How to start a Blog.
Why write a blog?
As a therapist, having a blog is a great free marketing strategy to start getting your name out there and building credibility as a provider. Your audience is not educating your current clients or supplementing therapy, because that would be giving away free services and often times topics are way more in-depth and require a much longer discussion. Instead think of a blog post as an introduction to a topic that opens the door for a much longer discussion.
Who am I writing to?
You want to write to your potential clients. Think of the things that they might be searching for. What actual terms would they be using to type into google to get more information? What question can you start to answer for them so that they will want to discuss this more with you. You are not usually writing to other professionals, you are writing to potential clients, so keep that in mind when you are using terms and clinical words. You want to define all clinical terms that are not in every day conversation.
Pick a topic
Again, pick something they will be searching for. If your target audience is people struggling with parenting, you want to pick topics that parents would be searching. You need to start thinking, how can I meet that person where they are? and how can I show empathy and normalizing with my words? This will get you in the right mindset to write a great post.
Answer the question
Then you will want to research information to back up your clinical opinion. For example, if I am talking to parents, and I pick a topic related to parenting struggles, then I need to answer a question that a struggling parent might have. Like How to set a curfew or how to handle lying. Then research experts in this area and explain the research in real world terms and words. Like you are sitting down for coffee with a friend. Don’t think too far into this! You know who you are; intern of mine who over things everything. Just support your answer to a question a potential client might be asking before starting therapy.
Find a picture
You want to take a photo or find a photo that goes along with your topic but is either free or you have the rights to. Plagiarism is still a thing when it comes to photos. Other people have the rights to photos you see online so use a free site to find photos such as:
- Pexels (use medium size)
- Unsplash.
- Realistic Shots.
- Pixabay.
- Life of Pix.
- Gratisography.
- Free Nature Stock.
- Magdeleine.
- Snapwire Snaps.
- Or just take your own
End it with a call to action
This is the next steps. For the reader to continue this discussion, how can they contact you? What is the best and fastest way for the person to schedule a free consultation with the writer.
For example: If this is something that comes up frequently, you may need more support. Click “schedule” at the top of the page to schedule a free consultation.
And thats it. Just send your blog to your site administrator or upload it to your website. There is now required length for blog posts.
Photo Credit- “take it easy” by Reafon Gates & “rewrite” by Suzy Hazelwood
Kara M. Mumford LISW-S (She/They)
Kmumford@traumatherapycompany.com
