Tools and Tips for Marketing Your Nutrition-Based Business - Prerecorded Self Study Webinar Tuesday, August 6, :00 pm CDT

Transcription

1 Tools and Tips for Marketing Your Nutrition-Based Business - Prerecorded Self Study Webinar Tuesday, August 6, :00 pm CDT Thank you for viewing as an individual the Tools and Tips for Marketing Your Nutrition-Based Business Prerecorded Self Study Webinar on Tuesday, August 6. The following information is included in this packet: 1. Event Handout including Speaker Slides 2. Continuing Professional Education (CPE) Certificate Please duplicate the handout and CPE certificate for your personal records.

2 Objectives Tools and Tips for Marketing Your Nutrition-Based Business Define marketing plan elements Evaluate your competition Identify consumer needs Develop your marketing strategy List best practices 7/31/2013 Marketing Plan Elements Target Market Your target market The service or product you are selling Tools you will use to get your product or service to market Demographics Competition Customer needs Demographics Competition Provides information about typical member of a group (age, gender, race, income level and ethnicity) Questions to ask yourself: Where does your customer live? Are they employed? If so, what type of employment? What are their ages, marital status and family structures? Any person or company that is providing the same or similar product or service that you are. 1

3 Evaluating the Competition Evaluating the Competition Competitor s Name Services or products offered Location of service or method of distribution for products (physical or virtual) Years in business Image Method of marketing: Quality of service or product: Performance of the services or products Price for services or products Methods of payment Strengths Weaknesses Customer Needs Knowing what your customer needs may be the most important thing when developing your marketing plan. Questions to ask yourself: What does your demographic want? What would I want? What upgrade or in service would they be willing to pay more for? What are upgrades you would pay more for? Resources for Tracking Food and Nutrition Trends Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Daily News Association for Consumer Trends Food Marketing Institute Trend Central Marketresearch.com Business Example # 1: Business Example # 2 Online CPEU Provider Where do my customers live? Customer base? Competition? What do my customers want? Who do I see as my ideal customer? Private Practice RD providing in-home nutrition counseling, personalized grocery stores tours and meal plans. Where do customers live? Customer base? Competition? What do customers want? Who do you see as an ideal customer? 2

4 Marketing Advertising Newspapers Listings Promotional products Pay-per-click ads Direct Mail s Postcards Brochures Flyers Prospecting Connecting with perspective clients and customers Honor solicitation policies Recognize that prospects are busy Follow up Prospecting for MD referrals HIPAA compliant for referrals: JumbleMe and Pros Keep in touch with patients PCP Make connections 9 Steps to Successful Networking 1) Stay in touch 2) Talk to new people 3) Ask What do you do? 4) Become a better listener 5) Know your elevator speech 6) Have your follow-up piece handy 7) Improve your public speaking skills 8) Join! 9) Follow up 3

5 Word of Mouth Get Involved! Happy customers will spread the word for you Talk about yourself (even if it s hard) Have friends and family talk about you Community Involvement State and local associations (RDs and other health professionals) Local clubs or associations Writing Networking Speaking Online Marketing Your Website Website: What should you include? Blogging Your product/service details An About You section Contact information including , phone or both Newsletter sign up 2 free blog sites: Update once per week Blog about topics related to your business 4

6 Social Media Marketing Facebook Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn Use wisely! Don t spend all day on social media. Quality followers and connections To create a facebook fan page: How to use Facebook Facebook Checklist Keep clients/customers up-to-date on new products or services. Post engaging articles relevant to your business. Ask questions Your business website Links to connect with all your other social media outlets Location of your business and hours of operation Contact information Explanation of services Twitter Social Media: Increasing Followers and Likes Contest Offline contest Current customers Make following you easy Interact with your current followers/likes 5

7 Social Media Links Website Business cards signature Invoices Client and marketing handouts LinkedIn LinkedIn LinkedIn Effectiveness RDs in the same area of practice Health care professionals Join Groups Fill out your profile as close to completion as possible Join Groups and be part of the conversation Add your picture Do not make it difficult to connect with you LinkedIn Social Media: Optimize your time Shhhh...I have got a secret to make you super successful on LinkedIn. Social Media Management Programs HootSuite TweetDeck 6

8 Marketing Plan Marketing Plan-Things to Consider Who are you going to market to? How you are going to market to them? How to effectively communicate why those you are marketing need your product or service Frequency of when you will market to your audience Seasonal changes in business How much money do you have to market? How much time per day/week/month do you spend on marketing? How will you track your efforts? Marketing Advice from Entrepreneurial RDs Nancy Clark, MS, RD, CSSD "If you don't exist in the media, you don't exist. Coca-Cola never stops advertising (even though everyone knows about Coca-Cola). That's why I write a monthly nutrition column with a credit line that mentions my books and counseling services. Emma Fogt, MBA, MS, RD, LDN The MAJOR marketing strategy for me was to target the pediatric MDs in the area. They were my primary referral service. I spent holidays sending them baskets, evenings writing detailed patient reports for them and thanking them each time for the referrals they sent me. They were my client in the end, they were who I marketed to and they were the ones I attribute my private practice success to. Gretchen Vannice, MS, RD My best marketing strategy is doing high-quality work and following through when I meet a potential client. Next best strategy is public speaking. Nearly all of my work comes to me by referral. I'm in the business of consulting, not client counseling, so that may make a difference. 7

9 Katie Mulligan Other RDs! Me and three other private practice RDs started a Rhode Island Private Practice RD Group and now I get referrals from other RDs that I never used to get. There are plenty of patients for everyone and most people have a niche that they work in, so we refer patients that we can t see along to each other. I think it's working for everyone. Jill Castle, MS, RD, LDN In addition to social media, web site, holiday apples, and a quarterly newsletter, I send a brief nutrition assessment on each new infant/child/teen I see. I have had many MDs tell me how much they appreciate that I do that. Academy s Online Marketing Center My Marketing Efforts Visit Eat Right videos Ready-to-use presentations Public speaking resources from Toastmasters Social media education resources Customizable flyers, brochures, posters, postcards Vistaprint Portal More! Content Expert for this Webinar Amy Sowards MS, RD Owner AES Nutrition Education, LLC 8

10 Continuing Professional Education Certificate of Attendance -Attendee Copy- Participant Name: RD/RDN/DTR Number: Session Title: Tools and Tips for Marketing Your Nutrition-Based Business CDR Activity Number: Date Completed: Learning Need Code: CPEUs Awarded: CPE Level: PROVIDER #: AM003 Provider Signature RETAIN ORIGINAL COPY FOR YOUR RECORDS *Refer to your Professional Development Portfolio Learning Needs Assessment Form (Step 2) Continuing Professional Education Certificate of Attendance -Licensure Copy- Participant Name: RD/RDN/DTR Number: Session Title: Tools and Tips for Marketing Your Nutrition-Based Business CDR Activity Number: Date Completed: Learning Need Code: CPEUs Awarded: CPE Level: PROVIDER #: AM003 Provider Signature RETAIN ORIGINAL COPY FOR YOUR RECORDS *Refer to your Professional Development Portfolio Learning Needs Assessment Form (Step 2)