Where Do I Start?

You’ve done it! You’ve put yourself through rigorous education, countless hours of professional practice, and endless supervision to become a therapist. At this point, you have coffee in your veins, not blood. BUT the main point is - you did it! You’ve achieved your licensure, spent time working in the field, and now you want to start your private practice.

The big question is – where do you start? While you were putting yourself through your therapy program, unfortunately, there wasn’t a module on Business 101 or Marketing 101.

You know you need to pick a name and rent an office unless you are providing telehealth, but how do you get clients in the office? How do people find out about your practice so you can help them?

You have the experience and can offer an amazing service that helps people live healthier, happier lives but starting a business can feel overwhelming, and your to-do list seems insurmountable. This article will provide a great starting place for your marketing.

If you get anything out of this article, remember that each step in your marketing brings you closer to building the business you have always wanted. Let’s get started.

1. Clarify Your Message

Creating content for your website, social media, Google Ads, etc., needs to be consistent, clear, and simple. Many businesses try to be clever in their marketing and ultimately confuse people, which can result in losing a prospect. Your message should be clear enough that a child could understand what you do. Whenever a client looks at a message from you, they should be able to instantly understand what you do and how it can help them. Start by asking yourself:

Problem: What is the problem they are facing?
Solution: How can our business help them?
Result: How will this change their life?

These are the metrics you test all your future marketing against. When creating content, you want to ensure you are consistently answering these questions every time. Now, this doesn’t mean everything you say will be the same, but the overarching message or theme should be consistent.

To learn more about clarifying your message, check out my resources, including book recommendations, podcasts, and blog articles to get started.

2. Get Your Visuals

According to HubSpot, an inbound marketing and development company, visual communication is 40 times more likely to get shared on social media. Also, less than 20% of people read text on a page, while the remaining 80% prefer videos. Therefore, getting your visuals right is as important as getting your messaging right since your visuals are the vehicle that will take your message to people.

Once you have a clear brand message, it’s time to set up your logo and brand colors. Your branding will take your message to your audience and increase brand recognition. For example, when someone says coke – we recall their logo and a lovely cold fizzy drink!

3. Finalize Your Wireframes

Think of wireframes as the blueprints to help lay the foundation for your business marketing plan. Once you have your message and visuals, it’s time to set up the wireframe. Wireframes help you define your user journey.

Start by looking at some of the best websites or applications that get you hooked. Look at the structural positioning of the content and visuals. Once you have defined the layout of your website and positioning, it’s time to start building it.

4. Build Your Website

Just as you’d choose each piece of furniture, fixtures, or art for your physical practice to make it welcoming, you need to put in the same amount of effort in setting up your website. A website serves as your ultimate online presence where you can showcase all your services in one spot and can serve as a first impression to clients.

 Keep in mind that you will have all kinds of visitors who’ll visit your website from phones, laptops, and tablets, so don’t forget to make it compatible with all kinds of devices.

Another point to keep in mind is to keep your website fresh and clean. Make sure it is easy to navigate and welcoming in look and feel.

Pro Tip: Showcase your brand message on every page and a call to action, like ‘Get started now,’ so visitors know how to take the first step in working with you.

5. Generate Leads

Now it’s time to generate leads through different channels. Since your brand is still in the awareness phase, start creating content marketing with blogs, infographics, or e-books to attract leads. You can also use informative videos to turn visitors into prospective leads.

Another way to generate leads and move your marketing forward is to run ads on platforms like Google Ads, LinkedIn, and Facebook Ads. Deciding on a platform will depend on your target audience.

6. Get Active on Social Media

If you have a narrowly defined audience, choose the social media platform your target audience visits the most. Generally, Instagram is mainly for 34 and under, professionals are on LinkedIn or Twitter, and Facebook has them all.

For the first few months, try posting educational content on all the social media platforms just to decide which platform(s) you get the best results. Whatever you post or share, keep in mind your brand message. Repeat your brand message enough times for the audience to know it by heart.

Try engaging in conversations with others on social media. Make your presence felt by interacting, offering help, and sharing valuable information. It’s not necessary to post your original content on social media every day. Instead, you may choose to keep sharing what others have posted.

7. Utilize Email Campaigns

Once you have enough leads to nurture, set up email campaigns. It’s important to understand you don’t own any of your social media audience. An email list? That’s all yours.

Divide your leads into buckets like existing patients, potential patients, and so on. Send them something valuable, let them know you are there for them. Email marketing is a great way to increase your brand recall and stay connected in a personalized way.

Conclusion

Some parting words of wisdom? Marketing doesn’t have to be overwhelming.

Avoid looking at the big picture and focus on the small, incremental steps that will get you there. You can absolutely do it and will be amazed when you look back at all you have accomplished. ;)

Need some more marketing advice? Listen to my podcast, Therapy Marketing Solutions, where I bring real-world applications to help you market your practice, diffuse the mystical power behind marketing, and meet with everyday clinic owners to discuss how they’re growing their thriving businesses.

Looking to hire someone to do your marketing? Visit my website, Therapy Marketing Solutions, to book a Discovery Call.

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