Creating a Strong ABA Business: Marketing, Mindset, and Mission with Tim Zercher
Marketing in ABA often feels like uncharted territory. Many practice owners were trained as clinicians, not business leaders, and few entered the field dreaming of websites, Google ads, or differentiation strategies. Yet, as any growing ABA company quickly learns, strong marketing is not optional. It is essential for attracting the right families, recruiting staff, and sustaining impact.
In a recent episode of In the Field: The ABA Podcast, I sat down with Timothy Zercher, entrepreneur and CEO of A-Train Marketing, to talk about what it takes to build a strong ABA business. Tim has founded multiple companies, personally witnessed the challenges of behavioral health marketing, and now dedicates his work to helping ABA organizations tell their story with clarity and purpose.
Why Marketing in ABA is Different
When Tim first began working in behavioral health, he noticed how often organizations were treated like generic medical providers. But ABA is not like a broken arm, he explained. You cannot talk about autism, addiction, or depression the same way you talk about surgery or urgent care. Families arrive with:
High levels of anxiety and urgency.
Complex needs tied to trust and fit.
A desire for clarity in what services really look like.
This misunderstanding has left many ABA organizations underserved by marketing agencies. Poorly built websites, vague language, and cookie-cutter strategies leave families bouncing from company to company, frustrated and unsupported.
The Differentiation Gap
One of the most common mistakes Tim sees is the lack of differentiation. Too many ABA organizations sound exactly the same, promising “high quality services” or “caring staff” without communicating what truly makes them unique.
Differentiation matters because:
It prevents mismatches between families and providers.
It protects your reputation by setting accurate expectations.
It highlights the unique strengths of your staff and services.
Instead of generic messaging, Tim encourages leaders to ask:
What do we do best?
Who do we serve most effectively?
Where do we excel compared to others in our community?
Often, the answers are simple but powerful, such as flexible scheduling, strong RBT® retention, or integrated family training.
The Website Factor
According to Tim, a poor website is the single biggest marketing roadblock for ABA providers. In fact, he estimates that nearly 60 percent of ABA organizations are held back by outdated or ineffective websites.
A strong website should:
Make contact information and forms easy to find.
Highlight 1–3 true differentiators clearly.
Create a professional, trustworthy first impression.
Serve both families looking for therapy and staff exploring job opportunities.
Tim shared the story of one client whose outdated website buried key information and emphasized irrelevant services. After focusing the site on three differentiators—flexible hours, in-home or clinic-based therapy, and high RBT® retention—the organization saw conversions rise by 22% within months. By the end of the year, traffic had doubled and leads increased by 79%.
The lesson is clear: your website is not a side project. It is a core driver of growth, recruitment, and reputation.
Marketing Within Compliance
ABA leaders often feel constrained by the BACB® Code of Ethics, particularly around testimonials and confidentiality. Tim acknowledges the challenge but notes that compliance does not mean silence.
There are ethical ways to market, such as:
Sharing client stories with names and details changed.
Adding disclaimers to clarify that identifying information has been modified.
Using composite stories to illustrate outcomes without referencing a single individual.
Highlighting staff expertise, programming approaches, or outcomes data.
Families want to know others have walked the same road and found success. Thoughtful storytelling builds trust without crossing ethical boundaries.
Mindset Shifts for Owners
Many BCBA® business owners resist marketing because it feels manipulative or “salesy.” Tim reframes this perspective: marketing is like accounting. You may not enjoy it, but it is a necessary system that sustains your practice. Done well, marketing is simply connecting families with services that meet their needs.
Another critical mindset shift is letting go of the bottleneck. Owners often juggle clinical work, HR, billing, and marketing until growth stalls. Hiring outside help feels risky, especially with thin margins. But as Tim points out, your time as an owner is worth far more than a single billable hour. Ask yourself:
What is my marginal income per hour as an owner (not just my billable rate as a BCBA®)?
What tasks could I outsource for less than that value?
Where am I the bottleneck preventing my company from scaling?
The answers often show that outsourcing is not a luxury but a necessity for sustainable growth.
Leadership Lessons Learned the Hard Way
Tim has led multiple companies, and like many entrepreneurs, his most valuable lessons came from mistakes. His biggest takeaway is that leadership requires both trust and accountability.
Too little trust: Owners micromanage, stifle growth, and frustrate staff.
Too much trust: Owners step back entirely, only to discover miscommunications or missed deliverables when it is too late.
The balance: Trust your team, then verify their progress through check-ins, feedback, and deadlines.
Clear expectations paired with accountability show staff that their work matters, while still giving them ownership and autonomy.
Quick Wins for ABA Leaders
So where should an ABA leader start? Tim recommends two immediate steps:
Evaluate your website. Is it clear, professional, and focused on your differentiators? If not, prioritize an update.
Create a simple client or staff persona. Write out who you are trying to reach, their biggest pain points, and what they truly want. Then look at your website, brochures, and social media from their perspective. Are you speaking to what matters most?
Even small adjustments—like making your contact form obvious or clarifying your service model—can reduce confusion and bring in the right families and staff.
Building a Business that Serves Your Life
For Tim, the heart of business ownership is aligning your company with the life you want to live. Too many owners operate in survival mode without a clear vision. He encourages leaders to:
Define their priorities (family, lifestyle, personal goals).
Write a “life vision” that describes what they want their daily life to look like.
Translate that vision into concrete business decisions, such as hiring staff, outsourcing tasks, or expanding services.
As ABA owners, we care deeply about the families we serve. But to sustain that mission, we also need strong systems, clear differentiation, and the courage to invest in marketing that works.
Key Takeaways
Differentiation ensures families find the right fit and staff know what makes your organization unique.
A strong website is a primary driver of growth and recruitment.
Marketing within BACB® guidelines is possible with ethical storytelling and creativity.
Owners must shift from doing everything themselves to investing in support that frees their time.
Leadership thrives on trust paired with accountability.
Strong marketing is not about manipulation. It is about clarity, connection, and service. To learn more, listen to the full episode with Timothy Zercher on In the Field: The ABA Podcast. For additional resources on training, supervision, and professional development, visit Sidekick Learning.
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