For marketing in multiple states…

I usually like to pick different podcasts every week, but I was so intrigued by this recent episode of Marketing Therapy that I had to talk about it today.

Anna Rose Walker talks about multi-state marketing and her belief that clinicians who are licensed in multiple states, or who have PSYPACT and can see clients in 43 states, should focus primarily on one state or geographic area and perhaps have a secondary location as well.

I completely agree that practices should have a primary area where they do a lot of networking and relationship building. It's important to have a home base where people know who you are and what you do.

Where I would add some nuance is that I do think there are ways to build a national practice. I've had to think about this a lot with both Thriving Child Center and PCIT Experts.

The strategy that has worked best for me in building a national brand is becoming extremely specialized. We've been able to attract clients from around the country through niche directories, relationships within PSYPACT communities, partnerships with organizations looking for PSYPACT psychologists, and by offering services that are specialized enough that families are willing to search nationally to find them. And it's been working!

I don't think every practice can do this. There are definitely pitfalls. But I do think that when you're extremely micro-niched, especially if you're part of an organization that highlights that expertise, some of the normal geographic rules start to change.

I'm curious what you think. Go ahead and listen to the episode and see if it reflects your own experience.

For a new branding framework…

StoryBrand is one of the most well-known concepts in marketing, and on this week's episode of the Amy Porterfield Show, she interviews Donald Miller, the CEO of StoryBrand, about how to communicate what you do in a way that people actually remember. the minute I realized who her guest was, I sat up and paid attention. There is nothing more important to me in marketing than getting the messaging right.

This is not a therapy-specific podcast. In fact, it's more geared toward entrepreneurs and coaches. However, I found myself taking notes while listening because I can completely understand the value of being able to say what we do and how we help more simply so that clients can understand it.

Donald Miller repeatedly made the point that once we get our messaging right, our businesses can explode because people finally understand what we're actually offering.

He also lays out a framework called Sound Bites, which is designed to help business owners explain how they help through five specific concepts that, together, create a story about your business that anyone can understand, feel connected with, and get on board with.

I loved this concept so much that I may try to train Claude as a StoryBrand voice and see if it can help me develop some Sound Bites for my own businesses.

I also think this episode is a good reminder that we need to learn from people outside the therapy space. Some of the best business ideas I've ever gotten came from people in completely different industries.

If you want to get your messaging right, this episode is worth a listen.

For realizing that you are a unicorn…

One of the things I've noticed about psychologists is that we often can't see ourselves clearly.

We have extremely specialized training, experience, and expertise. Yet when it comes time to market ourselves, we often become surprisingly generic. Instead of talking about what we truly do well and what makes us stand out, we blend in with everyone else.

The problem is that niching is not enough.

What really matters is micro-niching: understanding what you specifically bring to the table that most people do not.

The irony is that most psychologists already have this. We just don't know what it is. And if we do know what it is, we're often too afraid to tell people because it feels braggy.

In this week's Worth It Practice Podcast episode, I talk about why identifying and marketing your micro-niche is not only helpful for your business, but sometimes life-changing for the people who need exactly what you offer.

If you've ever wondered what makes you a unicorn, (or you already know but you just need me to affirm that you should talk about it 😉) this episode is worth a listen.
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