Check out this video on marketing tricks of the trade! (You need only watch about the first two and a half minutes.)
These marketing tricks of the trade are wild. And you’re right to feel both a little bewildered and betrayed by your favorite places after knowing that everything you’ve seen them push out to grab your attention has been fake. (But if it didn’t grab your attention in the first place, would you have tried it to begin with?) Marketing for private practice owners can be enlightened by these concepts while still remaining clear and authentic. It’s all about helping you, clinician, find your “branded” voice.
You know what you know. You know how good you are at it. Being able to convey this to others is difficult because we’re built to “be humble” and “show humility.” But Coca-Cola sure doesn’t. They brand themselves as the greatest things since sliced bread. So how can mental health experts do the same without sacrificing who they think they are?
The secret: clearly and honestly share what you’re good at. Boldly declare what you’re not good at. Own your niche, and let the world know.
When our brand posts its awareness campaign that “Simply Psych is a therapist lifestyle company,” what does that invoke in you? Now, what if we change it to “Simply Psych: The Improving Therapists’ Lives Company.” How does that change your perception? We know (like you know) the importance of the words we choose and what order we place them in. Less is more. Subtleties are chasms. The goal is to invoke very clearly what your end goal is and who your target audience is. Identifying your niche is the first step in this process.
Think back on that tricksy video at the top of this page. Who knew marketing was so devious?! Or at least it can be. Especially considering that the average person is exposed to nearly 5,000 ads a day. Pulling the wool over the eyes of an unaware, influenceable audience does feel conniving. And that’s mainly because of how advertisements affect the human brain. It’s almost ironic to think about how to influence the brain with mental health care marketing methods.
As a mental health clinician, marketing in its purest form is just conveying to your target audience why your niche expertise in the field matters to them. Finding your branded voice goes hand-in-hand with discovering and focusing on your specific niche. And with your unique avenue of mental health prowess established and clearly laid out, your ideal patients/clients will be revealed.
For example, one of our clients (Bryant Berry, owner of The Berry Good Life) is branded as “the therapist that loves kids who throw fits.” Bryant focuses on child behavioral management, offering in-home visits so that he can experience those kids throwing fits in real time and offer practical and personal behavioral solutions to his patients. He has clearly established his niche to find his branded voice, and then utilized it to fill his schedule with his ideal clients.
People need novel, niche, and memorable experiences, all of which can be built into your practice. That’s what Simply Psych is here for! Our niche is private practice management solutions that create more time for clinicians to spend treating patients. We can help you narrow down your niche, find your branded voice, and be a champion marketer to reach your target audience. Ready to exponentially grow your private practice? Reach out to us at www.SimplyPsych.com! We are here for you.
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