This content is provided by Brighter Vision, an affinity partner of AAMFT. This information is not necessarily the views of AAMFT and should not be interpreted as official AAMFT policy.
While Facebook marketing is an important tool for private practice owners and individual therapists alike, the many moving parts of it all can often make it seem much easier said than done. One classic hurdle for new therapists just starting their online marketing journey is setting up a Facebook Page for their business. With a little help, setting up your practice’s Facebook Page can be a quick and easy task that will pay off big time in the long run.
Having an active presence on Facebook allows you to take advantage of the platform’s superior ability to target your ideal local clients. Creating an official Facebook Page gives your practice a sense of authority, providing your potential clients with a place to learn more about your business and the services you provide.
In this post, we’ll walk you through all the necessary steps to set up your private practice’s Facebook Page properly. Then we’ll turn our focus to fine-tuning your Facebook Page to make your practice stand out from the rest.
4 Steps to Set Up Your Facebook Business Page
1. Create Your Facebook Business Page Using Your Personal Account
One important thing to know about your new business page is that you’ll manage it through your personal Facebook account, so you’ll need to log into that account before we go any further.
Next, you’ll simply navigate to the top of the Facebook homepage and click the “Create” button, which will create a drop-down menu. From that drop-down menu, you’ll select the “Page” option. And you’re on your way!
2. Name Your Facebook Business Page
On the next page you’ll be asked to choose between two options – “Business or Brand” or “Community or Public Figure.” While you may also be an important figure in your community, we’re creating this Facebook page for your private practice business so we’re going to select “Business or Brand” on the left.
After you click the “Get Started” button, you’ll immediately be asked for the name of your page and the category it falls under.
We recommend that you use the name of your private practice as the name of your business page. For example, use “New Horizons Therapy” rather than something like “New Horizons Therapy Page.”
For the category, we recommend using “Therapist” but this is part up to you.
Then, after you’ve chosen your category, a new section will appear for you to enter your office’s address and phone number. You’ll also notice there is a small checkbox underneath the phone number that allows you to hide your street address and only show the city and state in which you’re located.
This is a good option if you have multiple office locations or provide telehealth / online services.
Once you’ve filled out everything in this box, simply click the blue “Continue” button to keep going.
3. Upload Your Profile & Cover Pictures
Arguably the most important visual elements of your Facebook business page - what will really make it look like your private practice - are your profile picture and cover photo. On the next page you’ll be asked to upload these as files, starting with your profile picture.
You have a couple great options when considering what to upload as your profile picture.
One good option for your overall branding is to use your private practice’s logo, but this might not work as well if your logo is very long/tall or if it contains a lot of fine details that won’t show up well in a small size. If this is the case, you can also make a stunning profile picture by using a well-lit photo of your counseling office or waiting area. At the same time, if you’re not working in a group practice you can also use a professional headshot here.
When it comes to your cover photo, the most attractive option will always be a colorful, high quality photograph. As with your profile picture, attractive or cute photos of your private practice office work very well here to keep your imagery on-theme. Another cover photo option is to create an image with a free tool like Canva that contains a motivational or inspirational quote related to your specialty. For instance, if you work primarily with couples, choose a quote about relationships.
The ideal size for your profile picture is any square image that is at least 720 pixels wide, and the ideal size for your cover photo is any wide horizontal image that is at least 315 pixels tall and 850 pixels wide.
4. Fill in Your “About” Section Details
To make your Facebook business page feel and look truly complete, there are a number of little details to input about your practice. The good news is that Facebook has made it easy on you by sticking them all in one place!
Navigate to your page’s “About” section by heading over to the mini menu on the left side of the screen.
On the next page, you’ll be presented with all of the information that Facebook wants you to fill in about your business. Take some time to fill out things here as thoroughly as possible by clicking on each item. Fortunately, you’ll either know most of this information by heart or you’ll be able to look it up quickly to copy from another directory site.
And that’s it - your private practice has a beautiful new Facebook Page to represent you online!
Now you’re ready to take the steps to really pump up your page into the best it can be for you and your practice.
How to Make Your Facebook Business Page Awesome
1. Add a Call-to-Action Button
One of the best ways to start seeing some real engagement with your new page from your potential clients is to add a call-to-action (CTA) button. You can do this by clicking the blue “Add a Button” button underneath your cover photo.
You will be able to choose the most applicable option based on a list of button choices. Choose the option that speaks the best to what you want people to do once they reach your Facebook Page. Our suggestions would be a “Call Now,” “Contact Us,” or “Learn More” button that directs the visitor to your private practice’s website.
2. Customize Your Page’s Web Address
Another fun feature of Facebook business pages is that Facebook allows you to customize the URL that people use to reach your page.
This is a great move for your marketing in general, simply because it’s a lot easier to remember and recommend “facebook.com/YourPracticeName” than it is to remember the random combination of letters and numbers they use to initially create your account.
Customizing your Page’s web address with a custom username also makes it easier for people to find it in Facebook searches, effectively increasing your Page’s search engine optimization (SEO) at the same time.
To get started, click on “Create Page @Username” just under your profile picture.
Facebook will then ask you to select a “username” to use as the tail of your page’s URL (we recommend using the name of your private practice again). For example, if you made your username “HopeRisesTherapy,” then your Facebook page’s URL would be “facebook.com/HopeRisesTherapy”
Confirm your username of choice, and enjoy your new custom Facebook URL.
3. Market Your Facebook Business Page by Posting Regularly
The best way to market your practice’s new business page is to create a regular posting schedule. Posting regularly and predictably not only gets your name out there so your posts can start showing up in people’s Facebook searches, but it also helps to build your brand’s reputation and trustworthiness online.
Think of it this way: how much less would you trust a business whose Facebook page has only ever posted twice? On the flip side, how much more would you trust a business that has been regularly putting out relevant posts every week for the last 6 months?
Along with developing a dependable posting schedule, it’s also important to keep your posts thematically similar. You want to make sure you’re attracting your ideal clients by posting content that they will find interesting or helpful. If you’re posting content that’s all over the board, it will be much more difficult to build up a dedicated group of followers.
Little touches like these help to pull your posting strategy together into something truly professional - and effective.
4. Make Facebook Posting Easier Than Ever
If you’re looking for a way to take your Facebook and social media marketing to the next level, then look no further!
Brighter Vision has created a new tool, Social Genie, that takes away all of the pain when it comes to creating and scheduling social media posts for your practice.
With thousands of pre-written posts to choose from, dozens of pre-created social media campaigns, and easy-to-use scheduling software, therapists can easily schedule out up to a year’s worth of social media posts in only about 15 minutes time.
Save yourself from the headaches and hassles of social media marketing, and contact Brighter Vision today to get started on a 14-day free trial of Social Genie.