The 4 Stages of Marketing Your Therapy Business
Part 3a. Generating demand for your practice using Facebook Ads (Paid traffic)
Paid traffic (Targeting people on Facebook with ads)
Demand Generation is a proactive marketing approach that involves targeting an audience that is likely to be interested in your offering. The opposite of this is ‘demand fulfillment’, which includes ads that are served to those specifically looking for your service (google ads fall into this category).
The people you are targeting with demand generating ads are usually – but not exclusively those that are lower down on the buying ladder. They either have a problem but may not realise it yet, they realise they have a problem but believe there is no solution – or they have a problem and know about some solutions available but never considered hypnotherapy.
Compare this audience against those that are actively looking for your services already (demand fulfillment audiences) and you’ll understand why it is important to do more than paying for ads on Facebook, offering your services with a link to your website.
The good news is, there is a simple 3 step model that enables you to consistently generate demand for your business, and once honed to perfection, you can leave it running in the background generating high-quality leads.
To understand how the 3 steps work – I’ll use a ‘Dating Theory’ model.
- Attraction
- Build Comfort
- Intimacy
Unfortunately, most of the ads I see for therapy services have this model backward.
This happens for 2 reasons; 1. Therapists consider themselves to be genuinely good people, and 2. They assume others think this way about them too.
The problem is, trust must be earned – and like it or not, people who are low down on the buying ladder are more likely to be skeptical and view therapists as charlatans selling snake oil, rather than warm, caring individuals who are passionate about helping people.
This is a huge disconnect that needs mending before you can move then to the next step on the buying ladder – and that responsibility lies with you.
Here’s how it works:
Step 1. Attraction
We attract others by getting their attention. In dating theory, this is known as ‘Peacocking’. There are some therapists that can get away with this approach, that have the style, personality, and charisma to carry it off. If you have the mindset of an A list celebrity, go for it, it can pay dividends. However, if you are starting out on your marketing journey and you’d prefer a less dramatic approach, simply switch ‘We attract others by getting their attention’ to ‘We attract others by giving them attention’.
As a dating coach in the late 90’s, I would regularly hear male clients claim that they were not interesting enough to attract women. My response was always, “You don’t need to be interesting; you need to be interested”. For many, this simple shift in awareness was a gamechanger.
So, how do you give the right attention to attract potential clients?
Every new connection begins with an opener. If you are promoting hypnosis for sleep and your target audience is women experiencing or entering Menopause, what would get their attention?
Here are some examples of openers:
Warning: clicking on this link to learn about DEEP SLEEP HYPNOSIS may result in unexpected side effects.
Deep sleep hypnosis for Menopause
The 5 Simple sleep hacks for deeper sleep
This gives attention to their problem. But it is just the beginning.
The ‘opener’ then expanded on by sharing some genuinely helpful tips and tricks they can test for themselves. This is all delivered in the ad itself, using long copy, bullet points, or storytelling. By giving genuine value and explaining ‘What’ they can do to achieve their desired outcome quickly’ will help to build their confidence in your ability.
But they don’t trust you yet! So far you’ve demonstrated your value and resourcefulness without asking for anything in return. Remember, this isn’t even the first date, you are only just getting to know each other.
NOTE: This initial engagement also begins to weed out timewasters – by the time you get to speak with them, they have already prequalified themselves as potential clients.
Your next move is to offer access to a free video or audio that expands on the initial interaction. Again, you will ask for nothing in return, not even an email (emails are high-value assets reserved for Step 3 or beyond)
At the end of the freebie, you explicitly invite them to connect with you in person, to have a free discovery call to answer any questions they may have about what you’ve shared so far. If they accept – Step 1 is complete and Step 2 begins.
While this may seem like a long process, once set up it will be hands-free and the only investment of time on your part is the discovery call. What you can be certain of, is that the person booking the call has been through each part of Step 1 and is invested enough to speak with you directly. This is known as an IOI (an indication of interest) and should be prized.
Step 2. Build Comfort
The ability to build comfort and trust are essential skills for every therapist. By now they have heard your voice and possibly seen you on video. There is also every chance that they have explored your website too, so anything that can reinforce your ‘Social Proof’ is essential. Having lots of positive and genuine reviews on your website will be a massive social proof convincer. (See my article Nurture what you already have and what I have to say about asking for reviews =>HERE<=)
Remember, a free discovery call is not a sales pitch for your services. It is simply an opportunity to have a real conversation and connect on a deeper level. Maybe you will demonstrate some phenomena or teach them a quick self-help tool. Whatever feels appropriate.
Step 3. Intimacy
Once you feel that you have truly connected during the discovery call, you can escalate the relationship towards a commitment. Explaining how you have helped others and how you can help them, closes the commitment gap. This again may seem like a drawn-out approach, but it does not have to be. You simply gauge each situation and escalate the conversation towards commitment when it feels appropriate. The psychology behind conversational sales techniques could fill these pages 10x over – but you are a hypnotist, you don’t need any complicated methods, be authentic, read the signs and if they are ready, you’ll secure their commitment in no time at all.
Always remember to include details about how many sessions clients usually book with you and their investment. This conversation is easy once both parties feel connected.
That’s the overview, in the next part of this article I will dive into writing the long copy for the advert, designing the post image, creating the freebie/landing page, and pull it all together with a scheduling app.
The flow diagram below will help you remember all 3 steps.
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