission of the client, we send updates to that referral source. For example, if a swim coach sent a swimmer my way and that swimmer improved their swim time by 4 seconds, as well as gained muscle and lost body fat, that swim coach will hear these results. Then, in the same letter, we tell the coach to please contact us with any questions about this athlete and let us know if we can help any others. This was so effective one coach ended up referring 8 athletes so far. As for retaining clients, they like to be checked on periodically even between sessions. Whether it's an email, a text, a note that you logged in to their online tracking program, they love to hear from you!” Eve Pearson, MBA, RD, CSSD, LD
13. Always Be On. “No website, business card, or grand marketing plan will generate more interest, leads, and dollars than being ‘on’ when you're off-duty. Be willing to lend your expertise wherever you are. For example, cultivate relationships with trainers if on the gym floor, who may have different areas of specialization than yours, appear approachable, and SMILE. That last bit is your most valuable tool. And it doesn't cost you a dime,” Nicole Rodriguez, RDN, NASM-CPT
14. Personal Connections Through Newsletters, Cards, & Notes. “Make a personal connection with clients and remind them that you care and want them to succeed. For every client that walks in your door or prospective client you meet at a seminar, health fair, etc., get their contact information. In my experience, the more information you can gather (name, email, address, phone) the better. Social media is a great marketing tool but at the end of the day people still want to be remembered and have a personal connection. Incorporating an electronic newsletter is also a great marketing / connection tool that can be very cost effective. It will serve as an informative piece as well as a gentle reminder that you are there and are the expert. Sending personal hand written notes as a follow up can really make a lasting impression. Remember clients’ birthdays, send holiday greeting cards (but keep it relevant to what you do and make it stand out), send impromptu e-mails just ‘checking in’ seeing how they are doing.” Yvette Quantz, RD, CSSD, LD, CLT

Video Marketing

Video marketing is here to stay. 81% of businesses used video as a marketing tool in 2020 according to Hubspot. And 72% of customers stated they would rather learn about a product or service by way of a video. According to Cisco, by 2022, online videos will make up more than 82% of all consumer internet traffic!

• “Videos can help you establish yourself as the expert instantly,” informs Molly Kimball, RD, CSSD, who has weekly video blogs on Nola.com and “Get the Skinny with Molly Kimball” on WGNO News. People can see you talking in-person and connect with what you have to say.
  
• Videos can help people find you. Rebecca Scritchfield, MA, RD, a media savvy RD who has reached millions of people through TV, print, and online media, has had clients book appointments with her after watching her videos online. “Videos can help your personality shine and emotionally connect with others,” states Scritchfield.

4 Quick Tips for Making and Incorporating Videos:

• Short and Sweet. Scritchfield advises that the average attention span is 7 seconds. Make sure to instantly grab the attention of the viewer with a brief, to-the-point introduction of your topic. Repetition is also good so people remember your key message. Scritchfield likes to close her videos with her name and tagline so the last thing people remember is who she is.
• Personable while Professional. Kimball laughs as she explains, “the professionals say ‘be yourself,’ but it’s hard when you are talking to a camera to be professional and personable while not boring.” Kimball adds that the more you act like you are talking to your friends and not the camera, your personality will shine through in a fun and engaging manner so that people can connect with you.
• Invest in professionalism. Kimball purchased a $150 Flip camera + $35 tripod + $40 light. She also had a professional web designer incorporate an automatic feed to instantly upload videos from her blogging websites to be linked to her personal website. Check it out.
• Choose one home for your video. Scritchfield has one place for all her videos on her YouTube page. You can also integrate your videos with other social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, etc. In addition, make sure the videos are embedded on your personal website from your YouTube page so you have the references on your website of all the work you are doing.

2 Types of Videos:

• Client testimonials: Make a video for your business with client testimonials. Viewers enjoy seeing real people talking about a product/service they got value from. Use this video to connect with people and get them engaged.
  
• Product/Service Demonstrations: Make a video of a quick 5-minute work-out or demonstrate your product in less than 2 minutes. Show your audience what you are capable of providing them and give them a taste of what to expect. People are always looking for quick & effective ways to stay in shape. 46% of people state they search for more information after seeing a video online per Insivia.
  
  

Marketing Action Plan

Use this step by step guide to incorporate your marketing action plan into your weekly routine. Marketing needs to be continual and consistent in order to stay on top of your game and continue to stay present and relevant with your audience. Marketing is an ongoing necessity that has to be consistently done in order to maintain existing clients and make new ones.

1. Schedule weekly time in your calendar for your marketing. Give yourself 2-4 hours each week to marketing endeavors. Establish a weekly, monthly, and yearly plan of where you want to take your business and how you want to get there.
2. Have a specific plan of action by setting 3 marketing goals each week. Is the goal to connect with a new referral source? Is the goal to re-connect with old clients or previous referral sources? Is the goal to set up a marketing promotion for your company? Is the goal to establish a new internet business guide such as Google Business, Yelp, or another online referral source like HealthProfs? Is the goal to establish an online presence through social media? Make sure to follow-through with the goals you set.
3. Diversify your action plan. Focus on multiple forms of marketing and do not just place all your eggs in one basket. Different forms include making new referral connections, staying present with old connections, scheduling new presentations with new or existing organizations/corporations, being a guest blogger, being consistent with social media and staying engaged on a daily/weekly basis, updating your online presence, and much, much more. Make sure you do a little bit of each every month to stay on top of your game.
4. Know your competition. Periodically Google the services you perform and see what pops up first. Are you on the first page at the top of the list? Who is below you? When you use other business searches such as Yelp, who shows up? Being aware of what is around can help you strategize better by offering something unique that the others do not offer.
5. Stay present! Make sure to re-visit your old referral sources and periodically let people know you exist. Even after you cross off the networking group you visited in January on your marketing to-do list, you want to go back again to stay present. Making connections with people is not just a one-time gig. Continuous reminders that you are there is necessary to maintain the relationships you’ve built with your communities.

Putting it all together

Marketing does take time and effort and the effort pays off. Be engaged, consistent, diverse, and relevant with your marketing strategies and you will increase your client load and maintain long-term, devoted customers and referral sources.

About the Author

Sarah Koszyk, MA, RDN, is a Registered Dietitian and Sports Nutritionist specializing in Weight Management and Sports Nutrition for youth and adults. She writes articles for multiple publications, provides customized nutrition coaching, and is a brand spokesperson. She is founder of MIJA, a superfood supplement company, and Haumea Health, a fertility wellness clinic. Connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, or LinkedIn.