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first published 2011 | updated 2015

Hybrid Strategies for Getting Clients


no hype marketing methods

After reviewing how to Get Clients Like an Extrovert and how to Get Clients Like an Introvert, you’re probably realizing that there are some strategies that fall somewhere in the middle — which may be where you are, too.

I call those the hybrid client attraction methods.

The hybrid strategies for private practice marketing combine the connection capability of the extrovert with the introvert preference for more creative, techie, low key or behind the scenes approaches. Hybrid strategies, as you may guess, make great use of social media and other online tools, and could include:

  • Social media profiles and frequent posting strategies

  • Participation on forums where your ideal clients hang out

  • Creating webcam or PowerPoint based videos and starting a YouTube channel

  • Hosting and moderating a forum on your own website

  • Creating a mobile app and keeping it fresh with your weekly blog

  • Facilitating a MeetUp on a topic of urgent interest to your niche

  • Giving live, interactive webinars or teleclasses

The key to these hybrid strategies is making use of free and low cost technologies to connect with potential clients while developing a following of people who are interested in the topics on which can be passionate about sharing knowledge, expertise, and resources.

Concerns about the ethical uses of new technologies, and unfamiliarity with using them, are the most common obstacles that counselors, therapists, social workers, psychologists, and coaches face when incorporating hybrid strategies into a private practice marketing plan.

While it’s beyond the scope of this blog post to get into the need for a 21st century view of the ethics of interacting with potential, current, and former clients, the problem of lack of exposure to helpful technologies is easily corrected.

My suggestions to you about gaining some basic techno skills that will help you attract new clients are:

1. Take a social media training. Learn how to use Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and LinkedIn to your advantage, with the least amount of time involvement and the maximum potential benefit to growing your business. Trainings abound.

2. Google “forums+[keyword]” and investigate a few. Select the ones that are most active — meaning, dozens of people posting multiple times a day — for the best benefit. Contribute your help, don’t just promote your services.

3. Videos are great SEO juice. If you’re more of an extrovert use your computer’s built in webcam to record a 3 minute piece of advice. If you’re more of an introvert, narrated PowerPoint slideshows can be converted into video files with the latest version of Microsoft Office then uploaded from there to your own YouTube channel. Then you can embed your You Tube video on your website, and share it on Facebook and other social media. Videos are a fantastic way to get web traffic and visibility on multiple platforms for one main creative effort.

4. I know a coach who used the self hosting forum strategy to much success when first starting to build her practice. Some webhosts provide the capability to add a forum page to your website. Private groups on Facebook can accomplish the same thing.

5. Creating a smart phone app is really the current wave of techno-marketing. Because more and more people are becoming dependent on their smart phones and other mobile tablet devices for news, socializing, information and provider searches, and work productivity, having an app presence is THE growing edge in private practice marketing. It’s easy, and relatively low cost, so not much reason to avoid this strategy if you have any technology expertise.

6. Host a monthly MeetUp, or give a workshop series if you’re the type of introvert who does well at a structured event where you are in charge of the discussion. There is a small fee for hosting a MeetUp, but you can recoup that by asking attendees for a small donation. There is an online tool for management event announcements, group registration, and distribution of materials, if you choose to use that capability. Or develop a live workshop series on a specific problem, and book yourself into a community center, a church, a PTA or other venue where your niche audience already gathers.

7. Give webinars or teleclasses. You don’t need to be on camera to do a webinar. But by definition a webinar does give your participants something to view on their computer screen. You’ll need a special webinar host account with something like GotoMeeting or AnyMeeting which can run your PowerPoint slides while you conduct a live and interactive class with your audience.

For a lower tech option, do a teleclass without the visual component where you need a free conference call account where you’re basically just giving a class by telephone. The conference call account will allow you to make an audio recording of the class that you can download and/or distribute otherwise, which can be a good promotional give-away.

So when it comes to marketing your private practice, would you consider yourself an extrovert, introvert or mix of both? Are you using marketing strategies that match with your personality? What new marketing method could you prioritize for this year?

Not sure? Then email me to schedule a strategy consult.

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