You know that unlocking the power of digital marketing is an important part of your therapy business. But where do you start? There are so many options and ways to reach your target client online now, it can easily overwhelm you. In this blog article, we will stay away from the shiny objects that marketing agencies and “gurus” dangle in front of therapists and personal development coaches, promising that if they just implement this new tactic they will be well on their way to a thriving online private practice. Instead, what we will focus on are foundational principles for marketing a therapy clinic or personal development coaching business online, and how you can start working those into your existing digital marketing strategy to define what works best for you, and most importantly, what allows you to connect with the people you need to serve the most.

As digital marketing for therapists has become more important, there are a few key strategies that have emerged as foundational for any digital marketing strategy for a private practice therapist. If you’re just getting started with digital marketing, or even if you’ve been doing it for a while but feel like you’re not getting the results you want, these are strategies that you can implement to help you get started on the right track.

Define your target market

The first step in any digital marketing strategy is defining your target market. This seems like a no-brainer, but it’s important to take the time to really think about who you want to reach with your marketing. Are you trying to attract new clients? Bring in more referrals from other therapists? Get more speaking gigs? Once you know who you’re trying to reach, you can start to tailor your digital marketing strategy to them.

Defining your target market becomes a lot easier when you’ve identified your ideal customer avatar. An ideal customer avatar is a fictional representation of your ideal client, based on real data and research. When you know who your ideal customer is, you can start to create targeted content that speaks directly to them. Here’s where you can really start to separate yourself from your competition: once you have figured out who your target customer is, give them a name, view your business as that person would, really explore what their needs and wants are, and then craft content that speaks to those specific needs, and demonstrates that you have the capability to satisfy those needs.

Identify where your target market hangs out online

Where does your target market spend their time online? This is important to know because you want to make sure you’re spending your time and energy marketing in the right places. If your target market is on Facebook, then you want to make sure you’re active there and that your Facebook page is optimized for lead generation with consistent, quality content that they will find useful and valuable. If they’re on LinkedIn, then you want to make sure you have a strong presence there as well.

For example, if you’re trying to attract corporate clients, then LinkedIn is probably going to be a more effective platform for you than Twitter. If you’re trying to attract stay-at-home moms, then Facebook might be a better platform for you. The point is, you want to make sure you’re present where your target market is spending their time online, and you can use the power of leverage to your advantage by spending just a little more time researching this, rather than spending large amounts of money on advertising in hopes that you find where that community lives.

Additionally, by figuring out where this person spends their time online, you can then start to be a part of the community, offering valuable content and insights, rather than trying to sell them from the get-go. This way, when you do have something to sell, they are more likely to be receptive because they already see you as a valuable resource, and someone who has already been a part of the group for a while.

Create content that appeals to your target market

This is where a lot of therapists get tripped up with digital marketing. They create content, but it’s not content that appeals to their target market or that answers the questions they’re actually asking. When you’re creating content, whether it’s a blog post, a video, or a social media post, think about what your target market would want to see and what would be most helpful for them. Chances are, if you’re stuck on what to write about, your target market is probably wondering the same thing.

This is where the previous steps come into play. By taking the extra time to understand who your target market is, and where they spend their time online, you have already gained an enormous upper hand when it comes to creating content, the lifeblood of digital marketing in today’s world. We are all looking to solve two basic problems: to enhance pleasure, or to minimize pain or discomfort. So by investing the time and effort into becoming a member of these communities online, you now have an unprecedented view into how your audience thinks and what problems or desires are most valuable to them.

What content should therapists include in their digital marketing campaigns?

Therapists should focus on creating content that is both educational and engaging for their digital marketing campaigns. Content should be tailored to their target audience and should provide useful information about their services. Content could include blog posts, videos, podcasts, and infographics that discuss topics related to mental health, therapy, and self-care. Additionally, therapists should consider creating content that promotes their services, such as case studies, client testimonials, and success stories. Finally, therapists should ensure that their content is optimized for search engine visibility, as this will help them reach more potential clients.

Use digital marketing tools to automate and measure your efforts

One of the keys to success with digital marketing is all about using the right tools to make your life easier and more efficient via leverage. Once you have a solid understanding of who your target market is, what their needs are, where they spend their time online, and what type of content they are looking for, you can start to use digital marketing tools to help automate and measure your efforts.

For example, now that you’ve identified that your target market is looking for a way to cope with social anxiety, you can record a 30 minute podcast talking about the subject on both audio and video, repurpose that to break it down into smaller, bite sized pieces, and schedule 10-20 pieces of content to be distributed automatically to your different social channels throughout the week.

Another way you can leverage the time that you’ve just spent creating this podcast is to package it up, create a funnel, and market it as a free lead magnet that you can attach to your website as a way to attract new visitors to your private practice. If you do this consistently, over time, you will start to develop a digital marketing flywheel that will help you attract new patients or clients on autopilot.

Digital marketing doesn’t have to be overly complicated, and it doesn’t have to be time consuming. By following the steps above, you can start to see results in your private practice without having to spend a lot of money on advertising, and you will have a good foundation that you can now build on by hiring and outsourcing to continue creating content.

Keep track of your digital marketing efforts and analyze what’s working

The final step in being successful with digital marketing for private practice therapists is to keep track of all the different digital marketing channels and methods you’re using, as well as what’s working and what’s not. You can use a simple spreadsheet to track this information, or use a fully integrated system that combines your digital marketing efforts with your client management and scheduling system.

By understanding which digital marketing channels are bringing in the most new clients, and which content pieces are being shared the most, you can start to double down on what’s working and cut out what’s not. This is how you fine tune your digital marketing strategy over time to get the most bang for your buck, and ultimately grow your private practice to the next level.

What platforms should therapists use for digital marketing?

Therapists looking to market their services online have a variety of platforms to choose from. Social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are great for connecting with potential clients and building an online presence. Additionally, therapists can use blogging and content marketing to share helpful advice and build their reputation as an expert in their field. Finally, therapists can use email marketing to stay in touch with their existing clients and nurture relationships with potential clients. By utilizing these platforms, therapists can effectively reach their target audience and grow their business.

Conclusion

Digital marketing is an essential piece of the puzzle when it comes to marketing a private therapy practice or personal development coaching business online. By following the steps outlined in this blog post, you can start to implement digital marketing into your business and see the results for yourself.

If you need help getting started, or if you would like more information on digital marketing for private practice therapists, please feel free to reach out to us and we’ll be happy to sit with you to discuss your specific needs.