Stop acting like a used car salesman
Look, I get it. You didn’t spend years studying herbal medicine or nutrition just to spend your days worrying about ‘funnels’ or ‘lead magnets.’ You want to help people get healthy.
But here is the reality: if nobody knows your clinic exists, you aren't helping anyone. And if your marketing looks like a late-night infomercial promising a 'miracle cure' for everything from gout to grey hair, you're going to attract the wrong people—and probably get a nasty letter from the regulators too.
I’ve seen too many naturopaths in Brisbane and across the country burn through thousands of dollars on ads that don't work because they're trying too hard to sound like a ‘guru.’
You don’t need to be a guru. You need to be a professional who solves a specific problem.
The mistake that kills most health clinics
Most practitioners try to be everything to everyone. Your website says you treat ‘digestive issues, hormones, stress, fatigue, and skin.’
When you try to talk to everyone, you end up talking to no one.
Imagine a potential patient is struggling with chronic fatigue. They’re exhausted, they can’t work properly, and they’ve seen three doctors who told them their blood work is 'normal.'
If they see your ad and it’s a laundry list of twenty different conditions, they’ll keep scrolling. But if they see a post specifically about how you help people regain their energy when the standard tests say nothing is wrong, they’re going to pick up the phone.
Focusing on one specific problem doesn't mean you can't treat other things later. It just means you're giving people a clear reason to book that first appointment. If you're struggling with this, it's often because your clinic isn't getting bookings due to a lack of a clear message.
Case Study: From 'General Naturopath' to the 'Gut Health Expert'
We worked with a practitioner who was doing okay, but she was exhausted. She was spending a fortune on Facebook ads that were bringing in people who wanted a 'quick fix' or a cheap supplement.
We changed two things.
First, we stopped talking about 'wellness'—which is a word that means absolutely nothing to a sick person—and started talking about bloating and IBS.
Second, we cleaned up her online reputation. In the health world, people don't just click an ad and buy. They go straight to your reviews. If you have three stars or, worse, no reviews at all, you're dead in the water. We found that reviews are costing you money if they aren't managed properly, especially when people are looking for someone they can trust with their health.
Within three months, her cost per enquiry dropped by 40%. Why? Because she stopped shouting at everyone and started talking to the people who actually needed her specific help.
Marketing that doesn't feel 'icky'
I talk to a lot of alternative health business owners who are terrified of marketing because they think it’s unethical. They don’t want to make big claims they can’t back up.
Good. You shouldn’t.
Ethical marketing for a naturopath isn’t about promising a cure. It’s about education.
If you can explain to a patient why they feel the way they do, you’ve already won half the battle. Use your website to explain the 'how' and the 'why.'
- Don't say: "I will fix your hormones." - Do say: "Here are the three most common reasons I see for hormonal imbalances in women over 40."
This builds authority. It shows you know your stuff. And most importantly, it makes the patient feel understood. When someone feels like you 'get' their problem, they’ll book a consultation. This is exactly how you fill your clinic without having to resort to cheesy sales tactics.
Your website works on phones (or it doesn't work at all)
I’m going to be blunt: if your website takes more than three seconds to load on a phone, you are throwing money away.
Most of your potential patients are looking for you while they’re on the bus, sitting on the couch, or hiding in the bathroom at work. If they have to pinch and zoom to find your phone number, they’ll leave and go to the next person on Google.
Make sure your 'Book Now' button is easy to find. Don't make people fill out a 20-field form just to ask a question. Keep it simple. Name, email, phone number, and a box for their main concern. That's it.
How much should this cost?
I hate it when agencies dodge this question.
If you’re a solo practitioner in a suburb like Paddington or West End, you don’t need a $5,000-a-month marketing budget.
But you do need to spend something. If you’re spending $0, you’re relying entirely on word of mouth. Word of mouth is great, but it’s slow and it’s inconsistent. You can't pay your rent on 'hope.'
A realistic budget for a local clinic starting out is usually around $500 to $1,500 a month on ads, plus whatever you pay someone to manage it.
You should see more phone calls coming in within the first 30 days. If you don’t, something is wrong with your ad or your website. Don't let an agency tell you "it takes six months to see results." That’s rubbish. You should see movement quickly.
What you should do first
If you’re feeling overwhelmed, here is the order I’d do things in:
1. Fix your Google Business Profile. It’s free. Get some photos of your clinic up there. Ask your best patients to leave a review. 2. Pick one ‘niche’. What is the one thing you’re better at than anyone else? Talk about that on your homepage. 3. Make sure your site works on phones. Test it yourself today. Try to book an appointment on your own site. Was it annoying? Fix it. 4. Run a small local ad campaign. Don't target the whole of Brisbane. Target a 5km radius around your clinic.
My honest take
The health industry is crowded. There are a lot of people making a lot of noise.
You don’t win by being the loudest or the pushiest. You win by being the most helpful and the most specific.
Stop trying to find some 'secret' marketing trick. There isn't one. It's just about showing the right person that you understand their problem and you have a professional way to help them solve it.
If you want to chat about how to get more people through your clinic doors without the headache, give us a shout at Local Marketing Group. We don't do jargon, and we don't do fluff. Just results.
Ready to get more bookings? Get in touch with us here.