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.
Therapy comes in all shapes and sizes. There’s behavioral therapy, hypnotherapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, physical therapy, massage therapy… the list goes on and on.
But no matter which type of therapy you provide, the reason is always the same – to help people heal.
Does your private practice website depict this right off the bat?
There are, of course, many different ways to ensure it does. Among the most obvious are your business name and website URL.
But then there are all of the smaller pieces of your brand that truly attract your ideal client to your website and ultimately, your business. These include the visual aspects of your site such as its color scheme, fonts, and imagery, as well as the branding aspects of your practice such as your brand’s tagline, slogan, and mission statement.
In today’s post, we’re going to cover these important branding aspects – mission statements, slogans, and taglines.
Because these terms are often used interchangeably (or combined in an effort to save a little time), let’s take things from the beginning and start out by making sure we understand the difference between these three types of branding texts.
Mission statements are more descriptive and commonly consist of a few sentences making one short paragraph that explains the ‘how’ and ‘why’ of your business as a whole.
Slogans are shortened versions of your mission statement that say in about 12 words or less what you do, who you do it for, and/or why you do it.
And finally, taglines are written representations of your brand that summarize your practice in only a few words.
Now let’s dive in a little deeper and talk more about what each of these are and what makes them effective so that you can build a truly successful private practice.
Mission Statements
Mission statements – also sometimes referred to as “vision statements” or “company values” – are the most descriptive of the three and are traditionally created to inspire a practice from within. They should demonstrate the importance of a higher emotional connection between your practice’s employees and its clients by reinforcing the values you were founded on.
While your mission statement can certainly be shared with clients – either displayed somewhere in your office or somewhere on your private practice website – it should be designed as an internal document to bring all departments together as one collective brand.
But what does this mean in layman’s terms?
Write up a few sentences to tell your employees the ‘why’ and ‘how’ behind the work you do in your private practice. It should contain all the thoughts necessary to engage and inspire your staff.
Ask yourself questions like…
- What are our objectives?
- How will we go about fulfilling these objectives?
- Who do we serve?
- How do we serve them?
- What are we promising our clients?
- How will we deliver on those promises?
This is your chance to make sure all of your employees – whether they’re a fellow practicing therapist, a part of your administrative staff, or a member of the weekly cleaning crew – are all on the same page.
Be concise in your answers and make them as simple as possible so that everyone who enters the back end of your practice (for any reason) understands the values you stand for and how they should be acting on those values to best represent your practice.
Think of your mission statement as the North Star guiding everyone within your practice to success, rather than a branding message.
Slogans
A slogan, also sometimes referred to as a motto, is a shorter version of your private practice’s mission statement written specifically for your ideal client.
It’s your opportunity to tell your website visitors why they should choose your practice, what you can offer them, and why you do what you do; all within one single, short sentence.
For example, Brighter Vision’s slogan can be found right under our tagline in the main banner of our homepage.
The slogan “custom websites & marketing solutions for therapists” tells website visitors who our ideal client is as well as the tools we provide to help them with marketing their business.
Taglines
A tagline is an even shorter yet version of your private practice’s slogan. It’s essentially the battle cry of your overall brand.
A tagline is commonly displayed directly underneath your business name in your company logo and it can be a real asset if it’s crafted the right way.
Unlike mission statements and slogans, taglines have the unique ability to be created to embody implied meanings. The best taglines in the history of marketing are memorable without directly coming out and saying what the product is.
Take the Brighter Vision tagline, for instance:
“Marketing Made Simple”
This tagline doesn’t come right out and say how we make marketing simple or who we make marketing simple for, but it does position us in the category of marketing. This tells our website visitors that if they’ve come to our site for marketing help of any kind, they should explore the different services we have to offer.
Then, our slogan – “custom websites & marketing solutions for therapists” – further explains the ways we help with marketing as well as who we provide those services for.
If you’re struggling to come up with a great tagline for your therapy business, here are a few examples to spark some inspiration for your own private practice:
- “Improve your life. Reduce your stress” – for a hypnotherapy practice
- “Your place • Your schedule • Our touch” – for someone who provides traveling therapy services (at their own clients’ homes/offices)
- “Because your child deserves the best” – for a children’s therapist
- “Creating pathways for better communication” – for a couple’s counselor
- “Here to help you, help your loved one” – for someone who provides counseling for caregivers
The Difference Matters
The difference between these three terms may seem minor, but the time spent on creating each of these for your brand can make a huge impact on your success. The more explanative you can get with your practice’s goals and values, the better you’ll be able to communicate your brand and connect with your ideal client. So, give your brand a little self-care and take some time to create a mission statement, slogan, and tagline for your private practice.
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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.