Values-Based Marketing (part 3): Choosing Your Words

Check out parts 1 (values) and 2 (niche).

Next I’d like to talk about the words you choose for describing your practice to friends, colleagues, on your website, in Facebook groups and on profile directories.

The words you use matter.

Try this out: jump on google and search "therapist near me". See what pops up. Then scroll to the bottom of the page and check out the related searches. Keep digging until you find therapists who are doing exactly what you want to be doing. Then get a sense of the keywords and terms they are doing. You’ll want to use those.

Another way to get some great language is to interview a few people (or just reflect on therapy sessions) and ask them what their challenges are and notice their phrasing.

Ideally, you’ll have a list of words that you are using regularly, that are the same words people are using in both conversation and in internet searches. Although this seems basic, it takes some skill to craft clear messages about exactly who you help and how you help them.

Good words are direct, clear, specific, welcoming, authentic and non-jargony.

Once you have your values in place, your clear niche, some accurate language and keywords, you’ll be ready to start spreading the word about your practice.