Q&A was part of Next Level Practice, the most supportive community for therapists starting a private practice. In this video, Alison answers the question based on marketing through a public presentation.
Question
Is it worth it to market through a public presentation in private practice?
Answer
I think that’s a great idea! What I find is that when you pair up with another organization, like a library, they’re going to be advertising your talk and you’re going to be advertising your talk. Then you’re going to get in front of a whole other set of eyes, and probably a bigger audience than what you already have. They may not show up to your presentation, but then they’ve seen your name, or headshot on a flyer.
It’s just a really nice way to start building awareness in the community. And, like I said, you may not get a ton of clients from the talk, but you’re getting a lot of free advertising, because you’re pairing up with another entity in the community who’s going to be advertising for you. I think, definitely when you’re starting out, that’s a really smart thing to do. Even though you may not be getting paid to do the talk, in the beginning you have a lot more time than money, usually to do marketing. So if you have the time to do it, then I think it’s a great way to get yourself out in front of the community.
Alison Pidgeon is a licensed professional counselor in the state of Pennsylvania. In 18 months she went from starting a solo private practice to building a insurance-based group practice. She now employs 3 clinicians and a virtual assistant. In her spare time she is often seen running after her two small children and her therapy is cooking.
