Last week Jane’s teenage son had a psychotic break.
It was out of the blue. No history of mental illness. The hospital psychologist said that he’d be fine-it was a fluke.
Only days after getting released, her son attempted again. And back to the hospital they went.
Jane, now leery of trusting mental health professionals, has no idea where to go.
She knows that she needs a professional for her son. She feels she and her husband need help too. But where in the world does she turn?
In her fragile state, she wants a specialist.
Her HMO isn’t helpful. The yellow pages and online directories are of no use, either. Jane can’t tell the difference between one adolescent counselor and another. All of them say that they work with teens.
Where are you?
If you specialize in teen suicide or depression, Jane wants you. Heck, Jane needs you! And if you’re in her town, why can’t she find you?
Do You Stand Out?
This is but one of hundreds of stories that are repeated daily in every town in North America. Too many of us are generalists, or if not- if we actually specialize-we don’t market ourselves well enough to be found.
Look at the yellow pages. Look at online directories. Put yourself in a consumer’s place. Pick an issue. See if you can find the right person for that issue.
Most of Us are Afraid to Niche
We think we need to cast a wide net in order to stay in business. We think, “But what if someone searches on ‘anxiety’ and I’m not listed under that!” So we list under everything. And we come up in their directory listing searches-along with the other 87 therapists in our town. We’re afraid to specialize because we don’t want to miss any opportunities.
And guess what? Because of our fear, we are of no help to consumers trying to find us. We’re of no help to ourselves, either.
So, How Can You Stand Out?
Choose something to specialize in. It doesn’t matter what you specialize in. It could be anything-depression, OCD, anger management, low libido, choosing a life path, 2nd or 3rd marriages…You will be refreshing if you specialize in anything!
And when you choose it, put some of yourself into it. Write a marketing message that talks to your specific audience only. Reach out to them. Tell them you “get” them. Show that you know what
they’re going through. Meet them half way. They will love you for it!
But, How Do I Identify My Niche?
Many therapists struggle with this. You need to tune into you. What are your gifts? What are your passions? What would you do if you knew you couldn’t fail? You might as well make it something you like!
If you’re more pragmatic, you may want to consider what’s in demand. What are people looking for? You can research this. The data is easily available. If nothing else, the data on what people are searching for can help you choose between 2-3 niche options you’re considering.
But, What If I Don’t Feel Like an Expert?
If you don’t feel like an expert, it is probably because you haven’t tried to be one yet. You may have been too busy doing lots of everything rather than focusing in one area. If you focus, you will become an expert. All you need to do is to combine your therapeutic skill with studying-with diving into something you want to learn about. Focus on one thing and get good at one thing.
Even if I Niche Myself, How Will I Be Found in the Cacophony Out There?
Since so few therapists specialize, you’d be surprised how easy it is to be found when carve out a corner for yourself. Therapists, who have taken my classes and launched niche websites in the last couple of months, are already coming up on the first page of Google search results for their keywords! Not only that, but since they’ve put content on their sites, their visitors are not just clicking away. Their visitors are subscribing to their newsletters, calling them for appointments. It really does work if you niche-but only if you quit burying your strengths in lists of offerings.
Summary
If you choose a niche:
- you’ll stand out when a consumer is looking for you;
- you’ll be able to focus both your marketing efforts and your continuing education; and,
- you’ll get more referrals because people will associate you with a particular problem.
Want to know what to do next?
There are other articles on my site about the importance of choosing a niche.
If you choose a niche, you’ll be visible to moms like Jane who need a perfect fit, and to potential clients from all walks of life that want to feel that you specialize in exactly what they need.