Clinic Marketing That Connects

Hey. Hello. It’s Denzil here.

Before I get into it... I’m really excited y’all. Front Desk Volume 6 will be on it's way to you in the next couple of weeks! If you have a friend who isn't yet subscribed, you can share this link with them. I truly believe it's one of our most thought-provoking issues yet. 👀

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Okay, story time:

Back when we were recording our first few episodes of Radio Front Desk, I was still learning how to be a host. I didn’t totally know what I was doing (lol), but what I did know was this: I was talking to some incredibly brilliant clinic owners who know what it takes to run a successful business.

And somewhere around episode five, I started noticing something interesting.

Whenever I asked people about marketing and what actually worked for their clinic… I got a different answer every time.

And then I realized… I need to write an article about this.

It took me months to write. Not because I didn’t want to write it (actually, I couldn’t stop thinking about it) but because it felt so important to get right. And so after some planning and drafting and stopping and starting over again… I did it.

This article is about marketing strategies for health and wellness clinics, and it’s stitched together from a collection of things I noted during those interviews on Radio Front Desk.

I’m really proud of it. Because what it revealed to me is that marketing isn’t formulaic. It’s more like an artwork that’s sculpted by data, feedback, and the quiet work of figuring out how to really reach people. And, there’s no single playbook to show you how to do it right.

What works (like actually works) is personal. It’s contextual. It's relational. And sometimes… it’s right under your nose.

Take Dr. Kellen in NYC. His clinic didn’t grow because of a fancy ad campaign. It grew because he showed up. At marathons. At basketball courts. At community workouts. Turns out, his people weren’t scrolling through social media at 10 p.m. They were already out in the world, moving. He just had to meet them there.

Or Dr. David Bruton in Colorado, who spent $20k on radio ads and got… zero patients. (Oof.) But when he asked his happiest patients to share their recovery stories in Google reviews, he started seeing more and more interested clients. Not because of noise. But because of trust.

Then there’s Emily and Ghoncheh at Aphrodite Fertility in San Diego. Their people were researching endlessly online. So they invested in thoughtful SEO and sharpened their website messaging to match what patients were actually searching for: strength, clarity, reassurance. Not jargon. Not buzzwords. Just real words that connect with their people.

And I can’t stop thinking about Matt Lundquist from Tribeca Therapy, who built a thriving practice by writing deeply human blog posts. Long-form. No ads. No hacks. Just… truth. (His piece on why it’s okay to tell your therapist you’re mad at them? Honestly iconic.)

So as you can probably see, there’s no one right answer to the question of “how do I do marketing well”?

Writing this article reminded me that what you “should do” doesn’t really exist. Because it really depends on what makes you, you. It’s about how people find you and decide to actually trust you. It’s how they begin to imagine being cared for before they even walk through your door.

So if you’re feeling overwhelmed by all the “shoulds,” maybe take a breath and ask:

• What kind of clinic are we?
• What kind of patients are we hoping to serve?
• And what kind of marketing would feel natural for us?

That’s where it starts.

And before you go, here’s something I want you to know:

I’m not saying I have all the answers. This article reflects just a handful of conversations, and so I’d love to hear what your experience has been.

Reach out and let me know what resonated. Were there any marketing moves in this article that surprisingly aligned with your values? What else am I missing on this list? I genuinely want to learn more from this awesome community of ours.

Talk again soon,

Denzil, Editor-in-Chief of Front Desk

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Every other Friday, Denzil sends a letter built from real conversations with practitioners, clinic owners, and other leaders shaping care. If you’d like to read along, you can get the newsletter delivered straight to your inbox by subscribing here.