11 Free Private Practice Marketing Strategies
*This blog was last updated on June 29, 2023.
Marketing Your Private Practice (AKA Therapy Advertising 101)
How do you market yourself as a private practice therapist? And how do you market a psychotherapy practice when you have little (or no) budget to begin? We’re here to help you with therapy advertising!
We (Miranda Palmer and Kelly Higdon) both started our private practices on a shoestring budget. Actually, that isn't really true. We started with absolutely no budget. Why?
I (Miranda) wasn't planning to start a private practice and had no idea what I was doing or how to advertise therapy services. I’d just quit my full-time job with benefits with the county after having an infant — sort of out of the blue. Kelly was just trying to see if she could muster the passion again for her work after being burnt out at her county job. It was more of a test.
The fact was, both of us needed to work. We were the “breadwinners,” and our families relied on our income. Oh, and we started our practices during an economic recession. Not exactly the perfect scenario, is it? We’ve since been through a pandemic and a few recessions, and we feel SUPER prepared to show you how to advertise your therapy services!
So, going back to the story, I did what I always do when I’m feeling completely lost: research! Kelly, on the other hand, researched someone to help her, and that’s how we met! We did both spend money — money in learning how to launch a cash-pay private practice. We also did a lot of things for absolutely no money out of our bank accounts to launch our private practice.
We’ve created a TON of free marketing resources for therapists to teach you how to attract more therapy clients. They’re the kind of resources that weren’t available when we started, so now you can get the information we wish we had for free (that we both paid for!).
Top 11 Free Marketing Strategies for Therapists
1. Take Advantage of Free Marketing Trainings for Therapists
You’ll hear a LOT of people share about how something worked for them, and then it doesn’t work for you. It’s often because we don’t know how to approach therapy advertising or what to say when opportunities arise. We’ve got 15+ hours of free trainings for therapists (some of them are even CE-eligible, and you can take any of them right now) to help.
Learning how to market and what to say is invaluable and will make all the free marketing strategies we list below a LOT more effective! Here are some therapist marketing success stories to give you some hope and trust that our free marketing trainings can work for you, too.
2. Build a Therapist’s Website on a Free Platform
What’s the best website to advertise on as a therapist? I initially built the website for my private practice business on Google's free website builder, and Kelly built hers on a free Mac program back in the day. While most of the free website builders for therapists have major limitations and aren't the endpoint of therapy advertising, writing up your website on a free builder can be invaluable experience. Building your website gives you the opportunity to give voice to your passions and skills, and it allows you to see your work in action.
Both of us are kinesthetic learners, so later when we ended up paying for hosting and design services, we were both clearer about what we wanted. Most of our Business School for Therapists community members start out on Squarespace, which is less than $20 per month annually, but you can always move to something like that later if you have absolutely no budget. (If you’ve got $20 to invest as you get started, it’s the BEST $20 you’ll spend on your marketing).
3. Add Your Private Practice to Free Trials of Paid Directories
We love a free trial. It gives you a chance to test what might work for your practice and therapy advertising. It’s a no-brainer, in most cases, to list your private practice for a free trial period. However, you definitely want stellar content and clarity in your messaging, so you can target your ideal therapy clients. Make sure you put a time on your calendar to go and assess whether to keep or cancel the listing before you start getting charged.
(And yes, we do have a free training where we cover how to write your marketing message in our Private Practice Trainings Library here.)
How do you know if you should keep it? You’ll usually get data from the directory, but ultimately, you have to ask clients where they found you — and yes, sometimes they’re vague! If you get even one referral during the trial period, the return on investment (ROI) is quite high. Look for free trial offerings through your EHR, such as Simple Practice, or through your insurance provider, such as CPH. You can also seek out trials via any professional organizations you have a membership with or ask a friend who might have a referral code!
4. Network on LinkedIn for Therapy Advertising
You might be scratching your head on this one — Are therapists allowed to advertise? And is this even worth my time? — but LinkedIn is still a professional meetup site that many of our Business School members have learned to use to build new relationships with referral partners.
You can target meeting other business owners in your area on LinkedIn and turn those virtual connections into real-life ones. Don't stay insulated to just other therapists and doctors. Think more broadly. Who else works with your ideal client? For example, what if you love working in the field of divorced families? Connect with accountants or family law attorneys in your area.
While you’re at it, make sure your LinkedIn profile clearly spells out what you do. Most people have an inaccurate view of psychotherapy. Even if someone has a good idea of what therapy is, there’s a WIDE variety in the framework with which therapy is conceptualized and delivered. Make sure you can articulate what YOU do clearly.
5. Reignite Relationships
You know more people than you realize. In your personal and professional life, you come into contact with people every day. Call up people you know in your area to check in and find out how they’re doing. Genuinely care about others. Tell them how you’re doing, learn to talk comfortably about your business, and articulate verbally what you actually do.
We recommend making a list of 100 people you know. Your barista, your doctors, friends, colleagues, etc. When starting or relaunching a private practice, 10- to 20-minute phone calls a week (less than 3 hours) can have a significant impact on getting new clients.
Note: You don't have to be extroverted or business-savvy to do this — you just have to be willing to have real conversations with people. If you don't want to use up your cell phone minutes (that would cost $), grab a Google Voice number and use your computer to make phone calls for free!
6. Get a Google My Business Listing
Today, many people go straight to the Internet when looking for phone numbers or services. The first listing you want to get is your Google Business listing, which also helps you with search engine optimization / SEO efforts as a therapist. You want to have some pictures of your office, your staff, and your building, as well as keywords, so you can be found easily on searches.
There are many other business directories for therapy advertising that are free. Even if you aren't ready to launch a website yet, get listed on some free sites. It can be time-consuming. In fact, even though this is free, consider going to a site like Fiverr where there are people who will do this for you for $5. Skip a trip to Starbucks and save yourself hours of work that someone else can do better than you. Include your specialties.
Here’s a list of free directories (that get thousands of visitors to their websites) for you to reference and add your business to:
All social media handles (Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Twitter, Pinterest, etc.)
HOT TAKE: Do NOT pay any of these platforms or anyone to set these up for you. They’re actually pretty simple to set up, and the money you’d spend would be better spent elsewhere in most cases. I’ve seen people charge $500+ for something that literally takes them 10 minutes to setup. Even if it takes you an hour, that’s a good ROI for you!
7. Boost Your SEO
Go to a site like QuickSprout or Moz Pro (they have a 30-day free trial) that does a free check of the findability of your website and see how you rank (where you show up on Google’s search engine results pages). Also known as search engine optimization (SEO), there are certain things you can do to make sure the robots at Google know who you are.
SEO isn't about therapy advertising tricks or paying to be findable. It’s about making sure Google knows where you’re located, what you do, your specialties, etc. Yes, there are people who will upgrade your SEO for you, but we want you to do the basics, making sure your website speaks to your ideal client and tells Google what you’re really about.
8. Network
Make a plan to talk to your community and network as a therapist at least four times per year. As you do that, network with people from LinkedIn and be on the lookout to be of service through speaking to others.
Talk to local business owners you know who have employees you might want to work with. Then, offer to do a free talk to them on a topic you’re passionate about: stress reduction, relaxation, goal-setting, dealing with difficult customers, etc. This can put you at the forefront of potential referral partners and provides a great service of education to your community.
This can also look like being on podcasts; however, you want your therapist podcast to reach your ideal therapy clients. We find speaking within your immediate community to be more effective to start if you have a brick-and-mortar practice. If you’re virtual, online speaking opportunities might be a better fit.
9. Blog About Therapy Topics
Make a plan to "talk" online to your community at least four times per year (yes, we’re throwing out that number again so you’re more consistent in your private practice therapy advertising!). That means blogging. Blogs have become a funny buzzword, but all they really are is you "talking" to your community in a written format. Sit down one morning and write out four talks you'd love to share; then, set them up so you can post them once per quarter.
Want to grow faster? Consider monthly or even weekly blogging. Blogging gives visibility to your website and allows people to get to know you better. You can make an impact on the lives of your readers by blogging on your business website.
10. Use Social Media Wisely
Too many therapists are using social media without a clear understanding of how it works to build their private practice business and reputation. Instead of growing their business, they’re stagnating because they’re ignoring real relationships in the world!
The two fastest ways social media can build your therapy business:
#1. The more people who share your website on social media, the cooler Google assumes you are, and that makes your website more findable.
#2. The more people you meet on social media and build real relationships with — by meeting by phone or in the real world — the bigger your real-world reputation and referral base is. We believe you can make real connections online when you’re intentional with your social media.
Never underestimate the power of a good Reel on Instagram. With many algorithms now favoring shortform video content, you can't just rely on only using static images and text to build and captivate audiences.
That said, it’s SUPER easy to end up spending hours a day on social media spinning your wheels, wasting your time, and hiding out for building real relationships. If you’re new to social media or it isn’t your strong suit, we’d recommend skipping this one for now and focusing on things that lead you to a real conversation with a real person.
11. Get Connected
Build real relationships with other specialists in private practice in your area. If you’re private pay, meet with others who are private pay.
If you take certain insurance that you want more referrals from, look for other providers who take that insurance. Don't just send them a letter with business cards attached — that’s NOT the kind of high-value therapy advertising you want to pursue. Be bold: invite them to coffee and ask to stop by their office to get to know them and their team and provide better referrals.
Also, look for complementary specialties. Kelly often cross-referred with a play therapist who she referred kids to, and that therapist often referred the moms to Kelly. They both knew who they loved working with and had great referrals for the people who needed a better-fit clinician.
12. Have Fun with Therapy Advertising
Look for things that bring you joy and energy! There are 1,000 ways to build and grow a successful private practice — look for things that best reflect who you truly are. You want what you put out into the world to be an accurate reflection of who you are and what you do, so you attract clients who are looking for just that! You’ll find that as you go about your day, enjoying your life, you’ll naturally talk about your business. Do what you love and share your passions.
Bonus: We’ve been speaking more about increasing income and improving outcomes in private practice. And we highly recommend — whether you’re just starting out or have been doing this work for 30+ years — that you track your outcomes.
Really look at what helps clients and stay attuned to how your clients are doing in their work with you. When you do good work, those clients will refer to you. This naturally comes with time, but building a business that allows you to do your best work with clients is essential.
BONUS Therapy Advertising Training
ALRIGHTY… ready for a happy little bonus? Scroll right down and you’ll see a full training on therapy marketing 101. Just click play, put in your email when it asks, and start taking notes! Let’s figure this out together because we need more therapists out in the world to serve our hurting communities!
Need more support for marketing your private practice? Check out our Business School for Therapists community, the largest online business training system for therapists.
