Let’s make 2021 the year we show off all the time we spent with technology in 2020. This is the year to take advantage and use more calculated types of posts worth your time and effort. We will go over some different content posts and the kind of posts that made the most bang for therapists in 2020 so you can spend time creating content that truly works.
When creating a consistent posting strategy for your social media, you want to ensure that the content you create for posts reflects material meant for the different demographics you want to reach for your practice.
For example, if you are a therapist that has 50% individual clients, 25% couples, and 25% family, align your posts to represent the same ratio. For that month, 50% of your post should provide content and information for those looking for individual counseling. Once you start doing this, the more precise your audience will reflect your therapy specialties, helping you more accurately target your ideal client. It's important to remember that you want to create posts for the people you want to attract, not just for the sake of likes and comments.
Here are some ideas for different types of content for typical psychotherapy practice demographics:
Each platform offers different ways to get your message across. Let’s match the above to your options below!
Facebook is a great platform to develop your audience. Your Facebook page can serve as a pool of your primary audience and used for Facebook advertising in the future. So it is essential to invest time here! Facebook does carry a solid demographic for therapists. From middle-aged women to families, there are a lot of opportunities to grow your practice on Facebook. Facebook is going to be great for educational resources for families and couples. The LGBTQIA2+ community is also an excellent demographic for Facebook as well.
Regular posts should help to keep your audience engaged and aware of any changes to your counseling center. Facebook posts should be used almost as an extension of your website. For example, posts about new content on your website or a new service you offer are examples of great content for your Facebook account. With regular posts, you do not need to use hashtags, but it is encouraged to add a video, photos, or graphics. When writing captions for Facebook, make sure you always address the audience and share the main idea you would like them to take away from the content. Always provide a call-to-action as Facebook allows website URLs in each post. This is a considerable advantage of posting to this platform.
Another type of post that individuals use on Facebook to see increased engagement is Facebook Live and Facebook Events to promote the Live stream. We will be talking about these two together since they very much go hand-in-hand. Facebook Live and Events are great if you are a therapist who wants to be a resource and interact with the online community you are building. You can easily create both Facebook Live and Events through your Facebook Page.
Whether you provide advice for parents who have children going off to college or host a women’s support group, using events can be a great way to connect with new potential clients. The examples mentioned are some common ways that therapists try to communicate with their audience online. If you choose to host a Facebook Live, try to solidify a topic that defines a group you would like to work with in your practice. Avoid hosting a live or an event for issues that would attract an audience that you're not interested in working with at the moment.
Facebook Events allow you to have Live Events regularly repeat and regular in-person events (once they resume). You can co-host events with others, provide a description, and plant a call to action leading them where you want. With Facebook events, you want to be sure to create a forward explanatory title. (Ex. Bi-Weekly Women’s Trauma Support Group) You'll also want to encourage others to share the event by sharing the event yourself on your Facebook Page.
Instagram has a plethora of ways for you to post, which can make it a little bit overwhelming at first. We will review all of the different essential types of posts within the Instagram platform. Depending on how often you use Instagram or the last time you used It, you may be familiar with these newer tools already. Instagram is a great platform to find additional audiences as well. Instagram tends to be more of a mid-20s-mid-30s female demographic, so if this fits with your ideal client, Instagram might be a place you want to spend more time. Instagram does take creating content to the next level so don’t feel overwhelmed if these are not all accomplishable right away.
Your profile’s main photos are known as In-Feed posts and refer to the most basic style of posting available on Instagram. The In-Feed post will be visible on your main profile 100% of the time, so this should be resourceful content someone could browse when evaluating therapists. In-Feed posts can include up to 10 photos and can be used as a slideshow, but one-two photos are more common. Many users upload videos as well, but if the post surpasses 1 minute in duration, the video will move to be hosted on IGTV. The In-Feed posts are best for graphics and images with helpful tips and resources. You will want to use all 30 hashtags allowed, as well as a more extended caption.
IGTV is a longer-form content section for videos on Instagram. Videos will need to be more than a minute long. Each video will contain a title and a description and can also belong to a specific playlist. For example, a therapist might use IGTV to create playlists for couples, teens, or depression tips and create multiple IGTV videos underneath it. Some content creators feel IGTV provides good engagement others say Instagram Reels have provided more traffic for them. Either way, video content is never a bad idea, and IGTV is a great way to post longer content. We suggest no more than five-minute videos, although it could be longer than that.
Instagram Reels are a very similar structure to TikTok, emerging after the former’s success in capturing the attention of the younger generation. In Reels, you will be able to create quick, creative, unique content for your user. Reels allow you to create short clips stitched together similar to Stories where you can add text overlays. This is a new area that allows for a bit more creativity and video editing skills. The app makes it easy to add text overlays with effects and sound all with the app. Therapist quick tips would be the best use of the time as you only have about 60 seconds to share your message.
Stories are the best way to have day-to-day interaction with your followers. Stories only last 24 hours, meaning they are not permanent to your feed. This allows them to be more casual and relaxed. Stories are a great place to share some facts about you as a therapist or give a practice tour and show them the room they would have sessions. They can be saved to your profile as highlights, and it’s a good idea to think through what type of content you want to share in this format.
Stories also have many creative elements with text overlay features and can tag others, tag locations, add gif stickers, music, and more. Stories are a fun, more natural way to engage with your audience! They have Poll, Question & Answer, and Fill-In Bubbles, so be sure to utilize those. Some therapists will ask the audience what kinds of advice they are looking for or offer creative challenges.
YouTube has been the most robust video platform for a long time, and it’s important to acknowledge it as a strategy if you plan to make longer-form resourceful content. YouTube has a huge audience base and allows you to note the video’s location for more local searches, and has a Tag section to provide additional keywords. When posting YouTube videos, it is important to have a strong description. If you have ever been on a YouTubers description, you will notice a long section with contact information, social media links, disclaimers, and more.
Here is an example of additional description information you may want to include as a therapist:
“CONNECT WITH US:
WEBSITE: https://www.yourwebsitehere.com
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/yourinstagramhere/
LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/company/yourlinkedinhere/
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PLEASE READ
*YouTube online counseling information is not the same as seeking a professional mental health provider.
*If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, please call a local emergency telephone number or go immediately to the nearest emergency room.”
New creators are trying to connect with the younger audience by finding them where they are. TikTok was the fastest growing social media in 2020, but does that mean you have to be on it? The short answer is no; you don’t.
TikTok has proven to be more of an entertainment source rather than a place to share professional information. But does this mean there is no place for a therapist on TikTok? Also, no. TikTok has had many therapists take to the platform using it similarly to Instagram Reels to give quick tips and advice for calming panic attacks, strengthening your relationship with a partner, self-love exercises, and more.
We feel that TikTok is a bit more advanced with the same parameters as Instagram Reels, meaning you must make your point in 60 seconds or less. The aspect of taking small clips and stitching together one 60 second conjoined video can be overwhelming. With TikTok, we suggest you follow along with the trends, and when you see a trend that you can modify into a therapy-driven resource, film it!
Have fun with TikTok. There are plenty of resources online to help you figure out this platform's capabilities.
Overall, it is important to focus on your messaging and how you want to be a resource to your audience, this will help you select the right profiles and methods for your needs. Everything is a learning curve, and there are tons of resources out there to learn how to accomplish each style of content. If you feel like the learning curve might be a little steep, and you would be interested in one-on-one consulting with experts or a team that can do it for you, we would love to be that resource. Reach out today to get the content rolling!
