5 Tips for Marketing Your Private Practice

Our country and the world for that matter are in a state of crisis. We’re battling an epidemic with opiates, opioids and associated mental health issues and co-occurring disorders. The front line battling these epidemics are counselors, psychologists, psychiatrists, and private practices offering behavioral and mental health services. If you are one of these amazing people providing these life changes and saving services I commend you and thank you.

I want you to help more people, save more lives, and reach the masses.

To reach the masses, help more people and gain more clients and patients, your practices need to be accessible online. This includes everything from having a properly functioning website to tracking your leads and staying active on social media. Proper branding, advertising, and private practice marketing can significantly increase your digital footprint. Below are 5 action items you can start today to help more people and grow your business:

Private Practice Marketing Step 1: Launch a website

This is number one and it shouldn’t surprise you. The first place customers look for your services will be online, and there are two things that can wreck that experience. The first is if you’re not there at all, and the second is having a subpar website experience. This can include a website that isn’t mobile compatible or responsive, a site that doesn’t load quickly, or a site that the user just doesn’t find aesthetically appealing. Yes, how pretty your website is matters. Make sure your web design is easily navigable and your services are readily available. If you’re not sure how or where to get started contact a professional and reputable web designer. Also, be sure to use a proper email address associated with your private practice marketing efforts. Don’t use your personal email address…it can come off as slightly unprofessional.

A great place to start is HostGator. There you can easily purchase a domain name for your private practice, secure inexpensive hosting with top-notch customer service, easily set up proper email addresses and one-click install WordPress. Having a great website is akin to having a clean, well-organized office. It’s private practice marketing 101.

Start Tracking Your Customers with Google Analytics and Call Tracking Metrics

Once you’ve got your website and you’re posting blogs a few times a week, you want to find out what your site visitors are reading and how well those readers convert to new patients for your private practice. The two easiest ways to do this is by creating a Google Analytics account and securing a call tracking system much like Call Tracking Metrics.

Website Tracking For Private Practices

Securing a proper google analytics account and implementing a tracking code for your website is paramount. Find out where your visitors are coming from and how they are interacting with your content. This will give you insights on producing new content and where you can advertise online. Sometimes google can be a little overwhelming, and asking for help is ok. Reach out to an SEO specialist or a web designer-developer to assist in setting up your tracking efforts.

Call Tracking for Therapists and Counselors

Have you ever wanted your own business line? Ever wanted to not have to worry about accepting business calls on your cell phone? Or, have you ever wanted to set up a phone tree where patients in crisis can have access to immediate help? With call tracking services like Call Tracking Metrics, all of these and more are a reality. You can easily purchase phone numbers, set up phone trees and queues on specific daily schedules, and even link your Google Analytics account to associate new callers with specific online behaviors. Call Tracking Metrics is incredibly easy to setup, has personable and knowledgeable customer service, and is a great alternative to paying overpriced bills to huge telecom giants for a fraction of the service.

Set Up Your GMB

Local SEO is becoming more and more important, and Google isn’t being secretive about it. With more and more people looking for local services online you can capitalize quickly and easily by creating your GMB listing. GMB is the abbreviation for “Google My Business”. These are those handy and informative listings you see on google towards the top of the SERP listing providing addresses, phone numbers, hours of operation and reviews. If this is the first thing people see when searching for local counseling or private practice services, then you most definitely want to be listed.

Get Listed on Directory Sites

For therapists, counselors, psychiatrists, psychologists and private practices there is a slew of listing directories where prospective patients can find your information. One of the most popular in the mental health services industry is Psychology Today. There you can list your specialties, insurance relationships, specific demographics and show how your services are unique in your area. You can even pinpoint specific zip codes if you know that group individuals in a defined area are your ideal client. But don’t stop at Psychology Today. Claim your Yelp listing and create profiles on yellow pages, WP, and any local associations you may be apart of.

Start Using Social Media

This doesn’t mean networking, at least not in the traditional sense. Getting social means creating your social media presence. Create a Facebook business page, a twitter profile, and Instagram or SnapChat account and start some conversations. Start providing your knowledge and expertise to people that need it. Build relationships and community around your work and passion points. I guarantee if you stick it out and stay consistently active on social media it will pay off. If you’re curious about how to get started I would recommend contacting a social media consultant.

For Private Practice Marketing, Be Seen

When advertising your psychiatric office or performing any effective private practice marketing, the name of the game is to be visible and accessible. This means you have to be where your prospective patients are. Everyone is on the internet so a website goes without saying. If you know your audience is on Facebook then you’ll need a Facebook account. If you’re looking for new business, you’ll want to make sure you appear on Google GMB as well as highly ranked directory listings like Psychology Today. Always remember, the prospective client determines where and how you’re seen…not the other way around.

Originally posted at Foust Creative Consulting