Therapist Branding: 7 Steps to Getting it Right
Therapists online have to work overtime to stand out online. One of the key reasons is because establishing a personal brand is extremely involved, and you likely don’t have time to get it all done. Therapist branding goes beyond just having a logo, website, and social media; it involves conveying your identity, values, and expertise to create a lasting impression on potential clients. It sounds overwhelming when I put it like that, but these seven steps will guide you all the way to the end. I recommend spending anywhere from a week to a month on each one.
1. Discover Your Unique Value Proposition
Identifying your unique value proposition (UVP) is the foundation of extraordinary therapist branding. Ask yourself, "What sets me apart from other therapists?" Your UVP should highlight your strengths, specialties, and the specific benefits clients can expect from working with you. Consider all aspects of your professional background: any research you were particularly interested in at college, your preferred clients these days, and what those clients have given you feedback on. These will all help point you toward your UVP.
2. Define Your Target Audience
Your target audience, niche, ideal client, etc. are all essentially the same thing. Once you've identified your UVP, finding this person should be a little easier. They should be someone who is seeking your specific set of skills in a demographic you enjoy working with.
One of my clients, an MFT, was seeing a huge variety of her own clients and looking to rebrand herself as she transitioned to content creation. As we moved through the discovery process, she realized that not only did she prefer working with women experiencing domestic violence, but she had a very specific skillset that meshed really well with that. We created a client persona that included details like what her daily life looked like, how she feels about certain things, whether she has children, what her age is, and more.
My client found that narrowing down her target demographic not only helped us create targeted branding, but it also made her love her job more. The messaging on her website changed to reflect her target demographic and she started to see more of her ideal clients come in as a result. This is why finding an ideal client is so important.
3. Craft a Compelling Brand Story
Not only will this help hone your messaging even more, but it will make potential clients feel more comfortable. Sharing your journey, motivations, and experiences helps you connect emotionally with your audience. If you feel uncomfortable disclosing, then think about your brand story. Why are you choosing to open a private practice? Why are you putting out the type of content you want to be putting out? Even if you choose not to disclose anything about you personally, creating a brand story will make your therapist branding feel unique and personable in a way many others don’t.
4. Design a Memorable Brand Identity
This is my bread and butter, so here’s the full breakdown: A brand identity kit includes logos, color palettes, fonts, and a style guide that shows you how to put all the pieces together in order to maintain consistency.
That sounds daunting, but even just coming up with consistent fonts and a color palette you like will help a ton. As a therapist, you can always get away with using a headshot in lieu of a logo on your social media, and a nice-looking typed version of your name as your logo.
Just make sure that it reflects the messaging you developed in steps 2 and 3. If you want to come off as a calming safe space for older adults, don’t use Comic Sans. Don’t use it anyway, but you get what I mean.
5. Establish a Strong Online Presence
This includes your website and social media, if you choose to use it. You can choose, by the way. Plenty of offices are successful without a thriving social media presence. Whatever you choose to put online, just make sure it stays consistent with your branding, is legible, and you update it frequently. Updating it can look like adding new blog posts, re-writing web pages, or adding new ones, as well as posting regularly to social media.
6. Content Marketing and Thought Leadership
This is where those big ideas you keep in the back of your head come into play. If you have time and the desire to, start a podcast, a blog, or a YouTube channel and share your knowledge! This is part social proof, part content marketing, and part establishing yourself online. Focus on consistent, high-quality content over quantity.
7. Networking and Collaborations
Networking is truly king. This is especially true if you decided to forego social media in steps five and six. Creating a network of other therapists that can refer new leads to you will get your caseload full in a matter of weeks, and being able to refer back to those therapists when you’re full is a great way to say thanks!
Conclusion
Building a strong therapist branding strategy requires a combination of authenticity, clear messaging, and a commitment to delivering exceptional services. By discovering your unique value proposition, defining your target audience, and creating a compelling brand story, you'll be well on your way to establishing a distinctive identity.
That being said, if all of this is totally overwhelming and you need a little help, reach out! As a client, you’ll get all of this done for you and receive a full brand (with your input, of course!) in a matter of 6-8 weeks. I’m also happy to do consultations if you want to try this yourself but aren’t sure where to begin.