It does not matter if you are a small practice, large hospital, or solo provider, building your brand is essential if you are looking to get counselling clients through your door.
Brand trust is the degree to which a potential client or client trusts you and your business to deliver behavioral health services. Building trust in your brand throughout the community is necessary to get counselling clients and reach individuals who are looking for mental health services.
Tips to Build Brand Trust and Get Counselling Clients Through the Door
1. Focus on the Client
During a visit with a client, a counselor would not spend all of their time talking about their qualifications in their field, their level of education, or brag about their success stories. During a visit, a counselor would take the time to offer comfort and take a client-centered approach to help the patient grow and engage. In order to build your brand and get counselling clients, your website and marketing should be reflective of your ability to focus on the client and give them the help they deserve.
2. Be More Specific
Not all clients are searching for the same kind of behavioral health services. Just as there are specialties in the medical field, there are specialties within the field of behavioral health. In order to get counselling clients through the door, your brand needs to be as specific as possible, touch on the areas you as an individual focus on or what your practice covers under its roof. The more specific you are, the better.
3. Increase SEO Value
Your SEO value involves how your organization appears on searches on websites like Google. The better your SEO value, the higher on a search your practice will appear. In order to get counselling clients, your brand needs to make sure it is showing up on the first page of a search for the keywords and phrases an individual is searching for. Blogging and listing yourself in a directory are effective ways to increase your SEO value.
4. Be Consistent
Your brand needs to be consistent. This includes things like your logo, your font, and your colors, but it also includes your message, vision, and mission as an organization or individual. For behavioral health clients who very well might be overwhelmed by life, consistency from your organization can offer a reassuring message and get counselling clients to trust your brand. Consistency can be a great way to get counselling clients to engage your practice.
5. Brand Yourself - Even if It’s Just You
Some solo providers do not take the time to brand themselves because they are the only ones offering services rather than working for a practice or hospital. The truth is, in order to get counselling clients, solo providers must take the time to brand themselves. Clients are searching for a brand they recognize and trust and if you as a solo provider are not building brand trust, then clients will scroll past you in their search. Solo providers should have a logo, a website, and an internet presence to build trust in their brand, even if that brand is just their name.
6. Perfect Your Website
In 2020, the quality of your website truly matters when building your brand. If your website seems outdated, cluttered, or you do not have a website at all, you will find it hard to get counselling clients. Your website can have a large impact on the impression someone gets of your organization, regardless of how qualified you are.
7. Get on Socials
Today, individuals take the time to look up you and your organization every chance they can before forming a partnership. They will look at your website, but they will also search through places like Facebook or Yelp to find out what others are saying about you. A positive internet presence on social media can help build trust in your brand and helps get counselling clients through the door.
8. Use Counselling Directories
Lastly, getting listed on a counselling directory is a great way to get counselling clients. More and more patients are starting their searches for behavioral health providers on the internet. This a great place to meet clients in their search, build your SEO value, increase traffic to your website, and share your story.
To learn more about how to get counselling clients and grow your brand, click here.