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 policy.
When the effects of COVID-19 began to reverberate through the country at the beginning of this year, private practices everywhere had to quickly pivot away from in-office appointments to utilizing Telehealth as their primary method of seeing clients. For some clinicians, this change’s swift and dramatic nature may have led it to feel temporary, but it’s clear now that Telehealth is here to stay. While this new way of running your practice may seem overwhelming at times, there are a number of surprising benefits you may not have considered.
Struggling to move your therapy practice online?
If you’re finding it difficult to move your practice entirely online, or just not sure where to start, sign up for this free email course to learn the 5 most important steps you should take when transitioning to Telehealth:
One of the most significant advantages this new digital environment offers is even more ways to connect with potential clients online. With people spending more time online reading, doing research, and looking for mental health resources, there are several easy things you can do right now to stand out from the crowd and connect with your ideal client.
In today’s blog post, we’ll cover the top 5 things you can do right now to attract new Telehealth clients.
1. Determine who your ideal client is, and target your messaging to them
Before jumping into the advice offered later in this blog, it’s important to consider who your ideal client is.
Why, you may ask?
By first determining who your ideal client is and what issues they are facing, you’ll be much more successful in creating marketing initiatives that allow you to connect with them. When looking for a therapist online, people often ask questions such as “how can I overcome this?” or “who can help me deal with this?”. If you or your practice can be the one to provide answers to these questions upfront, it immediately builds trust and encourages someone looking for therapy to set up an initial consultation.
Need a little help finding your ideal client?
Take our Ideal Client Quiz now!
2. Reach out to your current (and previous) clients
It may be surprising to you that when trying to attract NEW Telehealth clients, one of our first tips suggests reaching out to current clients.
However, there is an important reason for this.
You may have found that some of your regular clients ‘dropped off’ when they could no longer attend their in-person sessions. Often, clients may not be technologically savvy or have other concerns about Telehealth that they haven’t vocalized.
Proactively addressing these concerns and providing them with information about how you conduct telehealth sessions can go a long way to retaining existing clients or encouraging previous clients to return.
Better yet, this outreach will help you understand how to target your messaging and allow you to have a good idea about how to talk about Telehealth when developing strategies for connecting with new clients.
There are several ways you can do this, but our top recommendation is to email current and previous clients with information about Telehealth that addresses common concerns you may have heard and reaffirms the benefits of online sessions. While you could send this same email to each of your clients individually, why not make this step even more effortless? Create a newsletter list of all current and previous clients and send it to everyone at once. If you need help setting up a newsletter, check out this blog post.
3. Fill your website with relevant information
Updating your website to reflect your Telehealth services is one of the most important steps you can take to attract new clients. Your homepage is the first place your clients, new or current, will look for information on your Telehealth services. You want to make sure the content on your website includes information about what kind of Telehealth services you offer, where they can learn more, and how to go about booking an online session with you.
You want to add a Telehealth statement to your homepage because that’s where most people will enter your website. This page should draw immediate attention to your new Teletherapy service and provide a clear CTA (call to action) button that directs users to either schedule an appointment or to visit another web page (or blog post) where they can find more information on Teletherapy. Your website should always include helpful text and frequent CTAs for visitors to learn what they need and then quickly connect with you, book a consultation, or send you a message.
You’ll also want to create a new specialty service page on your site dedicated specifically to Teletherapy, so you can direct users to a full page where they can learn about this service more in-depth. In your content, make sure you answer all of their questions and address any potential concerns they may have about Teletherapy. Make sure your website lays out all details concerning your telehealth services and a clear call to action to schedule a session.
It’s also helpful to include a Telehealth FAQ (frequently asked questions) page on your website. On this page, you can answer questions regarding payment, insurance, consent, privacy, technology, and add anything else you believe might hold clients back from scheduling an appointment.
Create and share original content online
Creating content to publish to your website and social media can boost your SEO, increase your visibility, and help identify you as an expert in your field. Social media can be the key to establishing yourself as a trusted expert and thought leader. All you have to do is focus on creating and posting the content your ideal client and followers are looking for online.
By sharing content that aligns with your ideal clients’ interests, they’ll likely keep coming back to your page for more, making them much more likely to book a session with you or recommend you to another family member or friend. Some examples of this type of content include blog posts, podcasts, videos, and social media posts. You could also consider creating and sharing a free downloadable guide, online course, or e-book that would be interesting and helpful to your target customers.
Your website’s blog and social media networks are excellent ways to engage with current and potential clients online. When it comes to sharing content, to be effective, you also need to continue posting regularly. I know this sounds time-consuming and maybe even a little intimidating, but there are plenty of tools to minimize the amount of time and effort you have to commit. Take, for example, Social Genie that allows you to schedule pre-created content to automatically post to your website’s blog and/or social media pages on the day and time of your choice with just a few clicks of your mouse.
Ready to automate your content marketing?
Social Genie by Brighter Vision is the perfect solution. Sign up for a 14-day free trial today.
5. Build out your referral network
Including testimonials from current Telehealth clients on your website, on social media, and in your newsletters is a great way to further promote your online services. People love hearing about how someone just like them was successful, and in return, instantly become more likely to book a session with you right then and there.
Leverage your current network. Even though in-person meetings might be out of the question right now, calling other local therapists and establishing new relationships can drastically help boost your referrals. When speaking with them, let them know you offer Telehealth services for [insert your specialty here]. This way, if someone reaches out to them for a particular service that may not necessarily fit into what they specialize in, they can refer them to you.
Joining a directory listing site is another fantastic way to get more referrals. The return on investment is also awe-inspiring. For as little as $30 a month, you can attract multiple new clients that could quickly become long-term regulars.
In addition to its high ROI, Google loves directories. Joining an online directory and optimizing your profile for Telehealth can drastically increase your brand recognition and online visibility for this particular service. More often than not, online searchers are going to find themselves scrolling through an online therapist directory before visiting any of the private practice websites listed below these directories in their search results.
Next Steps
The future certainly looks bright for Teletherapy. With more and more individuals following social distancing guidelines and the increasing need for more flexibility in our lives, Telehealth opens up a whole new world with infinite possibilities.
Because now is the perfect time to focus on building out your Telehealth client list, your next steps should involve sitting down and coming up with a personalized Telehealth marketing strategy.
If you need more guidance or just a little inspiration, feel free to reach out to us for a free marketing consultation. Click here to schedule a call today.
Brighter Vision is a preferred vendor of AAMFT, specializing in making marketing simple for private practices. Their all-inclusive website design service helps therapists grow their practices with a variety of marketing tools and resources. All members receive their entire first year of a new website with Brighter Vision for only $49/month plus no setup fees; that’s a savings of $220. To take advantage of this offer, please click here.