3 ways Therapists benefit from social media

Jun 13

If you’re reading this, you are probably a therapist wondering if you really need to be on social media.

Let’s be real; you’re running a small business that is focused on healing people. Do you really have time to craft a consistent and vibrant social media presence?

But here’s the thing: your potential clients are on social media. They live there. They connect there. They laugh there. They find content that helps them feel seen. In fact, 64% of internet users discover new brands on social media! Through their Feed, Stories and Reels, people are following brands (ie, businesses) that make them have an emotional reaction. If they are moved, if they laugh, if they feel nostalgic, they’ll engage with that content and follow the brand.

“64% of internet users discover new brands on social media.”

Do you need more convincing? We hoped so! How DO therapists benefit from social media?

1. Being active on social media shows that you are credible.

As young Millennials and Gen Z begin to seek therapy, the first place they will look for you is on social media. 71% of Gen Zers say they go to social media first to discover new brands. Instead of hitting Google first, they hop on Instagram and start browsing for what they’re looking for. What this means, is that these generations put a lot of stock in social media and the brands that use it. If you are active on social media, it triggers an automatic sense of trust with the user who was searching for a therapist in their area. And as you know, trust is key when you’re a therapist. On the flip side, if they find you on Google or through Psychology Today, but they don’t see you on social media, the trust is broken. They are more likely to choose a therapist that they can explore the content of, versus one that simply has a website. Which brings us to our next point…

2. Being active on social media helps your potential clients trust you more.

When a potential client can browse through your social media posts, they get a more clear and whole picture of your brand. Posts that express your areas of practice, values, modalities, and company culture can give the audience insight into the type of practice you run, and if you’d be a good fit for them. While a website can definitely express these ideas, social media creates bite-sized portions of content that are quickly understood and easily digestible.

What you’re doing is creating a connection with your audience. When they discover you on social media, and if they have an emotional reaction to your content, they will follow you. This means they are going to see your content over and over again, which creates a brand identity connection (they become familiar with your brand) and their trust begins to grow.

As the attention span of social media users gets smaller and smaller, you’ll want to capture their attention quickly. A website can seem tedious to modern internet users, especially to young Millennials and Gen Z, and gaining their trust on that platform may not even happen. But if you can encourage their trust and build a relationship with them on social media, they will be more likely to reach out for an appointment.

3. Being active on social media helps your organic SEO (Search Engine Optimization) ranking.

Every business wants to be on the first page of Google. That’s what SEO is; it’s the process optimizing the Google algorithm to get your business ranked high in search results.

SEO work is complicated and requires a lot of time and attention, and paying someone to do it for you can be pricey. While posting on social media doesn’t directly impact your SEO ranking, it can aid in brand exposure through the links you post on our socials. When you have your website linked to your social account (through your bio) and people begin engaging with your content (liking, commenting and sharing) this signals Google to rank your website. This approach takes longer than paying for Google Ads and SEO work, but if you’re on a budget, it’s the way to go.

If you know you need to be active on social but you don’t have the time or expertise, give us a shout. We are an affordable option that can help with everything from logos and websites to social media management, blogs and newsletters.