Ventures
Enterprising News and Ideas for Nutrition Entrepreneurs
DELIBERATE CREATION OF YOUR BEST WEBSITE EVER Chere Bork, MS, RDN | Chair You want to be successful and make a difference. You’ve worked hard and long on your website, and yet you just aren’t seeing the results you crave. Here are four tips to choose the direction of your thoughts and actions to deliberately start to attract exactly what you want and deserve through your website. Desire Desire is your starting point. Napoleon Hill exclaims, “Desire is the starting point of all achievement, not hope, not a wish, but a keen desire which transcends everything.” Your website has to be something you want so badly that you are willing to do anything to get it done. Decide We are reminded by Anthony Robbins, “It’s our decisions not the conditions of our lives that determine one’s destiny.” After you determine what you want, you have to make the decision. The POWER is in your decision. Know that your decision eliminates all other choices. Sound scary? You can always “decide again.” Remember, if you don’t decide, you don’t get what you want. Dream “A dream is just a dream but a goal is a dream with a plan and a deadline.” For the past 14 years, this quote by Harvey McKay has been tacked on my bulletin board and has become my daily mantra. Turn your dreams into goals. Before you hit the pillow on Sunday night, have your SMART goals written and ready to go for the week.
Delegate Stephen Pierce reminds us,“Success is achieved by building on strengths, not by correcting weaknesses.” What are you good at? What do you do absolutely amazingly? Identify your strengths and use them and you will get to your finish line a lot faster. Delegate. The. Rest. Take the big step and ask for help if websites are not your forte. That’s where my colleague Teresa Pangan (teresapangan. com) and friend Stephanie Hofhenke (stringmarketing.com) come into my story. Teresa listened to my dream and helped pull out the “real Chere story” with vibrant web content while Stephanie brought that dream to life by creating my energizing website Stephanie shares this: “First, identify your vision and brand. Not sure what it is? Using a branding coach or website/life coach can help you strategically identify and plan your brand both on- and off line helping you connect with your target market and key influencers within your niche. We all have a story that must be shared, and sharing connects your clients to you. Think about all the touch points you have with your clients (blogs, social media, voicemail, face-to-face meetings, presentations and more), and ask yourself if your brand is conveyed through all of them. Once you have your story fleshed out and all your touchpoints conveying the same brand, you will connect more fully with the market you want to reach.” Thanks to Stephanie for sharing her ideas. Here’s what you can do today: Take one small step forward to creating your best website ever using the tips in this issue of Ventures. The power is really in your decision. Better get busy!
Chere, as a Law of Attraction facilitator, gives dietitians a boost of confidence to live the life they have always wanted. For three decades Chere has helped turn around people’s lives and work so they can experience lives that tickle their souls and pocketbooks. She helps dietitians find clarity so they can be both the best moms and businesswomen living without regrets. She also knocks audiences off their seats as a national and state meeting speaker. She loves anything to do with RDs, eating and talking - preferably all three at a time. And she loves NE! Unstoppable confidence! Energy! Live your happiest healthiest ever! cherebork.com
Spring 2015 Volume XXXI Number 4 How to Build and Grow Your Website: Best Practices from the Pros
In This Issue: Deliberate Creation of Your Best Website Ever.........................1 Newsletter Editor Letter..........................................................2 NE is Nothing Without YOU!....................................................3 Website Development Q&A.....................................................4 Creating Fame: The Power of Branding...................................5 Members on the Move............................................................6 Five Website Must Haves...............................................................7 Five Reasons to be on Instagram.............................................7 Delegate's Corner....................................................................8 Outside the Box......................................................................8 SEO: Tips to Help Clients Find You Online.................................9 Know What You Want From Your Website...............................9 An Expert's Advice for Creating a Website..............................10 Your Private Practice FAQs Answered by the Pros...................10 Six Website Essentials for Attracting Clients Online...............11 Product Reviews...................................................................12 Branding and Social Media...................................................13 Important Considerations for Website Development.............14 How to Get the Website of Your Dreams Without Breaking the Bank!.................................................15 What it Takes to Have Website Success..................................16 Ways to Network in the Nutrition Field..................................17 Obesity Counseling Benefit From Medicare Grossly Underutilized.............................................18 Targeting Your Market..........................................................19 Dates to Remember................................................. Back Cover
Ventures Editor Jen Haugen, RDN, LD
Incoming Editor Kara Lydon, RDN, LD, RYT
Editorial Board, 2014-2015 Jen Haugen, RDN, LD Kara Lydon, RDN, LD, RYT Jennifer Neily, MS, RDN, LD, FAND Chere Bork, MS, RDN, LN Penny Wilson, PHD, RDN, LD Lauri Egan, RDN, CPT The newsletter pertains to the Nutrition Entrepreneurs Dietetic Practice Group of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and reproduction rights are reserved. Publication of an advertisement in the Ventures newsletter should not be considered as an endorsement of the product or advertiser by the DPG. Viewpoints and statements in this newsletter do not necessarily reflect policies and/or positions of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. © 2014 Nutrition Entrepreneurs. All rights reserved.
We welcome input from our members. Please contact the editor: Jen Haugen, RDN, LD 1006 24th Ave NW Austin, MN 55912
Subscription Information NE members’ Ventures subscription year runs from June through May. Non-Academy members may purchase a one-year (five issues) subscription by sending a $40 check payable to Academy-DPG 30 to: Nutrition Entrepreneurs 6301 Snidercrest Rd. Mason, OH 45040
Address Changes and Missing Issues If you have a change of address, please contact the Academy with your new address information. If you missed an issue, email Lauri Egan at NEadmin@NEdpg.org or call (513) 972-4668.
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Newsletter EDITOR LETTER
Jen Haugen, RDN, LD | Newsletter Editor
Spring is one of my most favorite times of year. It’s the season I celebrate my birthday with family and friends, and it’s also the season of new growth. Because I love to garden and teach my kids how to garden as well, this is the time we get excited by hunting through the garden nursery and making time to draw up our garden plan. This year has also meant new growth in my career, as I have further honed in on my initial focus from three years ago garden nutrition education and cooking together as a family and featuring those niches in a more intentional way on my website. To go along with the spring gardening theme, here are some ideas to help you experience new growth with your website: • Test the soil. Is your current website everything you want it to be? When you go to your website as the reader, is it easy to navigate or do you find yourself getting lost? Can you find recipes easily? What about your “about” page? Does it show you as a real person? Are your services up-to-date? Ask a friend or two to help you identify any problems you might not be noticing; their input can be invaluable! • Notice what is sprouting. What do your friends ask you for? What do you get called to help create? What types of presentations do you get asked to do? What types of work projects do you get involved in? All those answers point to your niche, the one that people see you having success at. Have you included these sprouting opportunities on your website? • Water and weed. What needs to be watered on your website to make it grow? Where can you grow more of a presence on your website or strengthen your focus? Do you need to add more of a social media presence to your website, add services or write a new ”about” page? What needs to be weeded out or eliminated from your website that’s holding it back? Have you gone overboard on categories? Do you need to eliminate and replace some bad photography? Water and weed, water and weed. • Reap your harvest. Wherever you are in the website world, starting from scratch or enhancing what you have, your harvest, or success, will depend on the work you put into it. Every day builds on another; what is it that you are reaping? This issue is created for all NE dietitians, whether you are growing your business or wanting a little (or big) re-do. It’s normal to want to freshen things up a bit and spring is the perfect time to do it! I hope you enjoy this issue! Jen is an award-winning dietitian, writer, gaRDening and family nutrition expert. Known as the Down-toEarth Dietitian, Jen specializes in nourishing moms so they can better nourish their families by creating lasting memories around food through gardening together and cooking together as a family. She recently presented her first TEDx talk on “How Moms Can Change the World,” and even more recently transitioned from full-time retail dietitian to part-time school dietitian so she can more fully live her values by spending more time cooking and gardening with her family and working with companies that value gardening and cooking together as a family too. Find her at www.jenhaugen.com and @jenhaugen.
NE is Nothing Without YOU!
NE Member Services Survey Results Jackie Sharp, MS, RDN, LD, ACSM-HFS | Director of Member Services You might remember taking a survey for Nutrition Entrepreneurs on member benefits and services earlier this year. The information gathered from the surveys helped us assess how happy you are and what you’re looking for. You are important to us; our goal is to make sure you’re getting the most out of the benefits this DPG provides. Did you know 25% of NE members are joining for the first time this year? Fifty percent of our current members have been members for one to five years. The top five most beneficial services provided include: 1. Electronic Mailing list 2. Venture’s Newsletter 3. Monthly Educational Webinars 4. Private Practice Specialty EML 5. Archived Webinar Library
As we continue to grow the NE DPG and resources it provides, we want to improve the benefits that scored the lowest on the survey. One area we plan to focus on is providing NE mini meeting “how-to” resources. Mini meetings are a great way to network in your local area. We want to provide resources to help you host a meeting and take advantage of the grants available as a host. Student membership is also an area of opportunity. We know there are endless benefits for students, and we are looking for additional ways to reach out so students see these opportunities as well. Networking with other RDs who share similar interests and goals was a popular comment on the results. We too see its value and would like to provide more opportunities to network. One place to network with fellow NE members is the NE Networking Event held annually at FNCE®. Often said to be the most valuable networking session you will ever attend, this networking event allows you the chance to talk with fellow NE members, gain inspiring ideas and even inspire someone yourself. Hope to see you at FNCE® in Nashville this year!
This is exciting for us to see as we continue to provide educational opportunities using these resources to help grow your business.
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! ! ? ?
Website Development Q&A Niki Strealy, RDN, LD | Incoming Director of Member Services
Who better to gain insight on website development from than to ask a true expert? NE recently held a webinar, How to Become a Media Superstar So You Get More Business, featuring Dan Janal. Dan is one of the founding fathers of Internet marketing and publicity. He wrote one of the first books on Internet marketing back in 1994, and taught the first Internet marketing class at Berkeley and Internet branding at Stanford. Dan now focuses on helping clients build their brands so they can sell more products and services. Through his coaching and consulting services, his clients have been featured in nearly every major newspaper and magazine including the New York Times, Forbes, Fox Business and The Wall Street Journal. He is the author of eight books, including his latest, Reporters Are Looking for You!
Niki: How important is it to include client testimonials on your website?
I interviewed Dan to gain his insight on branding our websites. Here are some key thoughts from Dan:
Niki: I noticed you post your fees on your website. Some companies do not release fees until contacted directly. Can you tell me why you chose to disclose fees?
Niki: In your opinion, what is the most common mistake people make when creating a website? Dan: They hide their media mentions. Of course, I'm biased because I'm a PR guy. Seriously, if you have been quoted in the media, tell the world on your home page! It builds instant credibility. Don't make them hunt for it on a media section or an “about me” page. They might not get that deep into your website. Niki: What should be included in terms of media on a website? Dan: Your bio, headshot pictures, contact info, links or PDFs of articles you've been quoted in, or written. Links to TV interviews. Quotes from reporters saying you are wonderful (hard to get, but good to ask for!). Ten questions to ask you (good for radio). Niki: How often do you change the look of your website? Dan: If your website looks old-fashioned, change it. Otherwise, make minor updates. It's like a garden: it is never complete. Things go in and out of favor. Niki: I noticed your website has a pop-up when you first open the page. Has that been an effective way to gain new clients?
Dan: Very important. People want to see testimonials. The biggest mistake people do is they write, "Diane W., West Chester." That looks fake. If you use a testimonial, use a full name, title and company. If your focus is individuals, still use a full name and city and state. Niki: Is there a way to improve local search results? Dan: Google has a free tool to add your info for local search. If you type "Your City Nutritionist" you'll see all your competitors. You can get added easily. Niki: Is paying for SEO boost worth the cost? Dan: Probably not. But paying for Google Ads probably is.
Dan: There are good reasons to do this as there are reasons to not do this. I'd prefer to let people know what I charge so I don't waste time talking to people who think my service is free. Niki: Is it important to offer freebies? Dan: Yes. Everyone wants something for free. It gets prospects into the top of your sales funnel. Then you build relationships to make the sale. Thanks, Dan, for sharing such important information with our NE members! Visit Dan Janal’s website www.PRleads.com. To listen to his NE webinar, “How to Become a Media Superstar So You Get More Business,” first LOGIN to the Nutrition Entrepreneurs website, click on Members (far right tab), then click on Webinar Library. NE webinars are a free member benefit! And now you can get continuing education credit by listening to webinars dated after June 1, 2014. Once you have listened to the webinar, contact Lauri Egan, RDN, NE administrator, at NEadmin@NEdpg.org to receive your CEUs.
Dan: Everyone says they hate pop-ups, but they work. I get four or five new prospects every day with the pop-ups. Niki Strealy is a dietitian in private practice in Lake Oswego, Oregon, and author of The Diarrhea Dietitian: Expert Advice, Practical Solutions, and Strategic Nutrition. She is also a wife and mom to five children (including two foster children) and a marathoner. Connect with Niki at niki@diarrheadietitian.com, on Twitter @DiarrheaRD, Facebook and LinkedIn.
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CREATING FAME:
THE POWER OF BRANDING TO ELEVATE YOUR CAREER Linda S. Eck Mills, MBA, RDN, LDN, FADA | NE Secretary NE was fortunate to have Creating Fame: The Power of Branding to Elevate Your Career as the NE Spotlight Session at FNCEÂŽ 2014. Yvette Quartz, RDN, CSSD, LDN, and Thomas Karem presented the session and Sarah Koszyk, MA, RDN, moderated. Whether we realize it or not, every dietetics professional has a brand. Wouldn't you rather choose the brand that describes you best rather than leaving it up to others? The session provided tools to establish a brand that will build demand for your services in your current practice area. For anyone who missed this excellent session, let me provide some of the key take-away messages from that session. Do the simple stuff on a regular basis. This will transform to the big stuff. Think of the words discover, connect, and take action. In the discovery period in your first meeting or session, collect contact information. This includes full name, mailing address, email address and phone numbers. Connect to this individual by learning something personal about the person. Take action by having a system to follow up with the individual. Set predetermined times at various intervals to follow up. Next it's time to educate and inspire. This is your chance to stand out and show how you are different from the competition so others remember you. There are five branding tools professional logo, website, newsletter, educational handouts, and social media - that can be used to educate and inspire. Determine how and to what extent you will use these tools. Don't forget to include your contact information. Become the expert in your area of passion. Follow your strengths since they come easily to you.
The 80/20 Rule - Recommended by sales coach, Chuck Bauer, who says to spend 80% of your time nurturing current relationships and offering products and services clients can use, and the other 20% on generating new leads. Likeability is 38% vocal tone and 55% visual facial expression. Verbal arrangement is key. It's not what you say, but how you say it that matters. Consider your default look. This is what others see when they look at you at a glance. The camera never blinks. It captures the real you. But, people can misjudge you with your default look. Google to see what is out there about you and your competition. Are you sure this is the image you want to portray for your brand?
Some resources that may inspire you: Flipagram App that makes it easy to create videos for sharing content and your message
Word Press App Makes blogging easy to do on the go
Basecamp Project management software- www.basecamp.com
E-Newsletter Services Research Mail Chimp, Constant Contact, Aweber, One Shopping Cart, and Icontact to determine the right one for your needs
Forums Check out Create Forum or ask your web developer to help you find the right one
Word Swag App to create simple and effective text graphics to help with blog and social media posts Remember - You are the expert. Now it's time to show the world your value!
Linda S. Eck Mills, MBA, RDN, LDN, FADA, is a career coach and an international speaker dealing with time management, active training, presentation skills and communication skills. She owns Dynamic Communication Services and is the co-author of Flavorful Fortified Food - Recipes to Enrich Life and Food First! Enhancing the Nutritional Value of Meals with Fortified Food. Linda also works as a corporate dietitian in correctional foodservice. Contact her at 610-207-9600, Linda@dycomserv.com or DyComServ.com or linkedin.com/in/lindaeckmills
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MOVE
Jennifer Neily, MS, RDN, LD, FAND | Past Chair As past chair of NE I must say one of my easiest responsibilities is gathering information for the Members on the Move section. Our NE members are the movers and shakers in the world of nutrition and there is never a loss for highlighting their accomplishments. Congrats to their success!
Lorraine Huntley, M.Ed, RD, LD, CPT, is proud to announce
Members
on the
the release of Life Without Limits; I May Have Crohn's Disease, But It Doesn't Have Me, which tells the personal journey of the challenges and obstacles with Crohn's disease Lorraine faced that she would not let get in her way. She shares the passion, determination and self-discipline it took to educate herself, so that she could ultimately help others. lorrainehuntley.com/books
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Angela Grassi, MS, RDN, is pleased to announce the publication of her first cookbook, The PCOS Nutrition Center Cookbook: 100 Easy and Delicious Whole Food Recipes to Beat PCOS which includes a bonus four-week meal plan and shopping list. For more information about PCOS and Angela’s other publications including The PCOS Workbook: Your Guide to Complete Physical and Emotional Health and PCOS: The Dietitian’s Guide, visit her website, PCOSnutrition.com.
Sheila Kelly, MS, RDN,
president of Skelly Skills, an accredited CE provider for RD/RDNs and CDEs, is thrilled to announce our newest publication: Discover Mindful Eating for Kids: 75 Activities for Picky Eaters, Overeaters, Speed Eaters, and Every Kid inBetween (35 CPEU/CEU). Written by Megrette Fletcher, MEd. RD, CDE, author of the bestselling Discover Mindful Eating, it is an effective, kid-friendly way to help your child/’tween/teen clients and their caregivers. Learn more at SkellySkills.com.
Sidonia Rose Swarm and REAL Dietitian are pioneering MNT services in telehealth by enabling a nationwide network of dietitians who provide mobile MNT appointments. REAL Dietitian provides RD services to insurance, benefit providers, employers and health systems. REAL Dietitian handles the selling, management, overhead and reimbursement, so RDs can focus on counseling patients. Sidonia is committed to increasing the status of the RD in the healthcare system and promoting better health through better nutrition.
Elana Natker, MS, RD, launched Enlighten Nutrition (enlightennutrition.com), a nutrition communications consulting practice working with agencies and brands in the food, health and wellness space. Elana brings more than 15 years of PR agency experience to clients looking to deepen their bench of skilled nutrition professionals and experts, as an extension of the agency team or as a public-facing spokesperson. Based in the Washington, D.C., area, Elana works with businesses and organizations around the country.
Nancy Clark, MS, RD, CSSD, is now the official team nutritionist for the Boston Red Sox. The team asked if she would help them upgrade its sports nutrition program for the players. Nancy hopes they will go from worst to first in 2015!
Alexis Joseph, MS, RD, LD, recently co-created Alchemy Juice Bar + Cafe, an innovative health food space that intersects health care and food. In addition to creating the menu (cold-pressed juice, smoothies, acai bowls, salads, sandwiches), Alexis offers personalized nutrition counseling on-site and teaches nutrition seminars in the gym located above the store. When she's not busy as the director of nutrition and communications at Alchemy, she is writing her own food blog, Hummusapien (hummusapien.com).
FIVE WEBSITE MUST-HAVES TO ATTRACT MORE CLIENTS Sarah Koszyk, MA, RDN, NE | Director of PR and Marketing Your website is your voice to the world. It represents the image, message and brand you want to portray. Websites establish credibility with consumers and provide the ability to make a connection to your products or services. With over 2.2 billion people worldwide using the Internet, having a strong website will help build your brand and engage with potential customers. Here are five key components every website must have: 1. Connection: Send these questions to at least five people to get feedback on your website.“When looking at my website, do you know what my business does or what I offer? Is my website easy to navigate? Is there a clear path to buy my products or services? Is it easy to contact me? Is there anything confusing about my website?” Ask these questions, then revise your website based on the responses you get. *** Questions taken from Marie Forleo’s B-School Program
2. Opt-In: An opt-in is a way to collect email addresses in order to grow your mailing list for further marketing and advertising. Most successful websites offer a giveaway or a freebie in order to entice people to give you their email addresses. There are many options for opt-ins - from having a feature box to a pop-up screen and more. Check out other websites you like, to see what type of opt-in they have. The goal of the opt-in is to build your marketing list. *** socialtriggers.com is a good website to get more information about opt-ins.
3. Product/Services: What is the primary goal of your website? Is it a reference point for people to meet you and hopefully work with you or buy your products so that you grow your income? If this is the goal, you need to have a clear course on how people can further connect with you. Place a tab in your top menu bar where people can easily find what you have to offer. The tab can be titled “work with me,”“products/services,” etc. 4. Smartphone-Friendly: As of January 2014, 58% of American adults used their smartphones daily when accessing websites, buying products, reading blogs and more. With
that high number of users, make sure your website looks good and is compatible on all types of smartphones since this could possibly be the first impression people get of your website. 5. Google Analytics: Yes, I’m about to talk about business and numbers. Google Analytics is important to install in order to know who is visiting your website, how long they are staying, and what they are looking at. If you can’t measure your numbers, how can you make a proper assessment to encourage positive change and growth? The tool is free. Install it and review it monthly. *** Google “how to use google analytics” to get the support and setup checklist you need for installation and navigation. Sarah Koszyk is a San Francisco-based nutrition coach specializing in adult and pediatric weight management and sports nutrition. Her blog Family. Food. Fiesta. focuses on delicious, healthy recipes for the entire family, including health tips and videos of kids cooking in the kitchen. www.sarahkoszyk.com. Connect with Sarah on Twitter, Instagram or Pinterest: @SarahKoszykRD, Facebook: /FamilyFoodFiesta.
FIVE REASONS TO BE ON INSTAGRAM Carlene Thomas, RDN, LD | Incoming Director of PR and Marketing
I think we all go through phases as entrepreneurs in which we feel like we have to be everywhere all at once. What if we miss a potential client because we aren’t on a specific social platform? It’s like all of a sudden there’s a success story about a Fortune 500 company and Snapchat and we all lose our minds! But it’s times like these where we need to take a step back and evaluate. Where do we need to be and why? If you’re honest with yourself, I bet you’ve realized you don’t need to be everywhere. For my business, Instagram is the Holy Grail of platforms and I’ve seen direct clients and revenue come to my business because I use it as part of my marketing plan. My Instagram leads directly back to my website. Here are five reasons you might need to be there…and one reason you shouldn’t be.
Behind the scenes sells. By sharing a sneak peek of a project or blog post, you’re letting potential buyers get the inside scoop.
When people like to feel like they are getting something special, they’re more likely to be on the lookout for all your posts…including when you make a “sell.”
You are the brand. I thought that phrase was so weird when I heard it, but over the past two years I’ve really come to find it true. People buy into your business and your services because of you. Or maybe they’re NOT buying because of you (yikes). By sharing many aspects (selectively) of my life, like my cat or my hike or what I ordered at dinner, I’m continuing to build all tendrils of my brand, furthering my monetization ability. Now the brand is no longer pigeon-holed to just food or health. It just moved into the lifestyle category, where another huge collection of potential brand partners are.
It may be the most popular platform. I can’t tell the future and since we write these articles far in advance of publication, it may take over the ruling spot as “most popular” come 2015. Instagram has nearly taken over Twitter in terms of the number of total users (200 million on Instagram).
(AND ONE REASON TO NOT)
Is Instagram the new blog? There’s been a shift in the blog world over the past few years. There’s less commenting and some wavering in the volume of regular readers and it’s because they’ve shifted to interact with bloggers on immediate, mobile-capable brands, and bloggers on platforms that meet that need.
Food does well in photos. With the caveat that you take good pictures. Interestingly you may just find that, as you share food that fits your philosophy on your feed, you build trust and expertise. It’s a place to share your pro tips. And it’s also a place to find potential clients since some users have accounts for the purpose of food journaling. Why NOT to be on Instagram: Do not get on Instagram if you’re not doing it for fun and if your clients aren’t there. DO NOT get on Instagram just because someone tells you that you need to. Seriously assess your business.
Happy snapping!
Carlene Thomas, RD, focuses on wedding wellness nutrition through her company and blog Healthfully Ever After in which she helps brides be happier and healthier, before and beyond saying “I do.” Carlene also works as a recipe developer, food stylist and photographer with a slight social media addiction, and often presents on the topics of social media, marketing and branding. A Virginia girl through and through, Carlene is also serving as Virginia Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Member Services chair. HealthfullyEverAfter.CO
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D E L E G AT E S ’
CORNER Lisa Jones, MA, RD, LDN, FAND Delegate Message
“Give them quality. That’s the best kind of advertising.” —MILTON HERSEY
What kind of website does every nutrition entrepreneur need? A quality one! Consider asking yourself the following questions when working on your own website or browsing others. Q = Quotable: When you read the content, is it something you would want to share with friends and colleagues? U = Unique: Is the format of the website something you haven’t seen before? Is it fresh and exciting? Is the content from sources not usually seen? A = Analytics: Do you know what analytics you should be measuring? How is your website performing for mobile and web users? What traffic sources yield the most valuable clients? If you have trouble answering these questions, you may want to hire a web analyst to help you. L = Legitimate: Is the site verified by Google? Make sure you validate the company information. The address bar should display either a safety ranking or a location. You can also check the “Whois” website. I = Informative: Can you read it once and understand the message being conveyed? Is the information given the most current information or is it the “latest blog” from last spring? T = Trustworthy: Is the content from a reliable source? Are research and statistics capable of being verified? Y = Your brand! Is the message being diluted because the reader is distracted by pop-up advertisements ? Remember, your brand should be the focal point! Speaking of websites…make sure to find the time to check eatright.org/hod for the latest mega issue, as well as our monthly chair chats, the NEdpg.org website, and the listserv for feedback requests. I look forward to hearing from you! Please contact me with your feedback, comments and concerns at mobiledietitian@aol.com.
OUTSIDE THE BOX What Unique Things You Can Do to Make Yourself Stand Out Barb Andresen, MEd, RDN, LDN | Treasurer My almost-92-year-old mother recently asked me exactly how I have managed to be successful in my chosen career. She went on to elaborate her reasons for asking, which were along the lines of,“You have no training in starting a business and no experience in running a business; the explanation must be great genetics!” To answer her questions, I had to think about what I have actually accomplished as seen from someone not in the business of dietetics. Turns out that my clients fall into this same category! It is true that I have no formal training in business and it might be true that I have some awesome genes too! I believe that the reason I have been able to succeed is by building on my strengths, focusing on being different from the “perceived” pack and offering a “stand-out” approach. I relish the comment from patients who say the initial appointment was nothing like expected, and they felt immediately at ease in my office and in talking to me about their nutrition issues. This is where I could be different. I am not tech-savvy, I don’t have a blog or a newsletter, I don’t Instagram and I don’t offer webinars or e-blasts. I do offer personalized nutrition in a homey office environment and a listening ear to make special connections. For each person reading this article, there is a unique personal quality that makes a big difference in how to best get the job done. Success can be defined as “using unique personal attributes to make the most of every opportunity.” The ability to connect with others on a deep personal level by discovering their interests is my unique strength and allows me to stand out. By listening carefully to learn what brings clients contentment and where they place self-value, I can personalize the message and reach the client at his/her starting point. Connecting over a love of flowers, the joy of photography, religion, pets, children, favorite vacation spot, etc., allows formation of special bonds and strong connections. This has two distinct advantages providing the same outcome – it makes me memorable to the client and it makes the client memorable to me, creating a strong therapeutic alliance. This approach enables each individual to stand out in her/his chosen career path by building on his/her own unique qualities. If you are still unsure of what is your own uniqueness, don’t be afraid to ask current or past clients and your own friends and family, or hire a career coach. Don’t be afraid to discover your unique, standout quality and shine on.
Lisa Ann Jones, MA, RDN, LDN, FAND, is a Philadelphia-based registered dietitian and nutrition communications consultant and owner of PRN Dietitian, LLC. In addition to her NE Delegate role, Lisa is currently serving on the Academy’s Consumer Protection and Licensure Subcommittee and has previously held several other leadership roles including past-president of the Pennsylvania Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. In 2014, Lisa was recognized as Outstanding Dietitian of the Year by the Pennsylvania Academy. Lisa can be reached at mobiledietitian@aol.com.
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Barbara Andresen, MEd, RDN, LDN, is a private practice dietitian in North Carolina who specializes in gastrointestinal disease and eating disorders. Working with clients who have these issues is a challenge and a joy because the relationships are so rewarding. She’s active in her district and state dietetic organizations and has held other leadership roles including chair of the Annual State Dietetic Association FNCE®. When her dietitian hat is hanging on the coat rack, Barb is happiest outdoors, hiking, swimming, skiing and practicing photography.
SEO: TIPS TO HELP CLIENTS FIND YOU ONLINE Amber Pankonin, MS, RD, CSP, LMNT | Director of Awards and Networking As long as search engines have existed, online marketers have worked to figure out the tips to get their sites to rank at the top. But as search engines have improved the ways that they make searching easier, it has nearly eliminated the chance to game the system. So what can you do to get your information to show up to those who are searching?
Be Specific. Create content your clients are looking for.
Perhaps your clients are looking for assistance with food allergies. Write a blog post or an article specifically surrounding that topic. Many content writers get too general in the way they talk about content. As dietitians, we are experts and we can write excellent content that is specific and helpful to our potential clients.
Get Links. One of the biggest keys to driving web traffic is
simple; get more links to your site. These links can come from guest blogging, friends’ links, social links, etc. If you want more traffic, get aggressive about the ways that you get links. Ask for them. Write reviews on other sites that link to yours. Obviously some links are better than others, but often you don’t know which links will create the most traffic so go for quantity.
Be Local. For many dietitians looking to reach clients in their
community, you need to focus on your specific market. There are many
ways to help clients reach you. One is to write content that talks about your community and the work you are doing there. If you have an “about” page on your website, make sure to mention the city where you practice. Connect with other community leaders and get them to link to your site. If you speak at any local events, make sure to share your website and tweet out links to your event. Sharing their event usually means social mentions and links for you.
Get Listed. One of the easiest ways to get traffic to your site is
to create a profile on sites like Google’s locations. You will need to have a physical address and verify your phone number. I’m sure - if they are reminded - that you may have a few clients who may give you a positive review, which also is very helpful to help people find you. Don’t forget reviews like LinkedIn where a recommendation will show up on your client’s page. As always, offer positive reviews for others; the positivity often returns to you.
Share Often. When your site is updated, sharing links to those new pages on multiple social channels is useful for people to find your content. Search engines are more likely to rank your content higher as well. If you write a new blog post, make sure to link from Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. And don’t forget you can also pin images to Pinterest and even share an update on Instagram with a link to your blog in your profile.
Amber Pankonin, AKA @RDamber, is a Registered Dietitian and Licensed Medical Nutrition Therapist based in Lincoln, Nebraska. She works as a nutrition communication consultant, freelance writer and adjunct professor at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Amber shares her love for food and nutrition at Stirlist.com, the trusted voice of farmers, ranchers and companies seeking an honest connection with everyday home cooks.
KNOW WHAT YOU WANT FROM YOUR WEBSITE Lauri Egan, RDN, CPT | NE Executive Administrator For Your Information Ok… So you want to build a website or update your old one, right? The first thing most people do is sit down and start surfing other people’s websites for ideas. This can be very detrimental to your thought process. Let’s not let other people influence you before you even know what you want.
Here are some steps to get your creative process flowing on your own: 1. Use a dry-erase board or big sheet of paper and jot down some thoughts in these categories: a. What feelings do you want your website to evoke in those who visit it? i. E.g., calm, motivated, bold, informed, etc. ii. What colors or pictures do you associate with your business? b. What is the purpose of your website? i. E.g., introduce you, provide education, sell products, sell services, blog, simple contact info, have a members’ area, etc. c. Which of your personal or business traits do you want your website to shout to the world? i. E.g., energetic, calming, knowledgeable, fun, fit, leader, speaker, coach, expert, etc.
d. What areas (pages) do you imagine on your website? i. Common Ones – About, Contact Us, Blog, Services, etc. ii. Less Common – Media, Members’ Area, Videos, etc. Great! Now you have an idea of what you want. Now, take some time to browse other sites similar to yours. You want to identify good and bad things about each site so that you know what direction to take your website. 2. Google a title that is similar to yours. a. E.g., speaker motivator, health coach, dietitian, medical nutrition therapist, chef, etc. b. Go through the same checklist you did on your website for each of those sites i. What feelings does this website evoke and what does it use to do that? Images, colors, words, font, layout. ii. What is the purpose of this website and does it fulfill its purpose? iii. What traits does this website shout to the world or does the website shout the wrong traits? iv. What categories does it use and are they all useful? Make sure to first figure out what it is you want from your website, then see how others are doing it or not doing it very well. Finally, decide whether to take a chance at doing it on your own or find a designer to team up with. Best of luck in your website journey!
Lauri Egan, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and Certified Personal Trainer, has been helping people develop a healthy way of life that they love for over ten years. She uses her experience in nutrition, fitness, yoga and life to help others identify their roadblocks to Loving Life Healthy. After building her own website for Egan Wellness, she started to become more involved with the web design for other health organizations. She found an interest in the organization and Internet presence of groups promoting health including the website design of the Nevada Dietetic Association. Her passions in life revolve around spending time with her family, making the most of every day and Loving Life Healthy. She is looking forward to be working with Nutrition Entrepreneurs practice group.
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An Expert’s Advice for Creating a Website Jill Weisenberger, MS, RD, CDE | Authors and Writers Specialty Group Chair As entrepreneurs, we need to be visible to our target markets. For many of us, that means having an online presence. To discuss the ins and outs of building a website, I’ve reached out to expert Teresa Pangan, PhD, RDN, of Social Media More with Less. Jill: You’ve said,“If you try to reach everyone, you will attract no one.” What do you mean by this? Teresa: When creating your website, the first key consideration is: who is your target market. It is not everyone. By focusing on a niche, you will attract more people than if you try to serve everyone. People like going to an expert rather than a generalist. What problems do you solve? Who needs help with these problems? And who is willing to pay for expert help? Jill: So, if I build a website, will they come? Teresa: Your website is just one part of your overall marketing strategy. You have to have strategies in place to bring people to the website. Then you still need to develop relationships. Marketing is about relationships, even in our techno-focused world.
Jill: What are ways in which we can build relationships with our target market once people find our websites? Teresa: You can offer some type of trial of your services or product, especially if the majority of your visitors come from cold leads, meaning they know little about you and your services when they discover your website. This strengthens your relationship because you help them get results. Focus on genuine helping. Give a taste of your best stuff, and don’t expect anything in return. Giving is a powerful method for building a strong relationship. Jill: Who are the people to have on your team when creating a website? Teresa: Branding/Content Writer: to help you create content that pulls in your target market Designer/Developer: The business owner typically works up the design concepts with an expert. You should have a few options from which to choose and tweak as you go along. IT/Web Support: to back up your data, keep you up-to-date with plugins, be certain that the plugins are compatible with one another, and to protect your website against cyber-attacks and security breaches.
Teresa: Having your domain name managed by someone else is a problem. That is the most important part of your website. You should have access to the login information and check it at least every six months. A second problem is creating a site that does not adapt to mobile devices or tablets. You should have a responsive design - a design that adapts to all devices. The majority of visitors to most websites now use mobile devices. You should view your site on all types of devices. A third problem is clutter. It’s common for novices to try to put everything on the website. But you lose power in your messages when you have too much going on. For example, many clients want to list all their services. They’re afraid that if they miss one, they’ll lose business. It actually works in the opposite way because people get overwhelmed with too many choices. Instead focus on your top three services and describe them in terms of the results your market will receive. To learn more about Teresa Pangan, visit her website: socialmediamorewithless.com
Jill: What are some common mistakes?
Jill specializes in diabetes management, weight loss, cardiovascular disease and wellness, and is the author of Diabetes Weight Loss – Week by Week, The Overworked Person’s Guide to Better Nutrition and the upcoming 21 Things You Need To Know About Diabetes and Your Heart. She is contributing editor for Environmental Nutrition and writes for Diabetic Living, Kids Eat Right, Today’s Dietitian, The DX, the American Institute for Cancer Research and more. Jill consults to the food and beverage industry and has a private practice in Newport News, Virginia. She enjoys mountain biking with her family, cooking, social media, reading, traveling and dogs – especially her own. Learn more at jillweisenberger.com and follow her on Twitter @nutritionjill.
YOUR PRIVATE PRACTICE FAQS ANSWERED BY THE PROS Debi Zvi, RD, CDN | Mentor Program Coordinator The Nutrition Entrepreneurs DPG Mentoring Program gets loads of mentee questions and began keeping a list of FAQs. At the FNCE® NE DPG Mentoring Meeting this year, we seized the opportunity to ask the pros. How could we not take advantage of having all these incredible mentors in one room Rebecca Bitzer, Emma Fogt, Adam Lax, Carol Plotkin, Carlene Thomas, and Penny Wilson. (Please see their websites at the bottom to learn more about these NE Rock stars!)
As dietitians we are the nutrition and food experts but we are often too humble to promote ourselves. Self-doubt and lack of confidence can so easily keep us from going after our dreams. Carlene Thomas, RDN, recommends surrounding yourself with a support system which will cheer you on and echo your positive affirmations. Self-doubt is an obstacle you can also work through with a mastermind group, a peer group which regularly connects to offer a combination of brainstorming, education and accountability to support their business and personal successes.
What was your worst fear when starting up your business and how did you get over it?
You want to market to your target audience. Where does your target market spend its time? Do some
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What are successful marketing techniques?
market analysis. Carlene works with brides, helping them be healthier and happier before and beyond “I do” so she uses Pinterest, Twitter and Instagram. For Rebecca Bitzer and Associates, a group practice accepting insurance and self-pay, Health Profs is a useful tool. Bottom line; feature yourself where your ideal client would find you. OK, so what is the single best thing you've done for promoting your services/business? Corporate wellness expert Emma Fogt, MBA, MS, RDN, FAND, recommends going where your client goes. She attends networking events and association meetings where her target market lies, and makes genuine connections, asking attendees how she can help them.
Six Website Essentials for Attracting Clients Online Lesli Bitel-Koskela, MBA, RDN, LDN | Coaches Specialty Group Chair The ultimate purpose for a good website has really shifted over the past few years. Even as recently as a few years ago, the idea was to build a website that was akin to an online pamphlet and business card. Here the goal was simply to provide a little bit of educational content with a menu of services and your contact information should the viewer wish to learn more.
2. Create a high-quality free document in
Fast forward to 2015. Nowadays, while you are still providing some of the basic information on a website, the overall purpose has changed, therefore requiring some new elements to be integrated onto the site. Building a highly responsive email list or tribe is really the name of the game for any entrepreneur who’s trying to attract clients online.
3. Add a pop-up requesting opt-in. I know
Here are my top six recommendations to consider when creating a website that will work to grow your business online:
1. Include an opt-in box in the upper right corner of your home page (just below your banner). Also, it’s important to ask for only TWO pieces of information for the opt-in process: FIRST name and email address. Studies show that asking for more (such as asking for first and last name PLUS email) can end up being a deterrent and you are likely to lose the person before he/she enters his/her information.
the form of a quiz, e-book or tip list as an opt-in gift. Nowadays, people don’t give out their email addresses in exchange for a newsletter. While a well-written newsletter is still very important, it simply isn’t enticing enough for most people to motivate them to hand over their email addresses. Therefore, it’s absolutely essential that you offer a downloadable, juicy freebie as a “bribe” for your visitor’s name and email. Also, don’t worry about giving away too much great content in the free gift! we all hate these but honestly, they work! Remember, your goal is to generate a prospect list from your website. Research has shown that even though these pop-up screens are annoying, they are very effective at doing their intended job. They are not hard to integrate nor are they expensive so be sure to ask your web designer to put one on your website.
4. The goal is to create a highly responsive
email list or “tribe.” The idea here is that you want to develop a tribe of eager followers who LOVE your work. They see the value in the work that you do and most likely struggle with the problems your services can help resolve. In other words, ideally, your list is comprised of your ideal client versus a bunch of random people following you.
5. The true purpose of social media and
reality is that Facebook or any one of the social media tools is NOT the end-all, be-all. At the end of the day, you own your email list – not your Facebook page. Your list is your “gold” – not how many “likes” you have on Facebook. If you can use these outlets as a means to drive traffic back to your site and can successfully entice with your opt-in, you are creating your gold.
6. Create new programs and products to
STRATEGICALLY promote to your list. This is where the proverbial rubber hits the road and separates the super-successful from the hobbyist entrepreneur. Remember, your tribe is looking to you to help them solve their problems and generally will buy from someone whom they “know, like and trust.” If you’ve done your part by providing them with quality content, regular and relevant blog posts, and other well-designed and wellexecuted marketing strategies, you’ve laid the groundwork for earning the right to ask for something in return. That something may be anything from a free strategy or discovery session with you, a webinar or some other product or service you are launching. The sky's the limit! I’d love to know your thoughts on these tips. Please drop me a line at HarmonicNutrition@gmail.com to comment on these or any other strategies you’ve tried to grow your tribe.
blogging is to drive traffic to your website. As much as we’d like to think otherwise, the
Lesli Koskela, MBA, RDN, LDN, is passionate about coaching her clients to reach their health and business-related goals. She is the founder of the coaching practice Harmonic Nutrition & Wellness, LLC. Her favorite work is in the area of supporting her fellow wellness professionals in creating satisfying and healthy businesses. Visit Lesli at www. HarmonicNutrition.com or email her at HarmonicNutrition@gmail.com. She’d love to hear from you!
How can I connect with physicians and allied healthcare professionals? According to Adam Lax, RDN, we need to make their jobs easier and show them results. Show them that with nutrition intervention, medications were dropped and patients were taking positive steps towards health. Develop a sense of trust by proving reliable and dedicated. Should I go general or carve out a niche when launching a new private practice?
the coverage and reimbursement rate enough to sustain your business? You can also do a mix of both, whereby you accept health plans that reimburse at a level you feel comfortable with, and also offer self-pay options. What practice management software would you recommend for private practice, if any? “Office Ally. It is free and does what I need.” says Carol Plotkin, MS, RDN, CDN, ACSM.
How can I decide whether or not to accept insurance?
“Before investing in software, be sure to look into the business model and history,” notes Penny Wilson, PhD, RDN, CSSD, LD. Ask yourself: is this program intuitive for me, does it have the features I am looking for, and what are the terms (warranty, customer service)? Make sure you understand what you want to accomplish with the software. Create a list of your requirements and look at each product with those requirements in mind.
For this decision, location matters. Are you in an area with many potential clients who could afford your self-pay rates? Are you in an area where many dietitians are accepting insurance? Are
There you have it… your FAQs are answered! Now it’s time for you to take the leap. Want some additional support? Sign up for our Mentoring Program where we can hook you up with a
Where does your passion take you? If you find that having your hand in a bit of everything gives you energy, then start off general. If a specialty is where you could see yourself thriving, work toward that goal. You can always pivot so stay open-minded as you evolve.
Mastermind Group to help you reach your entrepreneurial goals. Rebecca Bitzer: rbitzer.com, rebel-dietitian.com Emma Fogt: emmafogt.com Carol Plotkin: rochesternutrition.com Adam Lax: infinityweightmanagement.com Carlene Thomas: healthfullyeverafter.co Penny Wilson: eatingforperformance.com Debi Zvi, RDN, CDN, is a New York-based dietitian, founder of Debi Zvi Nutrition, dietitian for the New York Health & Racquet Clubs, and head of nutrition + community at Edenworks. She holds a degree in nutrition and food science from the University of Maryland and is earning her master’s in mental health counseling at Fordham University. Debi’s philosophy is that there are no one-size-fits-all approaches to health, so she emphasizes a holistic approach, leveraging her expertise in mental health and wellness to educate and empower clients and address every individual’s needs. @DebiZvi, debizvinutrition.com
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PRODUCT REVIEWS
Mobile RD Website & App Author: Date: Price: Version:
What is included in the price? Mobile RD website and mobile access and ability to add 20 user seats (can pay for additional users) Required/recommended equipment: Internet connection and iPhone or Android Major Function: Product for RDs in private practice to interact with their clients via mobile. Target Audience: Private-practice RDs Capabilities: Review 24-hour food log with photos, activity, sleep stress and energy level. Ability for RD to record video and audio responses to patients and increase client engagement.
Value Cards
Limitations if any: Pricey and need for highersocioeconomic, tech-savvy clientele with smartphones.
Author: Chere Bork, MS, RDN Date: 2014
Comments: Are you a private-practice RD looking to increase your engagement with your clients while also saving time? Mobile RD is a website and app created for dietitians by dietitians that can assist the private-practice RD in managing client load with an easy-to-use online or mobile platform. You can purchase the Mobile RD “Ultimate Platform” which allows Registered Dietitians to interact with up to 20 patients daily to track their 24-hour food, sleep, FitBit activity, stress and energy levels. Additional user seats can be purchased for a fee. The unique part about Mobile RD is the ability for clients to use the company’s “photo journaling wellness platform” for clients using their smartphones. RDs can also engage with their clients at their own convenience by responding to a client via written, audio or video messaging at any time of the day. The RD has the ability to “rank” the clients’ journals in six different categories, and patients can increase the amount of “points” they receive by how often they log their wellness habits. Due to the steeper price point, the website and app is recommended for a private-practice dietitian with an established client base. Overall, Mobile RD is meeting RDs and their clients where they are at: on their mobile devices at times convenient for them.
Review: Do you ever find yourself frustrated or stressed with your ever-growing to-do list, wondering why you’re doing everything that you’re doing? Have you ever thought to instead consider your “to-be list” – how you want to develop your unique purpose, passion, values and talents and use these to contribute to the world – in your everyday career and life decisions? With her Value Cards, NE Chair Chere Bork has created an excellent, straightforward tool for guided introspection into navigating these thoughts and feelings. Among the deck are many cards, each printed with a value, such as compassion, purpose or adventure. To use the cards, one first goes through the deck to determine one’s own top five values, after which comes an assessment of how well one is honoring each of those values through current activities, work and relationships. I found that doing this exercise really forced me to reflect on whether the ways I spend my time, both professionally and personally, are 1) consistent with what I value most, and 2) consistently leaving me feeling energized and rewarded. It became clear fairly quickly that I could make some changes to commit to better honoring my values. Reviewer: Vanessa Stasio, MS, RDN, CDN Registered Dietitian Nutritionist Private Practice and Consulting Phone: 781-864-4645
Reviewer: Brittany Chin, RD, LD, CTTS The Healthy Bachelorette Blogger Website: brittanychinrd.com Email: brittanylchin@gmail.com Phone:
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Rick Hall, MS, RDN, FAND, Clinical Associate Professor, Nutrition September 2014 $99 per month N/A
518-461-4586
BRANDING & SOCIAL MEDIA Rosanne Rust, MS, RDN, LDN | Technology and Social Media Specialty Group Chair
How To Brand Yourself Across Multiple Social Media Platforms
Getting Your Brand On: Ensuring Consistency Across Social Media Platforms
You are your brand. As you develop your website, your business cards, your blog and your online presence, you want your personal brand to shine through.
I had the chance to interview Dr. Teresa Pangan, dietitian and brand specialist at Social Media More with Less (socialmediamorewithless.com), about making sure your brand stands out across all social media platforms. She shared some great tips that you can incorporate into your social media strategy.
When consumers or clients hear or see your name or logo, they will associate it with what you deliver. I hope that when you read “Rosanne Rust” or “Rust Nutrition,” you think something along the lines of “science-based fact-checker” or “expert author.” If you do, then I’m getting closer to delivering a consistent brand across all my social media platforms. Since this is “spring-cleaning” time, think about spring-cleaning your online presence as well. Consider this checklist as you review each of your social media profiles for the year: • Use the same profile photo across networks. You may choose to use a different photograph for some social media networks, but each should be tied together and current (taken during the same photo shoot, for instance). If you drastically change your haircut or looks, update your photo to reflect this. • Your photo should reflect your brand when possible. If you are working in the culinary area, it may be great to include food or a cookbook with you in the photo. In other cases, a great headshot is all you need. • Use the same color scheme and logos across your platforms. • The “about” and profile pages on each platform should essentially deliver the same message. A tagline can help you stay focused on your purpose. You can use this line or short paragraph across each network, delivering a consistent and memorable message. • Connect and interact with professionals and companies that reflect your brand. For instance, since I am working in nutrition communications representing food ingredients or products, heart health and science-based writing, I interact with scientists, food companies, journals, other nutrition professionals and health organizations. • Share meaningful content that hones in on your brand expertise. It’s okay to share something funny or random once in a while, but you should consistently be delivering meaningful information that reflects your brand and your focus areas. • Keep in mind that none of this happens overnight. Just keep focusing on your goals, and work toward defining a personal brand. You’ll know it when you see it!
Rust: How can you take your website messages and transfer them to your blog or social media platforms? Pangan: First off, keep in mind that social media is about being social, so it’s important to understand each platform from this perspective and how you can engage with your audience through a form of sharing or creating content. You’ll want to use your website or brand messages, and strategically formulate them to connect and engage in the social media platforms you have chosen to be active in. Rust: How can you make sure your website messages transfer to all your social media platforms? Pangan: First, define your brand’s messages, brand attributes and distinguisher. You want to reinforce these continuously. Brand messages deliver the evidence that proves you (or your company) are the go-to person for that ONE thing you want to be known for by your customers. You don’t get to be three or five things in the mind of your customers - our minds work to associate people strongly with one thing. What do you want that ONE thing to be? Brand attributes are personality traits that describe you or your company, which make you stand out and be known in your industry. These might be visionary, creative, resourceful, approachable, light-hearted, researched, innovate, fun, safe, advocate, inspirer. A Distinguisher is also called “unique value proposition.”This is that one unique thing that adds value to what you do. It is often the approach you use to helping your customers. If you are a super listener, then you likely listen and adapt your strategies for your customer based on what you find out from your listening. Or perhaps you might use a research approach and be able to fact-find or point out solutions backed up by credible research. Rust: Can you share some best practices for engagement for each social media platform? Pangan: Yes, begin by choosing which platform suits you, then focus on one or more of them. Consider: Facebook is conversational, relaxed, friendly, short and light. People expect a more personal touch so sharing photos of staff and company events and telling your story with photos works really well. Twitter uses short, impactful messages of high value with a tinge of personality done through an added comment or “hashtag” (#). Avoid just using as a broadcast approach and be sure to reach out to individual people, getting their opinions and help. Pinterest is a corkboard-type platform that communicates an aspirational lifestyle with a focus on your creative inspiration, pleasure and dream-like life. It is all about great photos, allowing pinners to visualize a life they crave and dream about that is tied to your product or service. Instagram is also visionary. Through pictures and photos you communicate the beauty and originality of your product or service, and it’s “hashtag”-intense. Don’t forget to comment too. LinkedIn is a credible, in-depth platform where you may invite commentary and dial-up cuttingedge information. Groups are a key part of a LinkedIn strategy – “joining” a group that covers a topic that you specialize in can connect you and inspire engagement. YouTube is focused on videos. These may be useful, inspirational and instructive “how-to” videos. Be sure to include in the description what you want viewers to take away from the video. Welcome comments and include a call to action too.
Rosanne is a registered, licensed dietitian-nutritionist with over 25 years’ experience. As a nutrition communications consultant, she delivers strategic messaging for her clients and is a freelance writer and speaker. Rosanne also focuses on cardiovascular health and offers online weight management coaching at Reallivingnutrition.com. She is the co-author of several books in the John Wiley & Sons For Dummies® series, including her latest DASH Diet For Dummies® (September 2014).
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Important Considerations for Website Development Ann Dunaway Teh, MS, RDN, LD | Private Practice Specialty Group Chair In this digital age, having a website is a must if you have your own business. Simply having a website isn’t always enough, as your content must be dynamic in order to gain attention and gather the traffic you desire in promoting your products and services. Static websites are a thing of the past.
While I’ve seen some wonderful websites where people have done it themselves using a Wordpress template, it isn’t something I would personally want to take on myself. It would probably never get done if I had to do it, knowing my own strengths and weaknesses. I’d rather invest the money in a professional to do it so that I can spend my time writing good copy, creating content and building my business. But that is a personal decision.
What do I mean by dynamic? I mean content that is regularly updated, reflects who you are and appeals to your target market. The easiest way to do that is by having a blog on your website. With every blog you post, you are creating numerous ways for people to find you via search engines. So now that I have convinced you about dynamic websites, how do you actually go about building a website? What considerations go into the decision? First, you need to consider what will be your primary goal with the website and then pick a suitable platform for it such as a custom website (generally more expensive), or something along the lines of blogging templates like Wordpress or Squarespace (generally more affordable). Also, are you going to create it yourself using a template or hire a web designer to do it for you? One advantage to hiring a web designer is that she/he can also help recommend an appropriate platform for your needs. Whatever platform is used, you want to be sure that you can easily update the content and can work with the framework, so that you are in control and do not have to pay someone else to make minor changes or content updates.
How do you go about finding a reputable web designer? Ask around and investigate some of your favorite websites. Look at who designed them and contact the business owner to find out more details if they would recommend her/his web designer. Going through word of mouth has many advantages so you feel more secure in parting with your hard-earned money. Regardless of how you find a web designer, though, you want to check out references thoroughly. Know your budget and be specific about what you want. Do your research and know what appeals to you about other websites and what key features you want. Create a
request for proposal (RFP) outlining these details so that you can send this document to potential web designers. The more specific you are about what you want, the easier it will be on your web designer, potentially saving you time and money. Consider website maintenance when hiring a web designer. Will the web designer maintain the website for you going forward in case of technical issues? Who will make software or plug-in updates to the website and back up the website periodically? Ask your web designer up front if he/she has maintenance plans. Lastly, sign a contract with your web designer and ensure that any fees paid are on a deliverable timetable. While some may ask for half the money up front and then half upon delivery, try to negotiate a different schedule based upon deadlines. If the web designer is not meeting deadlines, withhold payments until deadlines are met and to your satisfaction. Pay attention to red flags and don’t be afraid to cut ties if things are not going well. I cannot recommend strongly enough having a business attorney review a contract and the terms. You need to make sure you are looking out for your best interests and protecting yourself. This is money well-spent and can potentially save you much money, time and frustration down the road. Websites are an investment and can pay big dividends in promoting your business when done correctly. Invest the time and money in doing it right the first time rather than making hasty decisions that will be more costly in the long run.
Ann Dunaway Teh, MS, RDN, LD, is the president of Dunaway Dietetics, Inc. and co-founder of My Menutrition, a subsidiary of Lesley Ann Nutrition, Inc. Ann maintains her own private practice for weight management, nutrition communications and consulting with food companies. In addition, Ann is starting two new businesses: an online menu planning website and a sports nutrition consulting business focusing on high-school athletes. Ann is a part-time instructor at Georgia State University and the chair of the Private Practice Specialty Group.
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How to Get the Website of Your Dreams Without Breaking the Bank! Melissa Joy Dobbins, MS, RD, CDE | Speakers and Media Specialty Group Chair Question: Why do you need a website (and/or blog)? Answer: You need a place where people can find out more about you, your brand and your services. Even if you are not self-employed, YOU are your brand and you need a web presence. You need a place for all your social media activities to come home to and drive traffic to that is completely within your control. Question: What’s the most important aspect of your site? Answer: It must look professional and appealing! That means an appealing layout and color scheme, professional-looking headshots and other features. However, that does not mean that it has to cost a lot of money! Question: How do you begin to build the website/blog of your dreams? Answer: Look at other sites to see what you like and don’t like. Maybe they’re dietitians’ sites and maybe they’re not. When you find a few that you really like, contact the owners and ask questions such as who designed it, who is the host, what suggestions do they have, etc. I am confident that there are many NE members who are more than happy to share their advice and support! My Website Story: When I decided to build a website, I looked around and saw lots of sites and blogs that were very busy and cluttered, many that had cheesy graphics, and frankly, looked “homemade.” I heard it was easy to build a website on GoDaddy. My husband is a network engineer, so I figured if there was something I didn’t understand, he could surely help me. I was wrong! I played around on the site long enough to find that it wasn’t easy, and it certainly didn’t look good. Then I discovered one site in particular that I loved: dietitian Karen Ansel’s site (KarenAnsel.com). Whenever I saw or spoke to Karen, I complimented her on the site. After about the third or fourth time she offered to share her web designer’s contact info and told me the company was quite affordable. Wow! I hadn’t even thought to ask and I certainly didn’t think her site was done on a budget. I contacted Karen’s web designers and we got to work. I showed them a few sites to illustrate the look I was aiming for. I was willing and able to write the copy and provide the color scheme, images and my logo. (I was fortunate to benefit from my mom’s expertise in branding and graphic art to help me with my own color scheme, logo and tagline.) We decided it made sense to purchase some stock photography of food to round out the headshots and family pictures I provided (but if you’re more “culinary” and do your own food photography, you may not need that option). The entire website cost me less than $1,000.
A few months later, I hired the web designers to create a matching blog and subsequently hired them again to create a matching newsletter template for Mailchimp. What’s nice about the blog is that I can update it any time I want. So I keep the more “evergreen” information on my website and anything I might want to edit more frequently (e.g., disclosures, downloadable bio, etc.) on my blog, which saves me money. I have a similar story regarding my headshots. I kept admiring my dietitian friend Lisa Eaton Wright’s headshots. One day she offered to share the photographer’s contact info and told me she was very affordable. I knew several other photographers and was willing to pay more, but I absolutely loved Lisa’s shots. They really captured her personality. So I contacted her photographer and set up a session. Turns out, they are the best pictures I’ve ever taken – the photographer really knew how to use lighting and props and most important, bring out my personality. The entire session including all the digital photos cost less than $300. At the risk of sounding like I’m not that quick to catch onto things…. the same thing happened with my demo reel! I saw one I really liked, complimented the dietitian and she offered the contact info. Just like the website, there was a lot of work to do on my end, but the cost was very affordable and the end result exceeded my expectations. The moral of my story is to look around, know what you like/want, and ask others about whom they worked with. Don’t let the fear of high costs be a barrier. You can create the website or blog of your dreams without breaking the bank. I think I’m finally getting the hang of this myself!
Based in Chicago, Melissa is the CEO of Sound Bites, Inc., and the Guilt-Free RD – “because food shouldn’t make you feel bad!” TM. She enjoys conducting workshops for dietitians on media, social media and public speaking skills. Her blog (SoundBitesRD.com/blog) shares dietitian interviews, tips and resources to help others enhance their communication skills and gain more visibility, influence and success. Connect with Melissa on Twitter @MelissaJoyRD.
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Ways to Network in the Nutrition Field Katherine Metcalf | Student Writer Most nutrition students want to know how they can start their careers on the right track. Networking opens up opportunities for students to explore different aspects of nutrition-related careers. The wide array of technology allows for students and professionals to meet dietitians in their hometowns, around the country, and all over the world. Some students are hesitant about connecting with other dietitians because they are afraid that they will not make a good impression. Even though networking has its risks, it is important for students to explore different aspects of nutrition to see what career they would like to pursue. Internships, social media and universities are three important ways for students to start networking and connecting with nutrition professionals. In order to receive a well-rounded education, many nutrition students search for volunteer or paid positions in different professions. Some students make the mistake of interviewing for one position and then think they are locked into that internship until they graduate. Students should explore a wide array of internships to see which one would best fit their interests. By working in a real world setting, students get the chance to shadow their supervisors to see if they would like to work in their shoes someday. Additionally, social media is a vital tool for students to contact dietitians across the country and the world. With this method,
students can learn valuable lessons about working in the nutrition industry. Nutrition students need to take advantage of social media by searching dietitians who earn specific types of education. Once students find potential career paths, they are able to communicate with a large number of dietitians to learn about the skills important in their professions. Students can also use social media sites to advocate their passion and skills to potential employers. When students give a brief synopsis of their education, accomplishments and experience, job openings may be in their sights. It is important for students to promote their skills so they have a good chance of earning their dream career. Lastly, students should gain connections within their universities’ nutrition departments. Nutrition professors are very experienced in their fields, so they are able to provide students with different contacts in different nutrition fields. Therefore, it is imperative for students to show their professors their passion for nutrition. Also, professors can give students ideas of organizations and internships they can apply for within the university or the community. Professors’ insights give students new perspectives into which nutrition profession is right for them. Students should also attend their universities’ career fairs to see the different positions that are offered. Students never know whom they may meet that will give them vital perspectives in professions that match their interests. Students need to understand the importance of networking in order for them to become successful in their nutrition professions.
Katherine Metcalf is a sophomore at University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, double majoring in food and nutrition and journalism. Katherine is involved with DIET (Diabetes Education Program), writes for the Crimson White and is a member of the Student Dietetic Association. Her nutrition interests include nutrition during pregnancy, nutrition for endurance athletes, and nutrition for diabetes. She enjoys running races, writing articles, reading books and cooking all different kinds of food. Her ultimate career goal is to become a college professor and inspire students to reach for their dreams. You can reach her at kmmetcalf@crimson.ua.edu
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OBESITY COUNSELING BENEFIT FROM MEDICAREGROSSLY UNDERUTILIZED Patricia J. Becker, MS, RDN, CSP, CNSC | NE Policy Advocacy Leader Since the inception of Intensive behavioral counseling, only a small fraction (approximately 120,000) of eligible seniors has made use of this service. The reasons why do not surprise the nutrition entrepreneur. The providers with the most training and cost-effective services for the treatment of obesity are not eligible to provide these services. Other obstacles include the low rate of reimbursement ($26), the 15-minute time limitation and the fact that the appointment must be a separately scheduled service, not held in conjunction with other appointments. The eligible providers, the primary care physicians, need to use their billable hours for those services that provide the highest return, so this benefit is often not the best use of their time. To help the 30% of seniors who suffer from obesity, the Academy has been in close contact with the feds to promote the possibility of allowing RDs to be qualified providers for this benefit.
Academy Meets with White House to Push for Obesity Treatment and RDN Reimbursement The Academy joined member groups of the Obesity Care Continuum, the Campaign to End Obesity, and our partners in the Medicare Part D Coalition, at the White House for an intimate meeting with members of President Obama's Domestic Policy Council to discuss benefits of the Treat and Reduce Obesity Act (TROA). TROA is legislation that would provide Medicare recipients and their healthcare providers with meaningful tools to treat and reduce obesity by (1) improving access to obesity screening and counseling services by RDNs and other qualified practitioners and (2) covering new FDA-approved prescription drugs for chronic weight management.
The purpose of the meeting was to inform White House staff about the tremendous bipartisan support of more than 120 members of the House and Senate urging CMS to implement the key aspects of the TROA through a regulatory solution. Obesity advocates highlighted how CMS has taken administrative actions in the past that serve as precedent for the agency to act on repealing the prohibition on Medicare Part D coverage of FDA-approved obesity drugs, and the Academy detailed an available regulatory mechanism for expanding the list of eligible providers that could provide intensive behavioral therapy services. The Academy shared detailed information about the cost benefits and clinical efficacy of RDN-provided behavioral counseling for obesity and encouraged the administration to work with CMS in the coming months in pursuing a solution. We continue to work both legislatively and administratively to enable RDNs to provide and be reimbursed for medical nutrition therapy (MNT) for a broader class of disease states and conditions, thereby enhancing opportunities for members and improving the nation’s health. The role of the members of the NE DPG is to contact their federal legislators and let them know why having the Registered Dietitian as a designated provider is the most cost-effective way to improve outcomes for this population.
Contact your Senators and House of Representatives members to provide them with information about why RDs are the best option for intensive behavioral counseling for obesity. Additional information about TROA (Treat and Reduce Obesity Act) can be found on the public policy area of the EatRight.org and the NEdpg.org websites.
Patricia J. Becker, MS, RDN, CSP, CNSC, is a board-certified specialist in pediatric nutrition and a board-certified nutrition-support clinician with 20-plus years’ experience.Pat has held numerous volunteer positions as a member of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, including member of the Pediatric Malnutrition Work Group, past-president of the North Carolina Dietetic Association, liaison to the North Carolina Board of Nutrition and Dietetics and is the public policy chair for the Nutrition Entrepreneurs DPG. Pat is the owner of KidsRD.com, a private practice that specializes in nutrition therapy for children from conception to adulthood, and is on staff at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center in Cincinnati, Ohio.
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TA RGE T I NG YOU R M A R K E T Penny L. Wilson, PHD, RDN, LD Everything you do with your business should revolve around one thing - your target market. We can’t serve everyone. We can’t be experts in everything. We need to pick the people we work with best. This allows us to target our services, communications and websites toward these people. It also helps those in our target market find us and be comfortable spending their money with us. I’m a fan of Michael Port’s Book Yourself Solid book and mentoring program. The first series of steps he has you go through establishes your foundation - who you are, who you serve, what you do for them, and why they’d buy your services. Port states three main benefits for selecting a target market:
1. You’ll know where to find them
2. You’ll discover their networks
3. They will know you are committed to serving them
These three things make a lot of sense. If you don’t have a target market, how are you going to get the word out about your services to the right people? How will people know you are the right person to serve them? How do you identify your target market? Grab a pen and paper and take notes on the following things. Start by thinking about and making a list of those whom you’ve worked best with in the past and what services you’ve provided those people. Then, make notes about who you get most excited to work with. Which groups do you have the most knowledge about? Finally, note which people or groups you want to learn more about. Now, take a look at your notes and see if any target markets jump out at you.
Finally, you get to state your target market. Your target market should be concise and easy to understand. For example, “endurance athletes in the Vail Valley” could be a target market I’m considering. Stating a target market can be hard, especially when you’re first starting out. It could be tempting to have a target market that is “anyone willing to pay me!” However, that doesn’t mean you do your best work with anyone and everyone. Perhaps your target market is “children in the Philadelphia area who have ADHD.” Or, “adults in the Los Angeles area who want to overcome GI issues.” Look at your target market again. It should be specific enough so that you can then use the three benefits listed above to target your marketing to them. Can you identify networks of this group? Do you know where to find them? If you can’t find them, how can you market to them? It can take several iterations to get your target market honed. Don’t worry if it doesn’t feel right the first time. Keep working on it, thinking about it and talking with friends about it. You’ll eventually settle on a target market that is right for you. Once you’ve got a clear target market identified, you can use the language, pictures, etc. that they identify with in your website design. You can write text that they will identify with. All of this will let them know that you “get” them and can help them. This builds trust and, over time, can lead them to decide to spend their money with you. Remember, having a well-defined target market helps you have a successful practice serving those you love to serve and makes finding and marketing to them easier.
Get your nutrition business noticed by thousands! Special membership pricing for NE members. Contact sponsorship@nedpg.org for information and pricing.
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Ventures
Enterprising News & Ideas for Nutrition Entrepreneurs
Jen Haugen, RDN, LD 1006 24th Ave NW Austin, MN 55912
THE NETWORK NE’s students are proud to present a new, quarterly student e-newsletter, The Network! Each issue will feature information, motivation, and inspiration to foster the entrepreneurial spirit.
#NEdpg Twitter Chats! Chat with your fellow NE Members! Join the monthly NE Twitter Chats hosted by Carlene Thomas.
Follow #NEdpg
Upcoming dates: March 18 @ 8pm EST • April 15 @ 8pm EST • May 20 @ 8pm EST
Upcoming NE Webinars: March 12 - 1:00-2:30pm EST Kait Fortunato, Rebecca Bitzer, Dana Magee: 7 Steps to the Nutrition Private Practice of Your Dreams April 16 - 1:00pm EST Karen Collins and Sharon Smalling, MPH, RD, LD: Latest on CVD and Nutrition April 30 - 1:00pm EST Patricia Becker: Public Policy & How to Talk with Legislators May 20 Janet Helm & Regan Miller Jones: Disclosure in Social & Traditional Media June 17 Ilene Cohen: Spanish Survival Skills for RDNs: Hable Español Con Sus Pacientes (Speak Spanish with Your Patients)