The Power of Niche Marketing in Therapy: Finding Your Specialization
Some therapists, especially those just starting out, don’t have a particular niche within their practice. Though it’s certainly not something you have to do to be successful, finding a niche and marketing to a more specific audience can be a gamechanger for growing your practice. In today’s post, I am going to share some of the benefits of specialization, how to decide on a niche, and some tips for niche marketing on social media.
Why Specialize?
Choosing a niche for your practice can benefit both your business and your patients. By honing in on one area of expertise and continuing your education on it, you’ll establish yourself as a credible professional who specializes in a specific care area.
For me personally, my practice grew significantly when I decided to specialize in eating disorders. Not only have I been able to focus my ongoing studies and research on specific areas, I’ve felt rewarded by seeing my patients’ improvement because I am helping them as an experienced, continuously evolving expert.
Choosing the Right Niche
Obviously, choosing to specialize your practice is a big decision because it will impact both your day-to-day life and future of your business significantly. In my view, the two most important factors to consider when deciding on a niche are (A) your level of passion for it and (B) the current market for it. If there’s no market for a niche, you won’t be able to attract enough patients to help. On the other hand, if you don’t love it, then it won’t be worth it in the long run, because you’ll get burned out or lose interest.
Here are some questions you might consider as you’re honing in on a niche:
What topics have I loved studying and feel most passionate about?
What type of clients do I enjoy working with? Who have I felt the most helpful to?
What types of therapy are most in demand, and do they resonate with me?
What gaps are there in the community or communities I serve?
An additional benefit of choosing the right niche for your practice is that marketing for it is most likely to go better. People can tell if you’re being authentic or faking something. The more passionate, experienced, or excited you are about the work you do, the better your chances are of resonating with your target audience and retaining their interest.
Speaking of marketing, I’d like to share some tips for showcasing your practice and your niche on social media.
Marketing Your Niche on Social Media: 3 Tips
1 - Create the form of content you like the most.
Love scrolling therapy TikTok? It may be time to start filming. Enjoy reading words of advice from other therapists on Instagram? That works great, too. So long as it’s compelling and showcases your niche, whatever type of content you enjoy consuming is probably what you’ll most enjoy creating–and have the most success with. If you’re not sure, you can experiment with a few different options to see what you like the most.
2 - Seek connection, not perfection.
Social media is full of content that is created by teams of people with deep pockets, so it’s important not to fall into comparison. Rather than obsessing over the stats for your account, focus more on fostering an authentic connection with people through the unique perspective you have to offer through your niche. Create the content you find the truest and most enjoyable, which your followers will most likely appreciate.
3 - Stay consistent–and patient.
You’ve probably heard this before, but consistency is key when it comes to social media. The process of growing your following is not at all predictable. You never know what’s going to resonate, so it will take some time and experimentation to get in your groove and reach your target audience with your therapy niche.
For more ideas about finding a niche and niche marketing, check out Episode 89 of my podcast The Entrepreneurial Therapist. In it, I have a discussion with Justin Martin, an Orlando-based Certified IFS Therapist who decided to specialize in his practice and then found his stride with niche marketing on Instagram.
The Entrepreneurial Therapist is the #1 podcast for ambitious female therapists and can be found on all the main streaming platforms.
Hi- I’m Danielle Swimm,
a Business Coach for Therapists
I’ve helped hundreds of ambitious therapists like yourself start, grow and scale their private practice. I love being a therapist, but hate the rhetoric that you need to sacrifice your energy and income to help your community. Let’s build your dream practice that allows you to make six figures and live the life you’ve always dreamed of.
