How to Increase Visibility Beyond Your Website

While I’m a big fan of having a website as your main tool for attracting clients, I was recently asked if there were other ways to build your visibility. The short answer is YES! There are lots of ways to be more visible. I’m not going to run through all the social media channels. Instead, I thought I would share some things you might not have considered. But first, some thoughts on content creation…

I Make Content Creation a Priority

I prioritise content creation because it helps build the know/like/trust factor. I believe this is essential to maintain a regular stream of self-funding clients and to sell workshops easily whenever I launch them. When I set up in private practice, I also wanted to do something to give back. Making mental health advice more accessible by sharing some of the things that go on in the therapy room is my way of doing this.

Content creation doesn’t have to be too time-consuming. I probably dedicate about 1.5 hours a week to the task. Being your own boss, you can always increase or reduce this, but getting into a good habit is important as consistency is key when improving your visibility. It’s also important to consider why you want to increase your visibility, as this will focus your content. For example, if you’re hoping to increase your caseload, keep this in mind and align your content with this goal.

OK, let’s dive into those suggestions I mentioned…

How to Increase Visibility

In today’s digital age, making sure your business is visible to clients is more important than ever. With so many businesses vying for attention and a huge projected growth of therapists and healthcare practitioners coming into private practice, it can be easy to get lost in the shuffle. Here’s how you can stand out from the crowd

Start and Maintain a Blog

Delivering regular helpful content that can be searched for will build your authority in the area you are working in. I credit my blog posts for my steady stream of referrals and for being asked to write features in magazines such as Women’s Health.

As well as increasing visibility, a regularly updated blog can boost your private practice by:

– Helping clients get to know you, like and trust you and make the right choice of therapist for them.

– Improving the Google ranking of your website

– Building your authority as an expert

– Providing a platform for selling workshops and products

– Increasing traffic to your website by giving people a reason to visit

– Helping you stand out from other therapists

– Building a bank of helpful resources for clients

– Improving your reach on social media

– Allowing you to demonstrate your specialist knowledge

– Helping you become known in your peer group so they will refer you on

Write for Other Platforms and Publications

If you like writing, this can be very rewarding. Choose a magazine or online platform and pitch them your idea. Keep it brief – they often receive hundreds of pitches a week, depending on the platform. Focus on how you will add value for their audience.

Twitter is a great place to connect with editors and journalists. Check out the hashtag #journorequest and see what journalists are looking for. It’s also worth looking at #journorequesttherapy #journorequestmentalthealth or whatever area you are looking to write for.

Collaborate With Other Experts

Working with therapists or health professionals in other areas is a great way to reach a new audience. You could try guest posting on each other’s blogs, co-hosting Facebook or Instagram lives or running workshops or training events together.

Be a Guest on a Podcast

Podcasts are still growing in popularity and provide an excellent platform for visibility. They allow people to get to know your personality, and podcast episodes often come up in Google searches. There are a number of directories you can join if you want to be a guest, such as Podmatch.

Here are some tips for when you’re ready to start pitching:

– Engage with the host and build a relationship with them before pitching. Get to know their audience so you can offer something of value.

– Make sure you have your messaging down, and if you’re trying to sell something, be sure it’s relevant to the podcast’s audience.

– Promote your episodes. The more people who hear it, the better.

Embrace Video

Video isn’t for everyone, but if you are brave enough, you will already be more visible than many others. With over 14 billion monthly visits, YouTube is one of the internet’s heaviest hitters, right after its parent company, Google. Alternatively, you could experiment with Instagram Stories and Reels. Sharing short, snappy videos with a helpful tip or exercise can help build your confidence in a gradual way.

Use Google My Business

If we are relying on our websites for even part of our referral source, then we want to be found on Google. So, don’t forget to give Google some love! Use Google’s maps on your website and create a Google My Business account. Remember to update it regularly and pop photos and blogs on your profile. If you want it done for you by an expert check out this service Google my Business Profile optimisation

You can also send a Google My Business link to your clients so they can leave you a review. Google reviews will attract more people to your profile and website and push you up the search rankings.

Directory building

This is so underused! Directory building is creating listings for your business on various online directories to increase visibility and reach new customers, like Yell.com and Yelp. It helps improve local SEO and it’s particularly useful for small and local businesses. So many people neglect this because they don’t know about it. You do so you have the edge if you take advantage of it. It’s time-consuming so many services will do the hard work for you, like Pocket Site Directory Listing Service

Go Offline

We’re all used to online networking these days, but in-person meetups and events can be really beneficial for your business. Building connections is a nice way to reduce the isolation associated with working alone; you never know where it might lead.

Go On, Give It a Go!

I know the thought of creating content and putting yourself out there can be scary, but it will make a huge difference to your business. I’ve tried many of the things listed above and what works best for me is creating content consistently. At first, it can feel like you are creating for no one, but over time you will see the returns on your efforts as more and more opportunities come your way.