Therapist directories are slowly becoming a thing of the past. Today, we’ll look into why they might not be worth your money in 2019. You’re a therapist, not a marketer. You’re specialized in helping your clients and changing their lives for the better, but it’s not so easy to find them in the first place. You laboriously built a website but have no idea what to do with it. You find yourself wasting a lot of time on social media trying to shuttle people in through your front door when you could be doing dedicated work: improving lives one day at a time.
Traditional wisdom says that the most effective way for a therapist to gain clients is through therapist directories. However, that’s not exactly true, at least not in 2019. Maybe it’s worked in the past, but there are more options now, and the times are changing.
Let’s look at some of the many reasons to skip traditional therapist directories and what might be more effective now and in the future.
1. Therapist Directories Cost Money
It costs you and your practice hard-earned money to join a therapist directory (about $30 a month for two of the most popular options), and you’re not guaranteed to make that money back.
You’re paying for exposure only and not conversion —that’s a marketing term for when people walk in your door for an appointment or consultation after seeing your ad. People might see your ad and your information, but it’s still tough for them to tell which if you’re the right therapist for them. There may be options to write a biography or record a video, but since you’re not a marketer, you might not be using these tools to their full potential.
2. They Don’t Help You Stand Out
A directory will never help you stand out to other therapists in the directory. Most people will search by location, but there’s no way to differentiate yourself from the other therapists within the search. Many directory listings have a randomized front page that isn’t based on any criteria at all.
There’s a sea of profile pictures and names, but it’s impossible for clients to choose the best therapist for themselves based on those things alone. You’ve worked hard on your therapist bio so that potential clients can click through and see, but again, you’re not a marketer.
To succeed in marketing your profile, you need to write blog posts and articles, which takes you away from what you’re good at —helping people one-on-one. These directories do not pay you for writing content that makes them rank better in search engine rankings.
3. There are Too Many Therapist Directories to Join Each One
Not only do therapist directories cost money, but there are too many to join each one. Therefore, you’re missing out on potential clients that might only trust one directory or another. Many directories are competing with each other, splitting up search engine rankings and distracting therapists from their real mission. Having one trusted directory in the industry would be much better and less time-consuming.
4. They Market Their Websites, Not Your Individual Profile
Therapist directories market their websites in their entirety and don’t get you directly in contact with clients for whom you’re the best fit. Instead of building a client base for you as a unique professional, they gain potential clients for their directories as a whole.
For them, it’s more about making money through ad revenue, subscription fees, and increasing search engine rankings, rather than catering to you as a professional who needs a trusted marketing service for your business.
5. There’s No Way to Build a Reputation
It doesn’t matter to therapist directory search engines whether you’ve been in practice for ten years or one. It doesn’t matter if you’re a great therapist or a terrible one. Nor does it matter if you’ve helped 50 clients or five. These search engines list you along with other therapists without taking your excellent reputation into account.
Unlike Yelp or Google Reviews, people cannot give feedback on their experiences with the best therapists out there, leaving potential clients in the dark when it comes to choosing the most trusted professionals for their personal needs.
What is the Best Alternative to Therapist Directories for a Therapist Who Needs New Clients?
Getting your name in front of the people who need therapy the most so you can do your job doesn’t have to take up all your energy. Wearemore’s Incentives program that began with a chronic patient’s need for access to quality therapy sprung into a service that connects therapists and patients who need their help the most.
Instead of paying for advertising with other directories, with Incentives, you offer two free therapy sessions for clients to get to know you and for you to establish a rapport.
With the Incentives program, you will be able to:
- Create a free professional profile.
- Build your practice reputation and grow your clientele.
- Incentivize your patients to generate new clients.
- Get free client referrals.
- Tweak your availability and patient uptake.
The mobile App is 100% free to use and offers all the tools you’ll need to conduct your therapy sessions. Become a part of this program to get all the exposure you need!
Finally, as a therapist, your mission is to help people. Our community is based on trust and respect; if you’d like to continue helping people, we invite you to join us in our mission to better the world one patient at a time.
Founder @ WeAreMore: our support network
Experienced Chief Executive Officer with a demonstrated history of working in the healthcare industry. Strong startup management skills coupled with Operations Management, Marketing Strategy, Tech teams management, and Expansion and growth.