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Feeling Overwhelmed and Underinformed?
Are you interested in learning the best ways to market your services and grow your practice? Do you feel overwhelmed and underinformed about all the decisions involveds? Are you aware that a Website can not only bring abundance to your practice, but also to your clients and the community as well?
If you find yourself hesitant, you’re not alone. Many professionals — mental health professionals included — are uncomfortable discussing marketing or anything that sounds like “sales,” even though we spend most of our professional lives building relationships with clients and colleagues. And getting your dream started — actually putting your plans into action — can be new territory. New means strange. And strange can mean uncomfortable.
Whether you prefer the term “networking,” or “pull” rather than “push” marketing — or are more comfortable “making connections” and “building relationships” than you are with the idea of “attraction,” “magnetic,” or any other form of marketing. — the importance of making your existence known and yourself readily available to potential clients, colleagues and the community, cannot be overstated as a critical and necessary first step to beginning and building any professional relationship.
Whether you are a MFCC/LMFT, a Clinical or Counseling Psychologist, or a Social Worker — no matter what theoretical orientation you specialize in (Systems, Behavioral, Object Relations, Cognitive, Humanistic, Gestalt, Psychodynamic, Psychoanalytic or Jungian) — the marketing you do will be one of the most important elements in your success. If you have a private practice, whether it’s full- or part-time, are you making the most out of the time and energy you put into it? Is it giving back to you all that you hoped and imagined?
And I’m not talking about just growing the size of your client list; although this is a recognized priority. We believe it is critical to educate the community about what you do and why it is so important for the wellbeing of individuals and society as a whole. As if this wasn’t important enough, it has become even more critical with the competing messages, increased bureaucracy, and lower fees that have come with the advent of managed care. Even if you don’t participate in managed care, and you get the clients you need from referrals from current and former clients, friends and other professioanls; you may be putting your current and future professional wellbeing on the line if you choose to ignore what’s happening “online” in your profession.
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In a recent survey sponsored by the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (CAMFT), 96.9% of the association’s members from Santa Clara and San Mateo counties who responded said they spent two hours a week or less on marketing/promotional activities, and 63.6% said they spent no time on these activities whatsoever! Additionally, 25% of these respondents said they use the Internet for research and 21% said they use the computer for marketing, yet only 16.4% said they have a Website or homepage on the Internet. To make matters more confusing, while 32.8% participate in Internet directory listings, only 7.5% said they market themselves online! And, this is in the heart of Silicon Valley! This is definitely cause for concern, and in today’s ever-changing mental health landscape it no longer seems surprising that many people aren’t even aware of the practical differences distinguishing psychiatrists, psychologists, therapists and social workers.
And let me assure you, while some segments of the mental health community may not be effectively reaching the public with their message; others, often those with more technological and marketing saavy, are. “But wait,” you say, “I thought the mental health industry was growing by leaps and bounds.” It definitely is, there’s no denying it! But if so, then why is it so difficult to build and maintain your practice? Why are you struggling even though you provide such a valuable service to the community?
Well, the answer is often that poorly informed consumers — those not being aware of how to accurately judge the value of a product or service, let alone locate its providers — will usually pick the lowest price for that product or service, if they choose to purchase it at all. There is so much information inundating people everyday, they can’t possibly know all the questions to ask; and even if they do, they are often hesitant to unless they deem it important. It is every professional’s job not only to perform the services they get paid for, but also to educate the marketplace as to the importance and necessity of these services. And, that’s where we come in...
Marketing for Mental Health Professionals
“Defining and choosing target segments is of great importance for mental health services. Most mental health practitioners see themselves as generalists. They may want to treat anyone who walks in the door, but this attitude may be unwise for marketing and risk-management reasons. The choice of a market segment should be based on objective data, a narrowing of focus, and a maximizing of resources.” 1
“Pull” marketing, also known as “attraction marketing” or “magnetic marketing,” consists of giving away information and/or expertise, and building relationships and trust with existing and potential clients and the community. Because this type of marketing stresses the importance of building trust, confidence, and connection as the prerequisites of any successful relationship, it is well-suited to, and most commonly employed by, mental health professionals. While we tend to agree, we do not believe this should be used as an excuse to ignore other marketing efforts and devices as they are all applicable and best suited to a variety of goals and situations.
The following are some examples of effective “attraction marketing” techniques easily employed by, and suited to, mental health professionals:
- Hosting a client-focused Website that builds relationships with individuals and the community
(Click here for our Website Design & Development Services)
- Offering a free newsletter
- Writing newspaper or magazine articles
- Giving lectures/seminars (especially if they are inexpensive or free)
- Writing a book
- Offering free reports on the Internet or through direct mail
- Press Releases
- Networking
Again, these are just some examples. If you don’t have the time or expertise to undertake these tasks, speak to a Kethyr Solutions associate. We are ready to work with you on achieving your marketing goals; from flushing out the possibilities and your options, all the way through to serving as your ghost writer and publisher, if you should desire.
Kethyr Solutions has achieved a successful reputation providing solutions for the Internet marketing needs of the mental health community. This includes, but is not limited to, Website design and development, managing e-mail accounts, domain name registration, search engine optimization and submission, Website maintenance and monitoring, ghost writing and Website copywriting, and newsletter layout and publication.
We are dedicated to helping mental health practitioners succeed in their online marketing and public outreach endeavors, and we strongly believe that getting your message to consumers will not only benefit your profession but the community as a whole. Because of our unique experience working with the mental health community, we are able of offer creative and professional Websites designed to inform and build relationships with potential clients and the public.
To see examples of some of the Websites we have designed for mental health professionals click here.
To learn more about our Internet Marketing Services click here.
Before you make any decisions, we are available to answer all of your questions. Let us help you make the best choice for your situation. Contact us for a free estimate and no-obligation consultation. If you're located in the San Francisco Bay Area, we will be happy to meet with you in person. For our other customers around the globe, we are only a phone call or e-mail away! Click here to contact us for a free estimate.
Do You Belong to a Therapy Group?
If you belong to a therapy group, whether a multidisciplinary informal or loose group practice, or are a part of a MFT partnership or treatment facility, contact us to learn how to grow your organization’s recognition and reach.
Related services:
Thank you for visiting Kethyr Solutions. Please let us know how we may serve you better!
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