I’m often asked about the world of freelancing and how easy it is to get noticed, or not! One of the areas that nutritionists and dietitians are keen to dabble in is the area of private practice, so I thought I’d share some of my learnings on which websites I have found helpful in increasing my reach, and indeed my business.
Registering with reputable websites is a cost-effective way to promote your services, especially if you don’t have your own site. Here are a couple for you to try out:
British Dietetic Association (BDA) Freelance Dietitians Group
- The Freelance Dietitian’s site is a database of experienced registered dietitians who either provide expert dietary guidance to individuals privately or offer a wide range of nutrition services to organisations such as food companies, schools, care homes, and workplaces.
- Users can search for a particular expertise and there is a significant presence of media and industry dietitians, which may be particularly useful for organisations and food brands.
- This site is only open to dietitians who are members of the BDA and registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).
Nutritionist Resource
Nutritionist Resource is a website that provides the public with easy access to nutritional advice from professionals. They only list nutritionists who are members of a recognised professional body or those who have submitted evidence of qualifications and insurance cover, and HCPC-Registered Dietitians.
- Users can search by town, county or postcode.
- The site performs highly in all major search engines, including Google, to ensure your service is presented to as many potential clients as possible. They rank highly for a range of popular search terms, such as “nutritionist”, “sport and “balanced diet”.
- You can publish articles on your dedicated webpage, which can portray you as an accessible and informed expert.
- Registering here exposes you to huge audiences – the site has an average of 94,000 visitors each month.
- The support team are very helpful in guiding you how to improve your profile and webpage.
Looking for a Nutritionist?
Here’s my 3-point plan:
- Make sure you check the qualifications – I recommend you look for the letters RD, which stands for Registered Dietitian or RNutr for Registered Nutritionist. This means they are registered with the British Dietetic Association and the Association for Nutrition respectively.
- Visit the above sites and use the search criteria depending on your location or requirements.
- Select up to three experts, read their profile, check if their skills and experience match what you’re looking for, and arrange to speak to them before you commit. Anyone can look good on paper but your personal relationship with a nutritionist is important, and it pays to find the person you can be comfortable with.
What’s the difference between a dietitian and a nutritionist?
