2020 has been a difficult year for everyone. The economy is crashing. In the United States. We’re in the midst of a tense political climate. The planet is dying. There is a deadly virus running rampant. There’s a global pandemic the likes of which none of us has ever seen.

A lot of bad things happened this year, and who knows what 2021 has in store. But as a therapist, you’re used to balancing the good and the bad. You know how to sit with difficult emotions– you help your clients do this every day. 

The question is, has anything good come out of the pandemic for you? What has 2020 done for your practice?

Finding the Silver Lining

For me, 2020 saw the launch of my copywriting business after nearly a year and a half of unemployment. It brought me new clients who I love working with. I found freedom in my job. 2020 gave me a career I didn’t even know I was looking for.

So what about you? What positive things did 2020 bring to you and your business?

For starters, 2020 saw a major increase in the amount of stress, depression, and anxiety. More people struggle with substance abuse and domestic violence is on the rise. People need help with their mental health more than ever.

This is obviously terrible, but it does mean more business for you. As I said, we’re finding silver linings.

Although you’re either stuck working from home over Zoom with your clients or holed up in your office, you may have made some new professional connections. I find that the more isolated we get, the more important is to reach out to people. Now is the time to join a peer supervision group. Connect with your fellow therapists. Social media has made connecting with others so much easier than before. Plus, now we all know how to use Zoom!

One of the best things I did for myself in this new world of being a solopreneur is to connect with other copywriters. I have several copywriters from different niches and backgrounds that I meet with on Zoom regularly. We share wins, brainstorm ideas, talk about the business in general, and have become friends. It’s been one of the biggest blessings because I’m not sure without all of the Zoom calls I would have felt comfortable initiating this kind of relationship with people I’ve never met before.

Marketing Yourself by Connecting With a Mental Health Copywriter

I’ve met a lot of therapists this year seeking marketing help. Because things have been so difficult and some practices saw a dip in clients this year, marketing has become something many of you are now thinking about. 

The therapists that I talk to, while strapped for cash, are looking for ways to increase their marketing strategy. They value hiring a copywriter to do the writing work for them so that they can focus on their practices.

I’ve entered into some wonderful working relationships with therapists who are now my clients. One thing I’ve heard them say is that I’ve helped clarify their message, their ideal client, and their goal for their practice.

Working with a copywriter can do that. Your mental health copywriter, especially one that’s a therapist like me, knows how to take your thoughts and ideas and turn them into clear, well-written pieces of copy that your clients and potential clients benefit from.

I’ve also noticed a trend in therapists upping their social media game. Now that everyone’s online and scrolling all day, the competition is steep. If you’re not posting on social media regularly, you’re behind.

This goes for blogs as well. If you’re not posting consistently, you’re not helping your SEO. When I say consistently, I mean the same day and time every week or every other week, depending on what you can afford. Ideally, you’re posting every week, but I know that at least some of my clients can’t afford weekly blog posts, so we do every other week. It still helps their SEO and if they’re consistent, their clients and Google know what to expect.

What Does the Pandemic Mean For Your Practice?

As I mentioned earlier, there’s been a spike in mental health needs due to the pandemic. That number is going to rise as we head into winter and everyone is forced indoors. For people who live by themselves, this will be a real issue as loneliness and depression set in. For people who live with a pattern, significant, other, families, or roommates, other challenges arise.

This means that more people than ever before are going to need mental health services. Will you be ready?

For most of you, growing your practice is your main goal and business concern. But how you do that is important. That’s why hiring a mental health copywriter to do your marketing is crucial.

Mental health copywriters know how to write to your clients in a way that makes them feel that you’re having a conversation directly with them.  They understand your clients’ pain points. 

Something that may have happened for you during this pandemic is that you clarified who your ideal client is. It’s easy to want to rack up the clientele and accept everyone, but you’re most likely a specialist. It’s ok to be selective about who your clients are. I am. If you’re speaking to everyone you’re speaking to no one. Your mental health copywriter will tell you that on the first call. And copywriters want you to know your target audience.

If you’ve spent time during this pandemic preparing your marketing strategy with a mental health copywriter, you should be in a good position to bring in more clients. Especially now that there are more people seeking help.
This pandemic sucks. There’s no question about that. But it means that more people need help, and that’s what you’re here for. So hire a mental health copywriter who knows how to market to your audience and clients will be finding you. Contact me to get started!

You’ve taken a big step and hired a mental health copywriter to write for you. You’ve got them writing all kinds of things. You’ve noticed, though, that the things that really trip you up are writing catchy headlines for blogs and email subject lines. 

It’s obviously not just enough to write a good headline. You need to be able to grab the reader’s attention. You also need to keep it.

According to Copyblogger, “On average, 8 out of 10 people will read headline copy, but only 2 out of 10 will read the rest. ” The secret sauce is in writing a catchy title that reflects what you’re writing about.

Take a second to think about what gets your attention. “Write a good headline and email subject line” is not the most eye-catching title for this blog. Notice that I gave you an action to do by saying “make the most of…” You wanted to learn more.

Getting and Keeping Your Audience

Obviously, there’s a lot more to writing a good blog or email than a catchy headline or email subject line. I’ve got to keep your attention throughout the piece or you’ll click away. Similar to getting people to stick around your website, you need to hook the reader from the beginning and keep their attention throughout your blog or email.

The headline and the email subject line are the hooks. You want people to open that email and feel compelled to read it all the way through. The reason this is important is that usually, your call to action (CTA) comes at the end of your email or blog. You need your reader to get all the way to the bottom so they can do what you want them to do.

Writing a Catchy Headline For a Blog

There are some tips and tricks that I use to write catchy headlines for blogs, and I’m going to share some of them with you now. You’re welcome!

The first is using numbers. “5 Ways to Write a Catchy Headline” would have been another good title for this blog. For some reason, odd numbers like 3, 5, and 7 and the big 10 are catchier than even numbers. I don’t know the science, I just know it works.

“How to…” headlines are another way to grab the reader’s attention. You want to pull them in. If you read a headline that says “How to Write a Catchy Headline That Leaves Your Readers Wanting More,” you just might click on it to see what I have to say.

Another type of catchy email for a blog is to use punctuation. Colons, hyphens, and parentheses are all great ways to grab your reader’s attention. “5 Ways to Write a Catchy Headline (Free Template Inside)” is another way I could have grabbed your attention. I also am promising you something with the “free template inside.”

I personally like using “make the most of…” It gets your attention and makes you wonder what I have to say that can really help you maximize your time, money, etc.

Another tip to writing a catchy headline for a blog is to write a bunch of them. I usually write at least five, sometimes upwards of ten before I land on the one. Just like when you write, it’s nearly impossible to get it right the first time. You have to write the shitty first draft, then edit the crap out of it until it’s polished and ready to go. 

Headlines are the same way. You need to go through many iterations of the same thing before you find the one that works. I often like to write the headline first. It helps me shape the piece. If I’ve written a good headline before I write the blog it usually helps keep me on track.

Sometimes, though, the catchy headline for a blog comes after I’ve written it. It’s just a personal preference and situation-dependent.

Writing a Catchy Email Subject Line

I’ll admit that I struggle with catchy email subject lines. You don’t want them to be clickbaity, but you want to grab the reader from the beginning. 

Be careful of trying to be cool. Subject lines that have too many emojis make me delete them instantly. It seems gimmicky and cheap. My advice: don’t do it.

I like email subject lines that are questions. When I write cold emails, I use subject lines like “Name, do you want to know how I can save you time?” and “Name, how can I support your mission?” 

Notice that I use the person’s name in the subject line. The recipient is more likely to open that email if it’s addressed directly to them.

Additionally, you want to make sure that your email subject lines aren’t too long. If I check my email and see a subject line that is so long it doesn’t fit in my inbox window, I’m less likely to open it. Short and to the point is the way to go when writing catchy email subject lines.

Understanding How to Write Catchy Email Subject Lines and Catchy Headlines For Blogs

Now that you have a basic understanding of the ins and outs of writing catchy headlines and email subject lines, it’s time to put that knowledge to use. Hire a mental health copywriter who knows how to write catchy headlines and email subject lines. With your new knowledge, you’ll be able to collaborate on titles and subject lines with your copywriter.
To get started with a mental health copywriter who knows her stuff, contact me. Let’s get you more readers with catchy headlines and subject lines and keep those readers coming back! Happy writing!

We’ve talked about the importance of building an audience. We’ve talked about why mental health professionals should have a blog. We’ve even talked about using social media. You now understand the importance of speaking to an audience. But how do you have meaningful conversations with your virtual audience?

It may not seem like most forms of copywriting can create a conversation with your audience. Who’s having a conversation through their screens? How do you engage your audience virtually? The truth is, there are lots of ways mental health copywriters use words to engage with your readers. Some examples are through your website copy, blogs, emails, and social media.

Two-Way Communication

The key is to make your writing a two-way communication. Social media is the obvious form of two-way communication. You can have a back and forth with someone on all forms of social media. This is really important to remember when using social media for marketing purposes. Everything you write should speak directly to your virtual audience and make them want to like and comment back. Then you can comment back to them, and so on.

If you’re writing a blog, you need to write in a conversational tone. You want your readers to imagine talking to you about the topic. They should hear your voice speaking through your blogs directly to them. This creates a feeling of being in a meaningful virtual conversation with you.

Your blog should have a comments section so that readers can communicate directly with you. This gives them a way to literally turn what they just read into a two-way conversation.

Website copy is just as important when having a meaningful conversation with your virtual audience as blogs and social media. When someone lands on your site, you want them to feel like you’re talking directly to them. You need to hit their pain points right away. And you should have a section where they can contact you directly to continue the conversation.

Emails are also a great way to have a meaningful conversation with your virtual audience. You’re dropping into their inbox on the regular. You’re speaking directly to them. We all check our emails constantly, and if your emails are getting read, then your reader should feel like you are speaking directly to them. Those emails should feel personal. This is how you engage your audience virtually.

Who Are You Talking To?

In order to make your audience feel like you’re speaking directly to them, you need to be crystal clear about who your audience is. You’ve got to narrow down your niche and know exactly who your ideal client is. What do they do for a living? What are their hobbies? How old are they? Do they have kids? Pets? Like to travel?

You want to give your virtual audience what they want. In order to do that, you and your mental health copywriter need to do some market research. Once you know who your audience is, find out what they like, what they don’t like, and what you think they need to hear.

Sometimes you’ll find that they didn’t know they needed to read it until you gave it to them. But once they’ve read what you have to say, they should come away from that piece of copy satisfied that you gave them what they didn’t know they’d been looking for.

One of the reasons mental health copywriters want mental health professionals like yourself to write blogs is that they establish you as a thought leader in your field. By doing that, people will put stock in what you have to say. They’ll listen. This creates trust. Your audience will keep coming back. That’s how you create meaningful conversations with your virtual audience!

Speak in a Conversational Tone Directly To Your Virtual Audience

If you notice, I’m speaking directly to you. I use the word “you” throughout. You should be doing this in all of your copy, regardless of the form. Copywriting is different from the writing you’re probably used to. It’s less formal. You want to feel like the person whose copy you’re reading is in the room talking to you.

Speaking in a conversational tone is key when it comes to engaging with your virtual audience. It makes them feel like you’re having a conversation. They may be more apt to leave comments, share your blogs or social media posts, or even reach out to you directly.

That’s what we’re going for- engagement. This has many forms. It can be likes or comments on a social media post. It can be a direct message or an email. It can be a phone call to set up an appointment with you. This is what I want for you! But the only way to do that is to speak directly to your audience in a way that they feel like you’re having a conversation.

Because you are. 

One other thing to note is that it’s really important to steer clear of jargon. You need to write like you talk. But all of you mental health professionals are incredibly sharp and well-educated. It’s easy to get jargon-y. Don’t. Speak to your audience the way you would talk to someone who knows nothing about psychology. 

Prepare To Converse With Your Virtual Audience

Now that we’ve covered the basics, it’s time to dive deep. I write words in your voice directly to your audience. I do the research to find out what your audience likes, wants, and needs. Then I help you engage in meaningful conversations with your virtual audience. 

Contact me to get started on a copywriting journey with a mental health professional who writes for other mental health professionals.

Have you ever found yourself in a writing slump? Do you have trouble coming up with new topics to write about? Maybe you feel like there’s nothing l left to say because it’s all been said already.

The thing is, there is no such thing as an original idea. I hate to break it to you, but it’s true. All ideas come from other ideas. My idea for this blog came from reading something someone wrote on LinkedIn.

So why would I write about it if it’s already been written about? Because no one’s heard what I have to say. And the same goes for you. What you have to say matters.

Coming up with new ideas is hard. Putting words to them is even harder. That’s why it’s important to work with your mental health copywriter to figure what you’re going to say. How are you going to write about new ideas in mental health? 

Coming Up With New Ideas

One of the hardest parts of writing is deciding on a topic. Coming up with new ideas is difficult, but like I said before, what you have to say matters. So whatever topic you choose, the world needs to hear about it.

Now, there are exceptions. As a mental health professional, you want to make sure you’re writing about relevant topics. You shouldn’t go off on a rant about the latest trends in intermittent fasting unless you tie it back to mental health. You could write about the mental health implications that intermittent fasting has on people who do it, though.

Although it may feel difficult to come up with an original idea (which I’ve already said doesn’t exist), not all the good ideas are taken. What you have to say matters. Even if the same thing has been said a million times, it hasn’t been said by you.

New ideas in mental health are difficult to come by. But new takes on old ideas are a great place to start. Everything we say is built on top of something we’ve learned, read, or heard.

When I write a blog for someone, for example, I do a ton of research on that topic. I take pieces of what I’ve read and incorporate that into the piece. Coming up with new ideas is tough. Reappropriating existing ideas is also tough, but that’s the job. It’s all about using what you’ve learned and using it to inform what you have to say. And what you have to say matters.

New Ideas in Mental Health

One of the things I love about writing for therapists and other mental health professionals is the collaborative process of coming up with ideas for topics. I’m specifically talking about blogs, but it oculd be anything. What do you want to say in your newsletter? What messages do you want to send in your email sequence? What story does your website tell?

It may feel overwhelming when I ask you “what do you want to write about?” But I”m here to work with you to figure that part out.

The hardest part is getting hung up on whether your topic is an original idea. Sure, there are new ideas in mental health, but they came out of other ideas. You probably have come up with a bunch of new ideas, but you may not think they’re worth writing about because someone else has written about it before.

But that’s what research is. It’s based on other people’s ideas and other people’s studies. You’re adding value to the mental health field by putting your idea out there. One day someone will cite you.

What You Have to Say Matters

You’re establishing yourself as a thought leader in your field. You do this through your writing. This is why it’s important to find a mental health copywriter who works with you to get your message across. Because what you have to say matters.

You’re an expert in your field. Shouldn’t the world hear your thoughts? Don’t you want to share your latest research? That idea you’ve been sitting on for months is ready to spill onto the page.

And the best part is that when you hire a mental health copywriter, you don’t have to actually do the writing yourself. This saves you precious time that you don’t have to spend on writing blogs, emails/newsletters, and other types of copy.

Working With Me On Creating “Original Ideas”

Let your mental health copywriter do the work for you. I take your ideas and bring them to life on the page. I know how to work with mental health professionals, helping you come up with new ideas in mental health. 

Take the leap today and set up a free discovery call. Let’s discuss how to work together to get your new ideas in mental health out of your brain and onto the page. We’ll work on coming up with new and original ideas (that don’t exist). We’ll find ways to show that what you have to say matters. Let’s go on this journey together.

Happy writing!

What is inbound marketing and why is it important for mental health professionals?

Inbound marketing is when the clients find you through a variety of channels. Social media, SEO, and blogs are all forms of inbound marketing. 

Why is this a good strategy? Because it attracts clients organically. Outbound marketing (think ads) is useful, but not always the best way to market yourself. With inbound marketing, you’re creating connections with potential clients and showing them how you can solve their problems.

It’s important, like with any kind of marketing, to have an inbound marketing strategy. Enter your mental health copywriter.

What’s the Best Form of Inbound Marketing?

There are several forms of inbound marketing. For your inbound marketing strategy purposes, I’m going to focus on social media, SEO, and blogs because those are the most beneficial.

With social media, it’s as important to engage with others than it is to post content. You also need to post on a regular basis. Some businesses post daily, or even multiple times a day. As a mental health professional, you don’t have time for that, unless you’ve hired someone to manage your social media for you (which is a smart move). 

It’s not enough just to post. You need to have stories and tag other relevant accounts. You need to engage on social media, meaning you’re commenting and liking and DMing people. Hashtags are important too, as they attract people to your posts.

Inbound marketing for mental health professionals looks different than inbound marketing for e-commerce. But you’re still working for the same result: more clients! With social media, you can connect directly with your potential clients and promote your services and offerings.

I mentioned SEO. Some of you may not know what it is, which is fine, that’s why I’m here! SEO stands for search engine optimization. It’s how Google ranks you in a search. If you have a website that is well SEO-optimized and contains consistently updated blogs with relevant keywords, you’ll rank well. Keywords are what people type into Google searches. You need to  make sure you’re using relevant keywords and what are called longtail keywords in your copy. A longtail keyword is a phrase that someone types into a Google search, like “LGBTQ therapists in Philadelphia.”

SEO is extremely important for your inbound marketing strategy. If your website isn’t optimized, you won’t rank. Well-optimized websites aren’t just about the keywords. Optimization includes things like meta descriptions, which are the summaries of your webpage that show up underneath the name of your website in a Google search. Each page needs a different meta description.

Well-optimized websites also include pages that are longer than just a few paragraphs. You don’t want to write for the sake of having a high word count, though. You need to make sure that everything on your webpage is there for a reason. But you want a high enough word count so that Google recognizes your site.

Another important inbound marketing strategy for mental health professionals is having a consistently updated blog. This is another tool that will rank you higher in a Google search and boost your SEO. The key to successful blogs is consistency and relevancy. I’ve talked about this before because it’s important.

Blogs are multifaceted marketing tools. Yes, they boost your SEO, but they also provide your audience with resources. That’s why you want to make sure you’re writing blogs that potential (and current) clients need to read.

From an SEO standpoint, blogs need to be a certain length. Google doesn’t recognize any blogs that are under 1,000 words at least. You’re aiming for 1,000-1,200 minimum. Also, I mentioned consistency. Google rewards those who write blogs on a regular basis. Weekly blogs are a great place to start, although some people write multiple blogs a week. If you’re going to do this, make sure you can sustain that amount of content every week.

Inbound Marketing for Mental Health Professionals

Michelle Domonkos, a copywriter for medical professionals, wrote a great blog about inbound marketing for doctors. She points out that most patients, and in your case clients, find their doctors (or therapists) online. 

It’s true! When I’m searching for a therapist, I turn to Google and Psychology Today, which is another great inbound marketing strategy for mental health professionals. I’m looking for someone with whom I can connect and who earns my trust through their website. If they don’t have a comprehensive site with a blog and lots of information about what their services are and who they provide them to, I’m out.

The thing about an inbound marketing strategy is that it’s not just about new clients finding you. You want to keep a relationship with your current clients and keep them coming back. You want them to refer their friends and share your social media posts.

It’s a Marketer’s World Out There

I know that for some of you, marketing feels “icky.” As a mental health professional, you don’t see the need to market yourself. I’m here to tell you that you must put time and money into marketing. That’s why you hire a mental health copywriter, like me, to take the marketing off your plate so you can focus on what matters most: helping your clients.
If you’re ready to take the leap and hire a copywriter who understands inbound marketing for mental health professionals, contact me to set up a free consultation call. Happy inbound marketing!

Writing a blog can feel daunting if you’re not used to doing it. It’s hard to imagine being able to come up with over 1,000 words one thing. If you do the research, choose a good topic, and most importantly, write about something you care about, the words will flow.

Anyone can write a blog. The problem is that not everyone can write a good blog. Additionally, not everyone can write a mental health blog that people what to read. You want something that captivates your audience. You need to get them to stick around to read.

I’ve thought about my process. In doing so, I realized there are 7 steps to writing a good blog. I’m going to share them with you now so you can learn how to write an awesome blog. You’ll have a better understanding of the process your copywriter goes through, too.

1. Choose a topic

This may seem like the easy part. It isn’t always. Sometimes you think for days about what you want to write. I suggest keeping a small notebook or using the notes app on your phone to jot down any ideas as they come to you. That’s what I do.

I have a notebook specifically for blog ideas. I write down a whole bunch and then I go through and assign a date for each one.

When I’m working with clients, it’s a bit different. Often clients will already have ideas. We then work together to craft the rough idea into a complete thought. We brainstorm what exactly the blog will be. We’re focused on how to write an awesome mental health blog. 

2. Choose a Headline

For some people, picking a headline first before they write is helpful. For others, this step may come after you’ve written the body of your blog. For the purposes of sharing my process, I’m going to leave it where it is, because it’s how I work.

Once I have my topic, I come up with a list of headlines. I use a headline analyzer website to help me craft my headlines. The tricky part is coming up with something that’s eyecatching but not click-bait.

Because I write for mental health professionals, the headlines are usually not as catchy as if I were writing for someone in e-commerce, for example. Many therapists and other mental health professionals want headlines that are straightforward. They want to tell the reader exactly what the mental health blog is about. Which is the ultimate goal. But as a copywriter, I want to make sure it’s still catchy. I’m constantly focused on how to write an awesome blog for you. 

3. Choose Keywords

Just as it may seem strange to choose a headline before you write the blog, it might also seem weird to write out your keywords before you start writing. If you don’t, you risk not using them organically. You want to be clear with your keywords.

Keywords are important to a blog that is well SEO-optimized. When you do a Google search, you’re typing in keywords. Those keywords better show up in your blog, or no one will find it.

For example, the keywords I’m using for this blog are “how to write an awesome blog,” “7 steps to writing a good blog,” and “mental health blog.”

You’ll notice that my keywords are phrases. These are called long-tail keywords. They’re what people tend to type into Google when doing a search. To learn how to write an awesome mental health blog using these 7 steps, you need to understand keywords. That’s why you hire a mental health copywriter.

4. Outline and Research

I’ve put these two steps together because that’s how I work, but you may do things differently. Typically what I do is make an outline of everything my client and I talked about for this particular mental health blog. 

Once I’ve written out everything we’ve discussed, I bullet point the things I’m going to elaborate on. That’s when I start researching.

The researching process can take a while depending on the topic, so make sure you give yourself plenty of time when writing your mental health blog. To write an awesome blog, you must make sure it’s backed by research. This means finding reputable sources that were written within the last three years.

I like to grab quotes and definitions from my sources and plug them into my outline. When I write I either use the quote or paraphrase, always giving credit to the source. When citing sources in your mental health blog, you want to make sure that you use numbers and superscripts and link your sources at the end. If you link the source in the body of the text, people might click away from your post.

5. Write

If you’ll notice, within the 7 steps to writing a good blog, writing comes pretty far down the list. It takes a lot of work to get to the writing stage. Once you’re there, you’re going to want to make sure you give yourself a couple of days if you can.

What I do is I write the shitty first draft. I sit down and bang out as much as I can, hopefully writing the full thing, although not always. Then I walk away.

I try to sleep on it, but if I have to I come back to it later that day, time depending. Let’s say I’ve slept on it. The next day I’ll read it, edit it, and then walk away.

6. Edit

I don’t edit until the second day. This is because I want time to let it sit. I need to come back to it with fresh eyes.

I edit the piece as best I can, looking for keywords, playing with phrases, formatting headlines and subheaders. This is usually when I bold and italicize words and phrases that I want the audience to pay attention to. 

I also use a website that “grades” my work on how readable it is. It’s easy when writing a mental health blog to use jargon and long sentences. When I first started, this website kept telling me I was writing at a 12th grade reading level. The ideal level is about 6th-8th grade, but Hemingway App will settle for 9th grade.

This isn’t because your readers are dumb. It’s because your audience doesn’t want to read anything too complicated. If you’re going to write an awesome mental health blog that people want to read, you need to keep it simple. You’ll notice that my sentences are short, I rarely use passive voice, and I’m limiting the number of adverbs I’m using. All these things matter.

7. Select an Image and Post!

The last part is the easiest of the 7 steps to writing a good blog. If you’re using images, you always want to make sure they’re royalty-free. I like Unsplash, but there are a bunch of sites to choose from.

Once you’ve settled on your image and you’ve got everything formatted and edited, you’re ready to post! 

This is actually the scariest part for some people. Once you get into practice and feel confident that you know how to write an awesome blog, it will get less scary.

Time to Start Writing

Now that you’ve got the 7 steps to writing an awesome mental health blog, it’s time to get to work. Here’s where I come in because no one expects you to have the time to do all of this yourself. This is why you hire a mental health copywriter.

Let’s work together to write an awesome mental health blog for you. Contact me today to get started. Happy blogging!

If marketing seems like a foreign world to you, that’s ok. That’s why you hire a mental health copywriter. They know what to do.

But it’s important for you to understand the ins and outs a bit. It’ll make you a stronger marketer and brander for your mental health business. You’ll have a better understanding of how to write your social media posts or network with others, for example.

But there’s a secret I haven’t shared with you yet. So I thought it was time to enlighten you on one of the secret weapons of marketing.

It’s all about benefits vs. features.

Benefits vs. Features- The Secret Sauce

What are benefits and features? 

Simply put, the feature is the service and the benefit is what the person buying the service gets out of it.

Many people make the mistake of focusing on the feature, not the benefit. I see this mistake a lot. It’s really easy to talk about the what and not what you’ll get out of it.

It may seem straightforward enough to market the feature. Your what is your therapeutic services, that new workshop you’re offering, or that new product you’re selling. But those things aren’t important to the client or consumer.

What the consumer cares about is what you’re selling is going to do for them. “What’s in it for me?”

You should always think about that question when you’re marketing yourself and your services. Focusing on what the consumer gets out of buying your service is key in marketing your services.

What Are The Benefits of Your Features?

Let’s say you’re a company that sells sensory products for children with autism. The features are your products, which you’re proud of and need to market. But the benefits of those features are the most important thing.

If this is your company, your customers are probably parents, schools, and programs that use sensory items in their work. They probably already know what some of your products are. So why should they buy from you?

Maybe you sell cooling weighted vests. Your feature is the vest. The benefit is that it calms down the nervous system, is comforting to wear, and the cooling temperature keeps the wearer from feeling hot or overwhelmed.

So in your marketing copy, you focus on that. “If you’re looking for a way to calm your overwhelmed and anxious child down, try our cooling weighted vests. They calm your child’s nervous system down and reduce anxiety while also keeping them comfortable. Our vests help increase your child’s ability to interact with peers, focus on schoolwork, and play while staying comfortable and cool.”

Compare that to “Our cooling weighted vests are made out of X. They come in various sizes and colors and make your child feel less anxious.”

Yawn.

It’s not just that the second one is boring. The problem is that it doesn’t tell the consumer how it’s going to help their child. It just tells you what it is and what it does. This is where the secret of marketing comes in.

Featuring Your Benefits

When I’m searching for a therapist, I’m looking for someone I can connect with. Because everyone finds everything online these days, it’s important that your online presence is strong. I need to learn who you are and how you can help me in the first 60 seconds that I’m on your website. Otherwise, I’ve already moved onto someone else.

This means that when you’re writing your website copy, you need to grab my attention with what you can do for me. Yes, you should highlight your expertise. Sure, if I’m still around after the homepage I’ll probably care about what your trainings and certifications are in. But if you haven’t hooked me on that first page, I’m out.

If you’re a therapist, you (hopefully) also have a Psychology Today profile. These are tricky to write because you only get three paragraphs to tell people who you are, what you do, and how you can help.

But it’s the last one that’s the most important. Why should I pick you to be my trauma therapist? How does your training as a marriage and family counselor affect how you can help my husband and me reconnect?

Psychology Today profiles are a great way to practice your marketing skills because you have so few words to get your point across.

But on your website you have lots of space and words to use. As I said before, that homepage needs to be your hook. 

“Are everyday tasks difficult for you? Do you find it hard to focus? Are there areas of your life you want to change but just can’t muster the energy? At XYZ, I walk with you through the murky waters of managing your depression and help you come out on the other side feeling happier and healthier than ever.”

In this example, we’ve addressed the symptoms, we’ve identified the problem, and we’ve assured the consumer that you’re going to be there to help them. The next section is where you talk about how you help and the types of services you offer. You write blogs that speak to your audience of current and potential clients. You touch on their pain points while also providing information. Focusing on the benefits of your services is the secret of marketing.

Using Your Secret Marketing Sauce

Now you know a little bit about the secret of marketing. It’s time to take the leap and find someone who really knows how to bring in more clients. Hiring a mental health copywriter for your online marketing needs is essential when it comes to finding someone who understands how to market benefits over features.
Contact me to get started. Let’s feature those benefits together and bring you some new clients!

You’ve gotten on board with the idea of writing a blog for your therapy practice or organization. You’ve listened to your copywriter and you’ve identified reasons why you should have a blog in the first place. You’ve been told it’s important to update your blog.

At this point, you’ve realized why you need to build an audience and how to do it. 

So now what?

Know Where to Start

The first place to start is a conversation with your copywriter. If it’s me, I’d say you need to update your blog once a week. Twice a month is the least I would recommend. For one reason, your SEO will be boosted by a blog updated 4 times a month rather than 2. Google likes consistently updated blogs.

I took my website from the depths of Google to page one within less than three months. This is fast for SEO, which is a long game. It can take 3-6 months, depending on keywords used and whether or not you have a consistently updated blog, to move up in the Google rankings. My weekly blog helped speed up the process.

It isn’t enough to have a blog. It’s great that you’ve recognized the need to have one. Providing resources to your clients and getting potential clients to hop on an initial call are great reasons to have a blog. 

But regularly updated blogs are a big deal from a marketing standpoint. Aside from boosting your SEO, blogs are a great way to sell your services. SO you need to make sure you update your blog.

As a mental health professional, this may feel “yucky.” But you’ve got to be able to market yourself or else you’ll lose out to the competition.

There are plenty of mental health professionals out there who are using other forms of copy to boost their following. Social media has become a very popular way to get your name out and get people engaging with you. But there are good reasons why blogs are a better boost than social media. You can have both, but don’t neglect your blog.

Make the Most of Your Blog

Blogs aren’t just about selling your services, although that should usually be your call to action (CTA). They’re also a resource for your clients.

When I visit a mental health professional’s website, I always look to see if they have a blog. Blogs establish you as a thought leader in your field. I get a greater sense of what kind of therapist you are or what kind of products you’re selling from the types of blogs you’re writing.

And let’s be clear. Not all blogs are created equal. Slapping 500 words together about how hard the holidays are for couples to navigate is not the same thing as writing a well-crafted, SEO-optimized blog about handling the holidays with your partner and family in a way that only you, as a marriage and family therapist, can help. This is just an example, but you get my point.

What Your Blogs Should Be Like

Well-optimized blogs should be at least 1000 words. They should be well-crafted and carefully thought out. The best blogs tell a story. I don’t mean that they include anecdotes, although they can. When I say they should tell a story, I mean that the arc of the blog should take you from point A to point B. It should be clear to you what the author is saying and what they want you to do next.

Regularly updated blogs give you the opportunity to create a story arc through your blog. You may choose different topics that are relevant and new each week. Or you may choose to write a series of blogs that all center around the same theme.

As an example, I’m currently writing blogs for a therapist about mindfulness. We’ve been focusing on what mindfulness is, how to teach mindfulness to children, what mindfulness looks like in therapy, and so on. It’s become a whole series of blogs that her audience has come to expect.

We’ve talked a little before about the difference between content and copy. Content informs, copy converts. While it’s important to use your blog to inform your readers about topics that matter and are relevant to you and what you do, the blog shouldn’t just be words on a page about something you read about. 

Your blogs need to sell your services, and not just through your CTA at the end. The whole blog needs to be a marketing tool. Again, I know it feels icky to sell your therapy services. But there’s a whole group of people out there who are doing it, and if you’re not you’re losing to the competition.

Why You Need to Update Your Blog Consistently

As we already talked about, Google rewards consistency. Google crawls millions of pages everyday, and when it crawls yours you want it to find content that is worth ranking in a search. That’s why your blogs should be relevant as well as consistent.

Even the top experts don’t know how exactly how the Google algorithms work, but I can tell you the basics. If Google crawls your website and finds that you’re putting out consistent content, let’s say once a week, your ranking will go up. The more you post, the more content you create. And the more content you create, the more there is for Google to rank.

If you write weekly blog posts, that’s weekly content that is going to move you further up the Google rankings because there’s more to crawl. 

But let’s not forget about keywords. This is something your copywriter takes care of. Keywords are the words that people type into Google to find the answers to things. You want to make sure you’re using the right keywords. This is where it’s important to hire a copywriter to do the writing for you, so that you can be sure Google will find you from these keywords.

Blog With Me!

Now that you understand the what, the how, and the why, it’s time to figure out the who. And that’s where I come in!

Contact me to set up an appointment to talk about your blogging and copywriting needs. Let’s work together to rank you higher in a Google search and get you some consistent, relevant blogs. 

Happy blogging!

You’ve gotten on board with writing regular blogs for your audience. As a mental health professional, you want to provide value to your clients. You don’t just want to write fluff for the sake of posting a blog. No, you want to write about topics that your audience cares about. But you want to know what mental health topics to write about.

Therapists have so much to offer. You’re smart, well-educated, and you know your stuff. Most of you specialize in a specific type of therapy. People should know what you do. This is where knowing what therapists should write about is important.

I’ve talked about building your audience before and creating and building a brand. You’re doing the work, and you want to connect with your audience. They should come away from reading one of your blogs with more knowledge on a particular aspect of therapy and, ultimately, want to sign up for your services!

You’re committed to writing regular blogs. But the big question I hear from a lot of my clients is: “What do I write about?”

Choosing Mental Health Topics to Write About

The first place to start when writing regular blogs and knowing what you should write about is to start with what you know. If you’re a music therapist, choosing topics about practicing mindfulness through music therapy is a good mental health topic to choose from.

Maybe you’re a trauma therapist and you want to write about how trauma is stored in the body or the benefits of EMDR.

Whatever your specialty, it’s a good idea to start there.

But you don’t have to limit yourself to the things you specialize in. You can expand on what your specialties are by adding other topics. 

For example, you could write about overcoming stigma when it comes to mental health. This could be a broader topic or it could be more narrow, depending on the direction you want to go in.

One of my clients had a great idea for a blog topic. She wanted to write about trauma-informed language when practicing therapy with clients. It was important to her to share with other therapists why it’s necessary to steer clear of words such as “trigger,” which can be a triggering word to clients who have experienced gun violence, for example.

Another mental health topic to write about is recovery. You could write about stories of recovery. You could talk about what recovery is. Many people associate recovery with substance use disorders. But you and I both know that recovery is an ongoing process that applies to anyone dealing with mental health challenges.

You could also feature behavioral health news stories that are timely and relevant. As I always say, you want your writing to be relevant, otherwise, there’s no reason to write it. Featuring a story that was in the news about behavioral and mental health is a great way to offer a different perspective and additional resources for your audience.

What To Do Once You’ve Chosen What To Write About

After you’ve decided what you want to write about, it’s time to put a plan in place. The first step is to hire a mental health copywriter who understands your world. They don’t need to be a therapist, like me, (although it helps!). But they should be someone who knows how to write for your audience.

And let’s talk for a moment about your audience. Most of the time your audience is clients and potential clients. But occasionally your audience is other mental health professionals. The tricky part is figuring out how to reach your intended audience.

Again, that’s where your copywriter comes in. But that’s also where a little bit of marketing is important. It’s not enough to decide to write blogs. It’s also not enough to decide what to write about. You’ve taken a step in the right direction by hiring a mental health copywriter, but you want to make sure that person knows how to get you noticed.

Search engine optimization (SEO) is crucial when it comes to marketing yourself with blogs. Your copywriter needs to use the right keywords to get your blogs to come up in a Google search. If you want to be noticed for writing about how the role music therapy plays in recovery from trauma, then you want to make sure that’s what your copywriter is highlighting.

SEO is important because it’s how people find you in a Google search. Additionally, hiring a copywriter to write consistent and relevant blogs will boost your SEO over time and move you higher on the Google rankings list.

But SEO isn’t the only way to get your blogs in front of your audience’s eyes. Social media is a great way to market yourself. Having a social media presence is a necessity these days.

So many people follow therapists and mental health professionals on Instagram and Twitter. Facebook is a great way to promote your services and connect with other mental health professionals. LinkedIn is another way to network with mental health professionals. That’s how you grow your audience.

What Therapists Should Write About

There isn’t just one thing that you should write about as a mental health professional. But now that we’ve covered some of the basics, it’s time for you to think about what you want your message to be. What mental health topics do you want to write about?

Think about the mental health topics you want to highlight and really dig into. Writing regular blogs is important, not just for your SEO, but to connect to your audience. The more consistent you are, the more reliable you are to your readers.

That’s where I come in. Hiring a mental health copywriter is one of the best things you can do for your business. Contact me to set up an appointment to talk about your writing needs. We’ll work together to figure out what matters most to you and what mental health topics you should write about. Happy blogging!