Don’t Want to Use Social Media? Here’s Another Way to Get Found

Now if you are a counsellor who feels overwhelmed by all the shoulds of marketing, you know, being on Instagram and following trends and battling with algorithms, well, you are most definitely not alone. In this episode, I want to offer you a more simple way to help more people to find you. So I'm gonna walk you through one free.

Yes, free and practical thing that you can do this week to gently increase your visibility even if you don't have a website yet. And especially if you are not a fan of social media. And if that sounds like you then keep on listening.

You are listening to the Grow Your Private Practice Show the podcast for counsellors and therapists who want to grow their practices without burning out or selling out, or feeling like you have to become someone that you are not.

I'm Jane Travis, and today we are looking at a realistic, no pressure way to get your practice found by the people who need you.

Hello, hello, hello and welcome back and if this is your first time here, I am so pleased that you found us. Alright. Let's have a chat about something that comes up a lot now. So many counsellors tell me that they want to get more clients. Of course they do. They really don't want to be on social media. And look, I really do get it.

You train to help people not spend hours figuring out how on earth to post or worrying about how many people are liking or sharing things. That's just not your style. And just when you think you figured out how it works. It changes again, doesn't it? It is exhausting trying to keep up, and the truth is you don't need to be constantly online to grow your practice.

So today I want to show you something that's a much simpler option, one that doesn't rely on algorithms, that doesn't cost anything and doesn't require a website to get started. So let's talk about Google business profile. Now, this is one of those tools that often gets overlooked. It doesn't come with a lot with a big fanfare.

You know, it's not flushy, but it really does work. Now when somebody searches for account, well, let's just think about what's happening here. Imagine that you are feeling. Rubbish. Imagine it's just after Christmas. I'm posting this just before Christmas. So imagine they've just been through Christmas and it's been a difficult time and they know that they're gonna need to get some help.

They need to talk to somebody. So they fire up Google to have a little look and they look and see who's there. So when somebody uses Google Business Profile, it's because somebody is actively looking for a counsellor that they want to work with. They're actively looking for help, and they're often ready to reach out right then.

So if you've got a profile set up, you are much more likely to show up in these local search results. Now Google does favor showing results. Based on location. So if you work in person or you offer therapy to a particular local area, then you've got an advantage here. But hey, what if you are working online?

Well, it can still absolutely help. It might just take a little bit longer for Google to figure out where to place you. So if you are not tied into one set location, then that makes a difference. But having a profile helps to build trust. It shows them that you are active. It gives you something to build on. Also, if you work online, this is a great time to really work out who it is that you want to help.

You can call it a niche, but it doesn't have to be called a niche, if that makes you feel a bit twitchy. But just knowing who is it you'd love to fill your diary with? What are the sorts of things that really fire you up? And then what you can do is you can make your Google Business profile work on attracting those sorts of people.

So even before you've got a website, this is a great place to vi be visible for people looking for support. So yes, of course you're gonna need a website. I think it's a given these days, but that doesn't have to be the first thing you do. So this is a practical first step that you can take today. So whether you've got a website or not, you will show up to people that are actively looking for a counsellor.

It's pretty cool, isn't it? And what I love about this is that it's in, it just works quietly in the background. Once it's set up, it's there supporting you every day, even while you are not doing anything. Although there are ways to really help, and I'll talk about that a little bit later. So how are you gonna get it set up?

Well? Getting it set up is surprisingly quick, so what you need to do is head over to google.com/business and sign in. So you'll need a Google account. If you've got a Gmail address, you'll have a Google account, and if you don't already have one. And you can get one. It's dead simple. And again, it's all free.

And then what you do is you add your practice name, you choose your service area. Now, just a little note here, you can keep your address. Private. If you work from home and you don't want people to know it, so just to let you know that it can be hidden, then you'll choose a category, so probably counsellor or mental health service.

They'll usually work pretty well. And then you'll add your contact details and a short description of who you are and who you help. The next thing you need to do is submit this for verification. Now about the verification. Just to let you know, this isn't something to worry about. Google needs to check out. You are who you say you are, that you actually have a business. So it's looking, you know, it's, it's minding itself really. And ma making sure that, you know, people that are unscrupulous are gonna get picked out.

So the way Google does this is they might send you an actual postcard with a code on it. By snail mail that you'll get in the post, which is a bit novel these days, isn't it? Now that is usually gonna arrive between about five to 14 days, something like that. So like I say, I'm recording this just before Christmas.

If you actually started this now, then by the time we get to the January, it's not a January rush is it? But, but you know, we never really have a massive rush. In the counselling world, but we have a busy period and the busy period is January to March. So if you did this now, and like I say, it's easy to do, it doesn't take very long.

By the time you get that verification back, you'll be ready to be found on Google in January when it does start to get a little bit busier. So like I say, most of the time they'll send an actual postcard, but sometimes. They'll want to give you a phone call. They'll send you an email, and sometimes it's a video verification.

There's nothing to worry about here. It's just a genuine way that they can just check you out. And once that's done well, then your profile goes live. And just like that, you could start showing up when people are searching for support. Like I say, it's, it's so cool, isn't it? And it's all absolutely free.

Now, one of the first things Google is gonna ask for. An image, and I know that for some people that can bring all kinds of feelings, but I want to just tell you that this does not have to be a big deal. Now, ideally, I'd encourage you to add a photograph of yourself. Now, it doesn't have to be a professional headshot or anything like that.

A simple selfie is absolutely fine. In fact, a warm natural photo feels more relatable than something that's overly polished and professional. Now if you are not keen on using a photo of yourself, well that's okay too. So you could upload your logo or a picture of your counselling room or even the outside of your building, you know, as long as you feel comfortable with that.

But like I say, I do encourage you to try to be, if this does worry, you try to be brave because people often look at a photo before they read anything else. And it helps them to form a first impression, and that can really help them to get a sense of you and a sense of that connection. So if you do feel able to use a photograph of yourself, take a few selfies.

Now, honestly, I hate taking my own photograph. I hate taking, I hate having my photo taken. But honestly, when I do this. I can take 80, 90, a hundred if you like, and then you're gonna find one in there that you're gonna feel okay about. Just keep it simple. Try to have a little smile on you if you can, and just try and be you.

And whilst you're taking the photograph, just think, I've got a podcast some time ago, and it was a pho photographer. And she said that if you think a nice thought when you take the photo, it'll come through the image. So if you think like, think something like, I'd be really happy to welcome you into my practice or something like that.

I dunno, it just kind of softens the face. So yeah, you could try that. Now I know sometimes tech things can feel a bit intimidating, but honestly this one is very doable. And if you need a hand, I'll be guiding you through it in a quick win inside the Grow Your Private Practice membership. So there'll be extra help there. So what do you do once you've got that sorted out?

Well, here's where this really starts to work for you, because once your profile's live, you can add to it regularly and that's gonna keep it active and relevant. So a good rule of thumb is to add something new about once a week, maybe once a fortnight. And I want to be clear here, this doesn't have to be a big, massive job to put on your to-do list now.

It could be a blog. Now, it doesn't have to be a massive blog if you are not used to writing blogs and it's not something you really do yet, a short one would be absolutely fine. So maybe up to 500 words, that would be a great start. Other things that you could share could be a helpful tip, or it could be a gentle reflection or a thoughtful question, or it could be a photograph of the counselling room.

the view that you have from where you are sitting, something calming from your day, maybe a picture of a cup of tea and a biscuit. You know, it doesn't have to be hard work. And, you know, you might also share a few words on how therapy might help someone. So that your clients might get an idea from that as well.

So think of it as a way to gently show people who you are and how you help and who you help. And it really doesn't need to be perfect, I promise you. It just needs to be you just sharing something as though you were just speaking to somebody. Now this is a great opportunity to practice writing and showing up without any pressure.

You don't need to do loads. Like I say, you just need to get started and if you are not sure what to share, that's okay. Like I say, I'll be walking you through this in the next quick win training in the Grow Your Private Practice membership, so you could pop over and have a look at that. I'll show you how to get your profile working in a calm, sustainable way with no pressure, no hustle, just support.

Now, why does this matter? Well, I know that it can be really easy to put this sort of thing off. I know that I'm very good at putting things off, but when you've got a long to-do list and you are already feeling stretched, adding one more thing on it can just feel like too much. But you know, this really is one of those small, meaningful actions that can shift things.

You know, it tells Google that you exist. It tells people that you are available. It helps you start building trust before somebody even clicks through or calls you. It's simple, and like I say, it's free, which is fantastic, and it's kind of something that quietly works for you. So somebody might be having a bad night, they can't sleep, they're gonna be on Google.

Having a look around at what they might, what might be the next step for them, and they might see you there. On Google Business Profile. So you know you've got this. This doesn't have to be hard. And if you need a hand, then I'm here for you. So if you've been putting this off, this is your gentle nudge to give it a go open Google.

Take that first step and know that it absolutely counts. And remember, you could actually do this now before Christmas, and then by January. It's gonna be ready doing the work for you. How cool is that? And if you are listening to this and it's not Christmas, don't, you know, don't worry about that. Just, just do it as soon as you possibly can.

And like I say, if you'd like a bit more support to walk through it all from getting set up to knowing what to post, there are quick win trainings gonna be inside the Grow Your Private Practice membership very, very shortly. So there's no pressure, just help when you need it. Okay. So thank you so much for listening today.

I really do appreciate you being here. And if you found this helpful, then make sure you're following so that you don't miss future episodes. And if you know other counsellors that might find this useful, please feel free to pass it on and look, I hope to see you next time.

Have a fantastic week and I'll speak to you soon. Take care. Bye-bye.