LG Nutrition is a private nutrition practice that provides counseling services. To increase referrals, the practice utilized various marketing approaches including developing relationships with local physicians, promoting on social media, creating online resources, and running an ad campaign. These efforts helped engage the local community and increase the number of new clients seen at LG Nutrition on a monthly basis.

1. WEEKLY TASKS
• Publish three to four recipes concentrated on gluten free, low
lactose, low carb, and FodMap friendly diets. Represented
with visual aids and nutrition analysis.
• Conduct calls to community primary care physicians, follow-up
with each physician, send out informational materials, and
schedule in person meetings to gain nutrition referrals.
• Deliver advertising materials regarding nutrition services
offered by LG Nutrition to local health vendors.
• Write and publish articles on LG Nutrition’s website that tailors
information towards Leslie’s clientele.
• Include a step-by-step guide on commonly misunderstood
nutrition questions.
• Access and organize services through Twitter account.
• Registered Dietitians in private practice are the most uniquely
qualified counselors for patients needing medical nutritional
therapy.1 Practitioner’s who manage a private business that
provide dietary intervention face many barriers.
• LG Nutrition is a private practice that provides counseling for
weight management, diabetes, food intolerances,
gastrointestinal conditions, and provides meal plans to the
Raleigh community.
• LG Nutrition has increased referrals through contact with
primary care physicians, but is still looking to increase patients
in need of counseling for gastrointestinal or endocrine health
through community exposure.
• The most effective marketing strategies for nutrition private
practice are: Meeting with physicians, Newsletters to
physicians, Newsletters to other health professionals,
Newsletters to patients, and Letters to physicians.2
Lauren McNeil, BS,1 William Landis, PhD, RD,1 Leslie Gaillard, MPH, RD, LDN2
1Department of Nutrition, Health, and Human Performance, Meredith College, Raleigh, NC; 2LG Nutrition, Raleigh, NC
To utilize various marketing approaches to overcome private
practice barriers and to engage the local community through
social media promotion, direct contact with physician offices,
and online resources made available.
Increasing Private Practice Nutrition Referrals
Through Various Marketing Channels
• Clients will be provided extended resources outside of one-on-
one sessions to aid in feeling more educated and confident
with nutrition during their at home experience.
• This project allows for future formulation of materials to assist
in nutrition education, as well as improve awareness and
relations within the Raleigh community.
• Promotion of services will continue on schedule based off
Leslie’s current clients needs, questions, and most common
misconceptions to appeal to a similar client base.
• The number of increasing referrals throughout the community
will continued to be monitored based off of PCP referrals,
social media promotion, online resources made available, and
the Harris Teeter ad campaign.
• Create and publish up to date recipes that emphasize gluten
free, low lactose, low carb, and FodMap friendly diets on a
weekly basis
• Maintain social media promotional tweets of services, recipes,
articles, and upcoming events
• Develop a more in depth recipe index and step-by-step guides
based on patterns of commonly misunderstood information
from client sessions
• Continue to conduct calls to primary care clinics and drop off
up to date material at vendors to increase relations within the
local Raleigh community
• Measure adherence of specific marketing strategies with the
total increase amount of clients per month
MOTIVATION
BACKGROUND PROCESS DEVELOPMENT DISCUSSION
REFERENCES
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
MARKETING STRATEGIES
• Direct referrals through forming relationships with community
physicians and local health vendors.
• Social media promotion via frequent contribution to Twitter
and Instagram accounts.
• Creation of online resources involving recipe index, step-by-
step nutrition guides, and relevant articles based off the most
frequently asked about or misunderstood topics.
• Ad campaign on Harris Teeter grocery bags for one year at
Morrisville location promoting services.
• Allocated publicity for LG Nutrition on Harris Teeter grocery bags aimed towards shoppers who want to seek
guidance for services listed on the ad (Figure 1)
• Organized a recipe index, new client form, and marketing schedule to stay consistent with promotions
• Published recipes on a week by week basis to provide a current data base (Figure 2)
• Created step-by-step nutritional “How To’s” to provide insight for current and future clients (Figure 3)
• Translated nutrition information into consumer messages through weekly blog articles available at
www.lgnutrition.com (Figure 4)
• Communicated posts that led to an increased presence within the search engine of local dietitians
• Generated effective growth within clientele through providing indirect online resources
• Postponement decision in figuring out which marketing
channel fits best for LG Nutrition’s specific brand of practice
and services offered
• Limited amount of time to investigate the most effective
marketing channel to ensure the most thorough increase in
nutrition referrals
• I have no formal education or background in branding,
marketing, or business promotion
NEXT STEPS
I wanted to thank and acknowledge the the Raleigh community for being receptive to all four marketing
approaches as we aim to increase clients at LG Nutrition. It has given me a generous amount of insight and
has been very motivating as I strive to become a health professional who provides nutrition counseling in
the near future.
1. Kottke TE, Foels JK, Hill C, Choi T, Fenderson DA. Nutrition counseling in private practice: Attitudes and activities of family
physicians. Preventive Medicine 1984;13(2):219–225.doi:10.1016/0091-7435(84)90053-7.
2. Holl M, Bonanno L. Effective Marketing Strategies for Nutritionists in Private Practice. Journal of the American Dietetic Association.
1995;95(9). doi:10.1016/s0002-8223(95)00606-0.
RESOURCES CREATED
Figure 1. Ad campaign of LG Nutrition displaying on Harris Teeter grocery bags until July 2017
Figure 2. Resources created and posted on
website
Figure 3. Example of step-by-step
guide created for recipe index
Figure 4. Sample of articles published on website
LIMITATIONS
FUTURE RECOMMENDATIONS
EXPERIENCES