Whether you’re an esthetician, stylist, or solo masseuse, doing it on your own has its benefits and challenges. Without a retail store, you may feel like you are at a marketing disadvantage to salons or day spas. Little do you know, most of those day spas and retailers that pay a penny for commercial space are thinking YOU They are a smart cookie, because it has very little overhead and no employees. Like most things in life, the grass is always greener on the other side. As for building your individual practice, here are must-have marketing actions to take to attract new clients.

1. Get a marketing plan. If you are rabid Friends fan like me, you might remember the episode from the first season when Phoebe lamented “Do you have a plan ?! I don’t even have a pluh.” And while it may seem overwhelming to create one, it can actually make your life easier once you have one. The beauty of a marketing plan is that you know what you are going to spend, do (and NOT do) in marketing on a month-to-month basis. If you don’t know where to start, send me a note or give me a call. With a few phone calls and emails, I’ll get to know your goals, budget, background, and help you put together a plan that will put you in control.

2. Set up a customer contact system. This can be done on paper or by using a customer database on your computer. The goal here is to remind you to communicate with clients that you have seen before. Some occasions to do this are:

* Two days after treatment to see if they have any questions. Ask about how they feel about their skin (any breakouts?), Their neck / back / etc. that they mentioned before their massage or if they have any style questions about their new cut.

* Birthday. You may be the only person to send them a card!

* If you have seen them in six weeks, or the recommended interval for the next service.

* Three weeks after purchasing a product, do you need more?

* Customer Anniversary Thank You – Every year you’ve been a customer, send them a little thank you note. Handwritten cards are very special these days, but email greeting cards are only as effective as showing you appreciate their loyalty.

You can see that tracking customer activities and creating a system to remind them of these things is essential.

3. Reward for referrals. Check out my Free Referral tips and create a system that works for you. Building your business through word of mouth is the cheapest marketing around … don’t be afraid to be generous with the customers you refer. A $ 25 Starbucks card for one customer can save you an $ 800 newspaper ad that attracts the same number of new customers (you have … only one). You don’t need a fancy point system … your business cards (yes, you do) will do the trick. Offer your clients extras when they book an appointment and write on their cards: “I build my business through referrals and I would be happy to help your friends or family.”

4. Take advantage of the Internet. Having a website is, in my humble opinion, absolutely critical for any business. Use lower-cost hosted solutions like Inspirational Web Hosting or SpaBoom – companies that understand yours and provide low-cost, easy-to-use solutions. On your site, be sure to collect emails and allow instant purchase of gift certificates. Online sales are a nice bonus, but not for everyone because then you have to ship the products very quickly after receiving the online order. If you are in a treatment room all day this could cause a delay … just be careful to correctly set client expectations.

While there are several more marketing activities I would recommend, like a professional logo or brochure printing, there are also things you shouldn’t spend money on. Avoid advertisements and direct mail. The cost will undoubtedly outweigh the benefit you would receive as an individual physician.

Make sure to keep track of your marketing pennies. It is important to be aware of how much (and where) you are spending your marketing money so that you can decide whether or not to continue.