Be Your Own Billboard | Practice Up! for Advocates and Care Managers

You are your own best marketing – just you. You are friendly. You are helpful. You are knowledgeable and resourceful.

But take a moment to think through all the places you see dozens or hundreds or thousands of people who don’t know one single thing about you, much less that you can help them find improved medical care. They have no idea how friendly, helpful, or knowledgeable and resourceful you can be!

They see a person who looks like any other generic person. Your mission should be to improve that impression.

So how can you be your own billboard? The person who becomes recognized as more than a generic person? In this case, I’m thinking about some of the ways you can showcase your brand physically.

No, not real highway billboards. And no, no one is asking you to wear sandwich boards!

Rather, these are ways of showcasing your name and brand personally, beyond online, or even on business cards….

Setting the Stage

First, recognize that this is marketing, plain and simple. It’s a way to help people recognize your brand; your name, your practice name, and what it is you do that can help them. That will lead to more business and more income!

Second, be aware that your goal is to elicit questions from people who see your personal billboards. You want them to ask questions when they see your logo or tag line. It may be a stretch to have them really recognize you at first, but that’s OK. Asking you questions can be gold!

Personal Billboard Ideas

One physical way to promote your business is to dress with your brand. You can order blouses, golf shirts, or jackets printed or embroidered with your logo.Underneath the logo, if your brand doesn’t include “patient advocate” or “care manager,” you might add those words.

When you encounter people in the check-out line at the store, or while you’re sitting on a park bench, or at a PTA meeting… people will ask. A great conversation starter! Often they will launch into a story that begins with, “Where were you when…” – and at that point, you hand them a business card.

Now you look terrific, but often you’re in your car, so why not brand your car, too?

Order magnetic signs for the car doors of your vehicle(s). One for the driver’s side, one for the passenger’s side…

Make them simple and easily readable so people get the gist as you drive by them, or as they sit next to you in traffic. You might consider adding your web address underneath or logo or name.

Of course, all the rage in supermarkets, are branded shopping bags. They can be purchased inexpensively, and can be used far beyond your shopping excursions. You can carry information to client meetings or church meetings, bridge club – lots of places. Carry snacks, or books, or anything in between.