Have you heard the hype about social media? It seems like everywhere we turn business coaches including me are touting benefits of social media.
However, in private practice, there is a ton of tasks you must do to be a legal business entity. Then there are lists of lists of to-do items, not to mention finding a way to do set yourself apart from other practices in your area, and make your office inviting. Some of the required tasks include selecting a business structure, applying for an Employer Identification Number (EIN), finding affordable space for your private practice and defining your target market, whew. Then I ask you to step forward and create a social media posts too!
I know you already feel overwhelmed and anxious about
making all the right decisions, not spending too much money and attracting paying clients; not to mention doing the actual work of therapy.
I hear you saying…. Where will I find the time to do social media posts?
Never fear it’ really won’t take that long, really. Let’ s talk about why social media is a good strategy for small businesses. According to The Pew Research Center, a nonpartisan think tank that tracks these sorts of things provides us with the following data:
- In 2018, 7 out of 10 Americans use some sort of social media to keep in touch with family and friends, engage with news, share information and for entertainment purposes.
- In 2005, 5% used social media. In 2018 69% use social media and usage continue to rise yearly.
- In terms of age, 18-29 were early adopters of social media and still have the highest percentage of usage. Nonetheless, the65+ age has risen quickly over the last 5 years to 38% usage.
So, what does all this mean to therapists? Well, it means we must be out there for people to find us. But what platform do you use, what do therapists post and how often? The answer is it depends on who you are trying to reach. Ah yes, you must go back to your target audience. Who are you trying to serve? What is your niche? I hope you do not have more than about 3 specialties. If you list too many, then clients do not believe you are an expert in any area.
I know there is a trend to be a “generalist,” but please resist the temptation.
Another factor you must decide in before you invest time and money is what is your business goal: brand exposure (harder to measure) but will help when you are opening a new office, web traffic or lead generation (think newsletter, group or product). Decide on what your goal is before you start. It will make a difference in tracking your impact.
Who uses what social media Platforms? Never fear, I got your back and I am going to break it down for you. The Pew Research Center has provided the data and this survey was conducted January 3rd-10th, 2018. This, literally hot off the press. The highest percentages are listed.
Facebook: Facebook is the most widely used social media platform overall capturing 68% of the U.S population; that is equal to 22% of the world population. 74% women, 73% Hispanic, 81%, ages 18-29, 77% college graduate and 75% live in urban areas. 75% use Facebook daily, and 100 million users belong to “Meaningful Communities” (therapist groups, rare diseases, educational, new parents groups). Posting on Thursday and Fridays between 1 p.m. 3 p.m. have been considered “best” time to post content. 44% of consumers say that social media and specifically Facebook influences shopping or purchasing decisions. 85% of users watch videos with the sound off, good reason to have subtitles in your videos.
Instagram:(Purchased by Facebook in 2012) 35% of the population overall uses this platform, 39% women, 43% Black, 64% ages 18-29, 43% college graduates and 42% live in urban areas. 60% use it daily. This platform is perfect to show off your creativity. Post photos of you getting ready for your group, a “look behind the scenes,” new staff, groups, provide tips or even short videos. Make sure to create a great bio. The only place you can place a clickable link is in the bio under your name. Don’t just use your website link there. Change it frequently to drive traffic to your goal. Maybe you are creating a workshop, drive traffic to the link for registration and more information. You only have 150 characters to use in your bio make them count. Lastly, use hashtags (#) make them relevant and specific to your topic. Make sure you always hashtag your company name and/or your name. Used popular hashtags like #selfcare, #therapy+your city, etc. Hashtags make searching for you and your content easier. Aim for 4 to 5 hashtags in each post.
LinkedIn: 25% of the population, equal use of men and women, 25% Black, 50% college graduates and 30% live in urban areas. The focus of this platform is business to business, lead generation. Good to post editorial content that can help establish you as an expert in your field.
Twitter: 24% population, 24% women, 26% Black, 32% college graduates and 29% live in urban areas with 46% daily users. Images perform better than video on this platform. You are limited to 140 characters which is why posts about business announcements, new staff, how to articles (maybe 3 steps to reduce depression, anxiety, increase sleep), tips or quotes are best used on this platform. Make the posts easily digestible. Each tweet (post) creates its own URL, this is important for Search Engine Optimization (Google and other search engines index and understand your pages).
There are also other platforms that you can consider, Snapchat, Pinterest, Tumblr, Google+, Reddit just to name a few. To get started pick one platform and begin posting. Remember who your target market is (niche), post relevant content, be creative, decide a goal for social media, i.e. drive traffic to your website or group, brand awareness, etc. Social media is a powerful resource, and it’s free. Post consistently to build your following, but if you have a busy week and just can’t post, don’t fret just start posting again as soon as you can. Progress, not perfection. Social media can be read day or night and can create an understanding of who you are and how you can help clients. Give social media at least 3 months of regular posting to see positive results in engagement, website visits or increase clients.
You got this private practice thing you really do.
©2017-2018 Therapistbox.com, Sheralyn (Sherry) Shockey-Pope, LMFT