Therapists and Psychologists might struggle building and marketing a private practice. People can spend hundreds and hundreds of dollars simply in advertising. One of the toughest questions to answer when building a therapy practice is this: Where should I advertise? Advertising money has to be budgeted and spent carefully, especially if your practice is new. Where will you get the most bang for your buck?

Maximum cost-effectiveness, of course, comes from advertising methods that are free -- so long as they work. One of the best things you can do for your practice is experimenting with free advertising. Test out the variety of free ways to advertise. Get creative and see what works and what doesn't work. All are worth taking a chance on. The worst that can happen is that you don't get a response; you'll never be out any money, just a bit of time. And win or lose, you will get a better sense of how to market to clients in your area.

Some free or inexpensive advertising ideas:

• Fliers on community bulletin boards
• Classified advertising in free local papers
• Free online service directories
• Local networking groups
• Send letters to other therapists and colleagues

It's part of life as a therapist. Some weeks the telephone will ring often. Other times there is a drought. One great way to get your phone ringing again: Send out an e-newsletter.

Sending out an E-newsletter on a regular basis is a great opportunity to leave a lasting impression, and extremely cost effective. The more people see your face and here about your work, the more comfortable they will feel with you. Also, newsletters -- like this one-- are easy to pass along to friends and colleagues. Sending your newsletter to past clients, current clients, and colleagues (with all of their permission, of course) can be a gentle reminder of your services offered.

While some therapists prefer print newsletters, email newsletters remove the expenses of printing and mailing. Go with your preference. You can use software or a newsletter service like ours to give your newsletter a custom look.

If you are interested in seeing a sample and testing out some of the many ways you can customize your email newsletter, visit our website at TherapyMarketing.net.

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Building a Private Practice: Some free and inexpensive ways to market
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