Comments for MHP Institute - Therapist Marketing

Comment on The Twitter debate continues…….. by Tamara G. Suttle, M.Ed., LPC

Tamara G. Suttle, M.Ed., LPC — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 02:12:10 +0000

Hi, Kelly, and thanks for letting me know that you had brought the discussion forward into this current post. I appreciate you expanding on your thoughts about Twitter’s role in marketing for therapists and think, like you, that we agree on much more than we disagree.

I do spend about 15 minutes / day on Twitter and the return on investment to be useful. Perhaps, more important than the time I spend Twitter and LinkedIn and Google+ and Facebook though is the time that I spend on my website.

You are absolutely on target when you talk about prioritizing your strategy for getting clients. Having a great website has to be the first, the last, and the overarching consideration. Although there are many good, fun, and useful things about the different social media tools, from a marketing perspective a therapist needs to focus on driving traffic back “home” . . . to his / her website. And, of course, if home is just a disheveled shack (rather than a destination), then driving folks back “home” might be fatal!

If you can’t maintain your website, then you have no business – at least from a marketing standpoint – of implementing the use of social media. I tell my clients . . . if you are just putting up a new website, don’t tell everyone about it until you’ve had a chance to curate or create some great information for them to see. And, by “great,” I mean interesting, inspiring, and above all, search engine friendly content. If folks get there before the table is set, they don’t see much reason to come again – and, of course, neither do those search engines!

Thanks

Comment on To tweet, or not to tweet, that is the question! by Tamara G. Suttle, M.Ed., LPC

Tamara G. Suttle, M.Ed., LPC — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 23:11:11 +0000

Hi, Kelly. Thanks for addressing this topic. Elizabeth and Juliet have it right here. I think you are confusing the tool with the necessary skills to use it.

Yes, therapists need to have a marketing strategy on and offline . . . but mental health professionals also need to know how to use the tools of social media if they are going to use them effectively.

If therapists have a tiny following or fail to develop a purpose, message, and strategy on Twitter, the tool is useless at best and damaging at worst. But, that is not about the usefulness of the tool; it’s about the user not knowing what s/he is doing. Using Twitter for personal use is not the same as using Twitter for marketing.

I do not recommend that mental health professionals use Twitter to reach potential clients. However, I recommend using it to extend your practice’ branding by targeting potential referral sources instead. By establishing your brand on Twitter as a resource for your niche, you are likely to drive more traffic to your website to learn about your services.

Comment on Is your website chasing away clients? by mhp

mhp — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 22:03:32 +0000

Thanks

Ideally I think I would put a short well filmed (not using the cameras built into a laptop) and properly edited video. I would introduce myself, my practice and how I can help you in not more than 3 minutes. I also would have the same information available for those who would rather read. This is what I would do but there are lots of other effective ways to make a attractive and functional website.

Kelly
Director of Marketing

Comment on Therapist Marketing Tip #7: Experiencing a Client Shortage? by Charlotte Reznick PhD

Charlotte Reznick PhD — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 23:01:19 +0000

Adorable video and the robotic voices gave me a laugh. Great reminder to: give free seminars, contact referral sources, and get back in the community like “the beginning.” Has inspired me to get my newsletter out tomorrow…. It’s continuous and should be kinda fun – otherwise we won’t be doing it. I invite your readers to visit my site http://www.ImageryForKids.com to see what I’ve been up to on my Events page, Media page, and presentations page for inspiration. And for knowledge my Psychology Today or Huffington Post blog articles, and info about the book, The Power of Your Child’s Imagination (got on the LA Times best seller list) and the many helpful therapeutic relaxation CDs for kids and parents. Enjoy! Dr. Charlotte

Comment on Is your website chasing away clients? by Stephanie Adams

Stephanie Adams — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 01:26:17 +0000

Great topic! I like the questions. Do you think it’s better to use links or pictures on the front page, primarily? What about a video? Would love to hear your opinion!

Comment on Therapist Marketing Tip #6 Can a wheel really draw in more clients? by Amanda

Amanda — Sun, 14 Aug 2011 16:28:12 +0000

As therapists we do want to offer ethical, empathic and effective services.

But why should our profession not use all the marketing tools available – web, directory, Facebook, Twitter, personal networks.

Marketing our services to ensure we can make a living, when done ethically, does not equate to selling our soul (or our clients’).

Balance is key. Promoting to get the message out we are able to help, but without seeking to profit on others’ misery nor saccrifice our own needs.

Comment on Protecting the privacy of your patients online by Janice Maddox

Janice Maddox — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 02:01:49 +0000

Thank you. Very nice article. I’m surprised to hear the examples of inappropriate on-line sharing that you describe. I can’t imagine sharing information about a client in an on-line and I’m grateful for that. I question myself on many things, though and reality checks are always helpful. It’s too easy to get over-worked or over-tired and make a mistake. Of course, that is one reason I no longer over-book myself and don’t try to juggle too many things at once.

Comment on To tweet, or not to tweet, that is the question! by mhp

mhp — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 19:14:48 +0000

Hi Juliet
Thanks for your comment. I agree with you that a solid strategy is critical to all marketing efforts(both online and traditional marketing). Why I said Twitter was not effective is because I see so many therapists with a Twitter account that has few followers and little activity. The problem is that many business (not just therapists) believe that they just need to get a Twitter account, send out a few tweets, magic happens, followers will pour in and with them comes loads of business. That is not what happens. The first question everyone should be asking “is the audience I want to reach on Twitter?” If the answer is yes, then they need a strategy (like you said), tools and training. I see you offer training in Social Media (http://socialmediafortherapists.com/home-study/) I suggest this could be a great start for therapists considering Twitter.

Kelly Ross
Director of Marketing
Mental Health Pros

Comment on To tweet, or not to tweet, that is the question! by Juliet Austin

Juliet Austin — Sat, 11 Jun 2011 05:40:02 +0000

I think twitter can be an effective tool if used in conjunction with other marketing tools. It is possible to build a practice if you have a solid strategy and work it consistently. I agree with Elizabeth, the problem is more that most therapists don’t use Twitter effectively as opposed to twitter not being an effective tool.

Comment on To tweet, or not to tweet, that is the question! by Kelly Ross

Kelly Ross — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 04:43:17 +0000

Hi Elizabeth
Thanks for your comment. I think for the most part we agree but we kind of approach this from different perspectives. I think Twitter can be an valuable tool for certain usages. However I do not believe that Twitter is an effective tool (because there are many more effective tools) for the majority of therapists to market their practice.

Kelly Ross
MHP Director of Marketing