Whether you're starting out in the industry, just started or established brand, having a well thought out marketing plan behind you is cruical. 

Knowing where to begin with devising the most effective marketing plan is half the battle and unless you really sit down to prepare properly, you’ll likely find that your stratospheric rise to the top of your industry falters and, ultimately, fails to come to fruition.

A well-prepared advertising and marketing plan will work wonders for your clinic’s profitability, helping you to achieve your goals and also allowing you to keep track of your marketing activity, seeing what’s working and what isn’t so you can make adjustments over time. Here’s how to go about devising the perfect marketing strategy for your business.

Step 1: Know your audience

Knowing your target market and who your clients actually are will help you identify the best ways to bring them through your doors. On a personal level, think about what they want, what their hopes and dreams are, what fears they may have.

Also view your clients more practically, as well, thinking about how many return customers you get, whether the majority of your profit comes from returning clients or new ones, what they like most about your service (and what they like the least!), what catches their attention and so on.

Step 2: Know your business

Now you have a great idea of who your customer base is… so it’s time to make sure you know your business and brand just as well. Think about what your core products and services are, what your brand mission is, what your values are, what you represent and so on.

Be as critical as you can. Yes, of course, your clinic is your baby and you love it wholeheartedly, but you’re sure to have weak areas ripe for improvement so identify these - as well as your strengths. Find your most profitable services and work out what opportunities might exist across the board.

Step 3: Know your competition

It always pays to keep an eye on the competition so you can see where you sit in relation to them - as well as identifying any areas in which they might be outperforming you. This will, no doubt, inspire you to come up with new ideas for your business… although make sure you think innovatively and uniquely so you stand out from the crowd.

Step 4: Set some goals

Setting goals and ambitions out in your marketing plan is essential, as this is what will keep you on track. Losing sight of what you want from your business is a common concern, but having a plan to refer back to will help remind you of what you’re working towards.

Decide what matters the most to you and your brand - and start focusing your attention in this direction. Goals could include encouraging more return clients, attracting new ones, rebranding or simply building up your online reviews.

Step 5: Draw up a marketing calendar

If you have certain marketing events and promotions in mind, make sure you include details and dates in your plan so you can give yourself adequate time to prepare and you won’t be rushing around at the last minute. This will also ensure you can spread your events out throughout the year, perfect for ongoing marketing efforts.

Step 6: Monitor your successes & failures

Tracking your performance is an absolute must so you can see what works and what is ineffective, allowing you to make adjustments to your plan and preventing you from wasting time and effort on a strategy that won’t yield positive results.

There’s a lot of software out there that can help you track your campaigns and it’s certainly worth making use of them if you can.

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