MHM#09 Is social media worth it?

There is no denying that social media is a lot of work and requires a consistent long-term commitment.

Plus, throw in the fear of putting yourself out into the world, especially when it comes to video content. It's scary. There is nowhere to hide in a video.

So, it's very normal for a therapist to ask the question, "Is social media actually worth it?"

My answer? - Yes! It is absolutely worth it.

Social Media helps you get in front of more people

The job of marketing is to increase awareness of you and your practice - to grow your practice, we need to get you in front of more ideal prospective clients. Social Media helps you do this. For example, if you've got an Instagram page, and you're posting regularly and using popular hashtags, your posts are getting pushed out into people's feeds, many of whom will not have heard of you before. It can be the first time someone becomes aware of your practice. This awareness will lead some people to follow your Instagram page, visit your website, and book an appointment.

Social media helps seal the deal

An essential part of therapy practice marketing is helping to reduce fears, barriers, and unknowns. As you know, it can be really scary for someone to first admit that they need some help and then to actually go out and find that help and book an appointment. The last thing they want to do is make the wrong decision and pick the wrong therapist.

Being active on social media means there is a place where prospective clients can learn more about you and get to know you. They can get a sense of your personality and what a session with you might be like. They can learn about your philosophy of care, your approach to therapy and whether you'll be the right fit for them. They also get to see that you're warm and caring, and you'll accept them for who they are and genuinely care about them.

I know creating video content can feel daunting, especially when you haven't ventured into the world of video content creation yet, but there is nothing more powerful than a video of you to melt prospective client trepidation.

Marketing activities don't work in isolation - they complement and support each other. When you ask a client how they found out about you, they might say Google Ads because initially, they became aware of you by typing in "counsellor" into Google. What they're less conscious of is that your website content really resonated with them, your warm, approachable photo on your website, and your social media posts allowed them to get to know you, and all of these things worked together to build trust and gave them confidence that you're the right therapist for them.

A prospective client might have found out about you via a GP, a friend, or by searching on Google, but don't underestimate the role social media plays in moving people from that initial awareness stage into booking an appointment.

If a prospective client is deciding between two therapists, and one has an active social media presence with photos and videos and the other doesn't, who is more likely to get the appointment?