{CBB Episode 7} Marketing: Where to Spend Your Money

Nov 22, 2016

“How do you find your ideal client?” and “What marketing tools work best?” are two of the questions we get asked most often! In today’s episode, we share a little behind-the-scenes take on what’s worked for us and what hasn’t!

Marketing looks different for everyone! We approach our online and in-person businesses very differently because of the uniquely different qualities of each of those audiences.  No matter what tools we are using, we always start with the same question, “Who is our ideal client?”.  We create an avatar for the client we are looking for so we know where to find them and what they want to hear.  We then target our marketing approach to the specific group we are looking to reach.  

Here are some of our favorite marketing strategies we’ve used with our online business and physical clinic:

• Word of Mouth – Be your best in all you do!  Word travels fast.  Be sure it’s good commentary
• A Website, Business Cards, & Brochures are the bare basics of marketing.  You NEED to have your materials so people can take them, share them, and spread the word!!
• Social Media – Positing consistently and with content that is eye-catching, interesting, informative, and fun but best represents your business is ideal!  Know that a small amount of money with the right content can go a LONG way!  Find which social media platform your audience is on and stick with it.
• A Sign – Having our business name on a huge sign in front of our office has drawn in more people than we ever thought possible!  It was a one time investment that has paid for itself many times over.
• Advertising at Local Businesses & Form Relationships- Where do your clients go?  Does that place have a community board where you can post a flier, business card, or brochure? Build relationships with people so you can partner with them in the future and work together to grow both of your companies in tandem.
• An Eye Catching Logo – Create something you love and use it consistently across ALL of your platforms in order to build your brand recognition.
• Print Media & Radio – Magazines, Newspapers, and Radio ads can be great for brick & mortar business but finding the right placement at the right price point can be tricky.  Keep it small at first and explore all your options in order to test the waters and see what works
• Community Events – When done with the right intentions and in the right settings, community events can be a great way to build relationships and your business at the same time.  Not every event is right for every business nor is it alway a good use of time. Do your research before committing to any event.
• Encourage Others to Spread the Word – In your emails and conversations invite others talk to others and forward your message!

No matter what media or marketing method you choose, there are a couple things to keep in mind.

• Be sure to keep it simple and make it specific.  Know what you are selling and to whom so you can create the right content for the right people.
• Finding ways to track your marketing methods can be tricky but not impossible if you ask for feedback.
• When participating in events or working with marketing groups, find the people and causes that align with what you stand for in your business so you can always feel good about what you are doing and you are on the same page from day one.
• Learn from your experience along the way.  You learn so much from doing!  Try things out and see what works for you!
• Take into consideration what marketing techniques work on you!!

Most importantly, do what works for you.  It doesn’t have to be expensive or elaborate, it simply has to be the right fit for your business.

Until next time,

Katey & Rachel

{CBB Episode 6} Post-Conference Takeaways

Nov 15, 2016

We just got back from our national music therapy conference in Sandusky, Ohio.  It was a whirlwind of a trip but such a wonderful experience for all of us!  Rachel and I attended the conference this year with our current intern (Sammy) and our fabulous employee, Alisabeth.  Between the four of us, we covered a lot of ground at the conference and manned a booth in the exhibit hall for 3 full days.

During the conference we attended educational sessions, went to meetings, spent hours in the exhibit hall, and meet with so many people! We take so much away from these conferences and want to encourage you to engage in professional development in whatever way makes sense to you.  Here are the top reasons we attended conferences:

• Spending Time with Like-Minded Individuals – Nearly everyone at our conference was associated with music therapy in some way, shape, or form and had a general understanding of what we were doing on a daily basis.  Meeting with people who were already on the same page allowed us to go deeper and gain new perspectives on what we are already doing.
• NEW IDEAS!!! – Though we were meeting with people who are all in the same field, we all do things a little differently and have different resources we find to be valuable.  We all have our area of expertise and things that make us unique.  In talking to other people or attending seminars, we gained so many new ideas and tips that we can implement right away or in the future.
• Self-Reflection –  Getting new insight or talking to others allows me to feel validated or reflect on things that I want to change within myself.  Every day of conference I felt like I needed to reflect on all of the amazing conversations we had throughout the day.
• Making New Contacts & Fostering Relationships – We met so many new people and made incredibly valuable contacts who we can look to in the future for ideas, new perspectives, and feedback.  We also had the opportunity to spend time with people we have met previously, either in person or online,  and build on those relationships.

I hope you can find ways to foster your own professionals development and learn something new every day!

Until next time,
Katey & Rachel