On the surface, this question seems quite specific… At the same time, it can be applied to any business, of any size. How do you help more people to know about, and understand the value of, your product/service?
The answer is all about awareness and education. In business terms, marketing. Remember that people who have never tried your product/service may take longer to make a decision. They may want to get a stronger sense of how it works while they are deciding. Marketing tools can help them along the way.
Marketing is a HUGE topic so we will focus here on a few ideas that can help you reach more people with your products and/or services. We use two primary approaches for increasing awareness, education and access for the general public to holistic approaches:
- Social media: There are billions of people on a wide variety of social media platforms. Choose 1-2 that are good for you, create your profile and reach out to grow your network. You can find the Holistic Chamber of Commerce (HCC), and our Founder Camille Leon, on LinkedIn, Facebook, InstaGram , Twitter, Pinterest and YouTube.
- Email or text marketing: Some people prefer email and others prefer texting. Either way, these are both good ways to reach a large number of people with your message. The HCC recommends Constant Contact for email marketing. Many of our Chapter Presidents use texting for staying connected to their local communities.
- Website: Whether it is a “billboard” type of site where people can find you for the basics of what you offer, or something more involved, websites are accessible on a variety of devices from desktops to cell phones. A well-designed website helps people learn about your product/service and make a purchase right away. It will also offer a way for people to sign up for your email and/or text list so that you can keep them informed on a regular basis.
- Advertising: This is when you pay for space or time to reach a large audience. The most common places to advertise are: radio/podcast, print magazine or newspaper, social media boost and/or search engine placement.
- Networking: Both online and in-person, this refers to creating and keeping relationships that count. People in your network can purchase directly from you and/or refer others who could benefit from what you are selling.
- Reputation: Credibility is key. Especially in the health and wellness niche, your potential patients/clients/customers want to know if you are good at what you do and trustworthy. Will you keep their information confidential? Are you dependable? Will you be available when they need you? Membership in professional organizations, including the Holistic Chamber of Commerce, helps people know that you are skilled and reliable.
- Community presence: This often takes more thought and planning, and can lead to powerful visibility especially in your local community. Community outreach includes participating in wellness/health fairs hosted by companies and organizations and sending press releases to local media outlets (newspapers, magazines, television, etc). It takes a lot of work to put these together, or even have a booth at an all-day event, so we recommend collaborating with others on these high-level opportunities. Where our chapters have 25+ members, we have seen much success in using community outreach to expose new people from the general public to our members and their specialties.
The final key component to this conversation is access. Once people know about your product/service, they need to be able to purchase when they are ready.
How are you reaching out and connecting with others so they know about you and your products/services?
To connect with the HCC and Founder Camille Leon:
- LinkedIn (Camille): https://www.linkedin.com/in/camilleleon/
- LinkedIn (HCC): https://www.linkedin.com/company/holisticchamberofcommerce
- Facebook (HCC): https://facebook.com/holisticchamberofcommerce
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/holisticchamber
- Pinterest: https://pinterest.com/holisticchamberofcommerce
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/holisticchamber
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/HolisticCC
- Click here to Sign up for emails
Looking for a holistically-minded professional, product or service? Find one on our Member Directory ~
Camille Leon is the Founder and CEO of the Holistic Chamber of Commerce and the Author of Fresh Starts / Transformation in Action. She helps people find holistic approaches to health, life and business. She helps holistic professionals to connect with more customers, clients and patients as well as like-minded business support. Available as a Speaker for online and in-person events, Camille can be reached at 310-490-6862 (Pacific). Looking for a digital speaker for your next online event? Visit https://500speakers.com/pitch/camille-leon.html.
©Camille Leon, holisticchamberofcommerce.com