How to Attract New Therapy Clients with the Creativity of QR Codes

by Jeff on February 8, 2012

Mobile Marketing is one of those new areas that many therapists and marketers just don’t seem to get yet.  Sometimes it’s because we tend to think that our audience thinks like us and we fail to remember that they are a diverse bunch that respond to information in diverse ways.

Take the use of QR codes, for example. Why would anybody want to fiddle around with their phone until they find an app that takes a picture of a little square bar code?  How would one even know what to do with a QR code, and is scanning one worth the bother? Recognize that voice?

Admittedly, there are still not that many individuals who know what to do when they see a QR (Quick Response) code and yet these codes  are beginning to appear everywhere anyways.  You can find them on books, on billboards, on websites, on business cards, on menus, etc. etc.  Is it futile to use them?  Many people don’t think so.

Firstly you need to understand what they do and how they do what they do very well. The codes are computer generated and can be created so that the person that scans the code will be quickly directed to information.  So a quick scan can lead to a quick response – thus the name Quick Response codes.  This mean that a person that scans the code will be taken to a website, a video, a special offer online, a phone number, a map etc. without having to type in a long web address in order to retrieve information.

So why are people so hesitant to use QR codes as part of their marketing strategy (which can apply to other new technologies)?
 
1.     They assume that because they can’t be bothered/interested/know how to scan a code that others won’t use them either.
2.     They cannot figure how to integrate QR codes (or other new technologies) with their existing marketing plan.
3.     They cannot think of the best ways to incorporate QR codes (or other new technologies)

These are very good points. I will address each in turn.

They assume that because they can’t be bothered/interested/know how to scan a code that others won’t use them either.
Many of our potential clients are early adopters and like to utilize any new technology as it becomes available.  Some of our clients, for example, have used smart phones for a very long time and are curious about each new app or innovation that comes along.  These people often are great clients if we take the trouble to try to reach them through ways that match their way of connecting to the world as well as their sense of curiosity.

They cannot figure how to integrate QR codes (or other new technologies) with their existing marketing plan.
This isn’t really a good excuse.  There are quite a few people for whom this is new and they are eager to make the best use of whatever comes along.  Now, for example, there is a growing group of individuals that are using Google+ and recognize that incorporating it early on will put them at a distinct advantage.  What are the most effective ways to integrate QR codes?  I can think of several!

They cannot think of the best ways to incorporate QR codes (or other new technologies).
This is quite reasonable.  What factors will maximize the likelihood that QR codes will have any impact on your marketing at all?

Here is a list that I think is useful.

Is there an incentive to scan a code?
It may make a difference.
For example if scanning the code leads to a newsletter signup that provides a relaxation audio playable on the smart phone. Or scanning the code might lead to a video about the therapist’s approach.

Where is the code located?
If the code is on a wall beside an escalator the likelihood that it will be scanned is minimal.  If the code is on a wall in a waiting room there is a very good chance that it will be scanned by some people will be much higher, depending on interest.  People in waiting rooms are often looking for any kind of stimulation available whether it be a magazine, a newsletter, or (just maybe) a QR code!

So, is it worth adding QR codes (or any new technology) to your set of marketing tools?  You’ll have to decide that for yourself.  Just remember, there is always someone out there that will have thought it through and figured out how to use a new marketing technology in the right way to attract clients.  It takes a bit of creativity and a willingness to imagine which segment of the population will embrace it.

NOTE:  If your are interested in customized training in mobile marketing please contact Jeff at Jeffrey@mobilemarketingfortherapists.com


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What happens if your therapy site becomes infected?

by Jeff on December 12, 2011

malwareIt doesn’t really matter whether you have a professional website developer or whether you are an Internet geek, your site can be compromised at any time. Compromised, you say? Yes indeed. Stripped of its reputation for being a safe place to obtain information about health and wellbeing. Changed, in a moment, into a site that can infect, that is considered dangerous, and that may even be blacklisted as a result. And it’s not a pleasant thing to have happen, as both Clinton and I can clearly state from our own experiences.

A while back I became aware of the fact that one of my sites (yes I have more than one) had what’s known as Malware associated with it. Malware is actually a catch-all term that can include any number of types of codes that can be the source of viruses, and worms that can affect the integrity of the computer and information contained within it.

While most of us have some sort of antivirus software it’s amazing how many new destructive types of malware are created each day. It’s also amazing that vulnerabilities in programs and servers are discovered all the time.

Without getting too deeply into the nature of malware, it’s very clear that you don’t want it associated with your site.

So what can you do? Well, if you check out your website daily you may or may not notice something is wrong. Interestingly, the malware on my website did not appear for those using Mac computers. Since I own a Mac I was quite oblivious to the problem until a PC user told me about it. What they found was that whenever they came to my site via the search engines they were redirected to a gaming site and then a danger warning popped up telling them that if they entered the site their computer could be compromised. Nerve racking to say the least.

Becoming aware of the issue was one thing. Knowing what to do about it is entirely different.

I can definitely say I know more than the average person about website development. I’ve created a few sites that are now actually quite well respected. Unfortunately my knowledge did not extend to addressing malware.

These are the things I did when I discovered I had a problem.

  1. Contacted the server that hosts my site. Result: Received a very long list of things I needed to do that was (quite frankly) beyond my level of expertise.
  2. Hired some experts. Result: Removed the problem and said they fixed the vulnerabilities (that allowed the problem in).

Then after a week or two the problem popped up again. In fact it was the identical issue. I had followed all of the steps (I thought) that web hosts provided and yet the site was re-infected.  They told me I obviously had some “vulnerabilities” on my site.  Hmmm, that would be obvious, don’t you think?

At that point, despite some reasonable stress management skills, I was feeling quite frustrated. It seemed like my only option was to follow #1 and #2 again, which is what I did.

The time wasted and the money spent was getting out of hand.

As a result of following Step #1 and Step #2 again, everything was back on track again.  But not for long . ..

Is there a happy ending? Yes indeed.

I discovered a company that fixes sites with Malware and monitors your site(s) continuously. It’s called Sucuri and the cost for the above service (for one site) is about $90 per year.  It’s a very small price to know that your site a) will be monitored for infection and b) will be repaired – usually within ½ hour if there is a problem.

While most people will not pay for a preventative service like this, both Clinton and I now use their service. Since a website is more and more becoming the “hub” of one’s business it’s well worth knowing that our sites are now fully monitored and repaired if anything malicious pops up.  Also, we’re both now confident that the first thing that a potential client will see on our site is not a warning.

We are now completely sold on Sucuri’s service.

If you’re interested in signing up, click on the image below.

 


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Therapists: Are you ready for the mobile revolution?

by Jeff on October 5, 2011

It’s probably not that surprising to find out that mobile marketing will grow at an amazing pace. The statistics provide an indication of just how significant the mobile revolution is.

Recently, Cisco Systems presented some staggering predictions for the year 2015. Clinton and I thought we would share some of these predictions so you can begin to think about how it will affect you and your business.

1. Two thirds of the world’s mobile traffic data will be video by 2015. The prediction is that mobile video will more than double every year between 2010 and 2015.

It’s pretty clear why this is the case. People simply find video to be a powerful and engaging way to communicate information. In addition to the degree to which it occupies our senses, video has a great capacity to build trust in individuals, particularly when it touches what your potential clients seek in their lives right now.

2. There will be nearly 1 mobile device per capita by the year 2015. That suggests that by 2015 there will be approximately 7.2 billion mobile devices.

Of course this includes not only smartphones but all other mobile activated devices.

While the article does not state it, we believe that not only will this massive increase in the number of mobile devices be in place, but that there will be a huge increase in the various ways that these devices can be used.

It’s amazing that you can now use your phone to fax, create movies, access social media, pay bills, reserve flights, make reservations, book and pay for appointments, track expenses, etc.  The list is simply huge and none of this was possible only a few years ago.

We have no doubt that mobile devices will eventually be used extensively to access online educational events as well as counselling and coaching services. That’s one of the reasons why we are currently teaching counsellors and coaches about mobile marketing now.  We believe that as therapists begin to understand the degree to which mobile will soon affect their practices that they will begin to pay attention to how they can develop more successful practices because they have figured out how to benefit from the mobile revolution.

3. The average smart phone will generate 1.3 GB of traffic per month in 2015, which is a 16 fold increase over 2010.

This statistic actually makes quite a bit of sense when you realize that I video will be so much more popular in the future than it is now. Clearly the amount of memory that is necessary to activate video is significantly greater than text based ways of communicating. Of course the increasing numbers of people utilizing mobile, for so many reasons, also accounts for this incredible prediction.

This statistic also indicates how much data and information people will consume on the mobile devices in years to come. And the question is, are you creating online content that’s mobile friendly?

4. There will be 788 million mobile only Internet users by 2015. The mobile only Internet population will grow 56 fold from 14 million at the end of 2010 to 788 million by the end of 2015.

Are you prepared for it?  Is your website mobile friendly?  Isn’t it time you thought about it?

If you are interested in some intensive mobile marketing training, please check out our home study program at www.mobilemarketingfortherapists.com

 

You will be way ahead of your colleagues.

 

Data from: Cisco Visual Networking Index: Global Mobile Data Traffic Forecast Update, 2010–2015

 


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Is Technophobia Hurting Your Therapy Business?

by Clinton on August 27, 2011

Is technophobia hurting your therapy business?

© protimient - Fotolia.com

One of the things I’ve noticed through business coaching other therapists and working closely with the members of my counselling directory, Australia Counselling, is that many therapists and counsellors experience technophobia.

What I mean by this is that some therapists and counsellors try to have as little to do with technology and computers as possible.

I guess this has surprised me, as I’ve wrongly assumed that other therapists have skills and knowledge about technology that my Therapy Marketing Geeks partner Jeff and I take for granted.

My know-how has emerged from a passion and interest I have in all things ‘geek’. But what I’ve also seen is that for some therapists, this aversion to technology is starting to impact their ability to create a thriving private practice. And of course, their bottom line in terms of the profitabiity of their business.

The business of therapy is about running a business

I’ve always said that to be a therapist in private practice, you also need to be a business person. This might not sit well with you, but if you want to create a successful private practice, you also need to have a number of other skills.

Some of the skills the modern therapy practitioner needs to have include:

  • an eye for graphic design
  • the ability to know good web design
  • accounting and money-management skills
  • marketing skills
  • advertising know-how
  • the ability to write articles for the public
  • copywriting skills
  • understanding blogging platforms and technology
  • the ability to write for social media platforms
  • networking skills- online and offline
  • PR- public relations for your business
  • the ability to manage software, such as an online appointment scheduler or auto-responder/newsletter system

How are you feeling after reading this list? Intimidated? Maybe, but that’s not my intention.

The point I’m making is you can now longer just put a sign on your door that says ‘Counselling & Psychotherapy’ and expect that people will arrive. The number of therapists that can make a living based purely on referrals is extremely small, and often these are the therapists who have been working for 25+ years.

You now need to be able to harness the power of technology to market your practice and manage systems to help in the effective and efficient running of your business.

So the bottom line is: you can’t avoid technology and expect to be able to fulfil the roles of a modern business person. And having a private practice means you’re a business person.

The good news

The good news is you don’t have to do all of this on your own. There are many ways that you can get support for the skills that are needed to create a successful therapy business. Sure, I do a lot of these things on my own because I have a passion for technology, but there are many ways you can outsource these  tasks.

One of the main sites I use to outsource taks is oDesk (affiliate link).

Outsourcing for your therapy business is often a better use of your time and money

I’m a huge fan of using oDesk to outsource many of the tasks that I don’t have the skills for. The way oDesk works is you post a job and people bid on the job. You review the bidders and accept the bid proposal that you like the best.

When using outsourcing companies like oDesk  it’s a smart way to leverage your time and money. You can often have a team of people working for you from $5 – $15 an hour.

Now do the math. If you are billing $100-200 an hour for your services, it just doesn’t make sense to spend a lot of time and energy on tasks you struggle with, when you can outsource them for a fraction of what you earn per hour.

I’ve outsourced graphic design, web design, marketing banners and logos, and website creation. In fact, the Australia Counselling directory was built by a company that I sourced through oDesk.

There are some therapy business tasks that shouldn’t be outsourced

As much as I love oDesk, there are some tasks that you have to do yourself. Most importantly, I believe that you need to be blogging and article writing for your business yourself.

The reason I see these tasks as important to do yourself is that you need to cultivate your own uniquie writing voice that can be recognised and appreciated by the public. Your writing is the public face of your business. It’s through your writing that you can develop relationships with your community.

While it may be tempting to outsource writing, I encourage you to develop your own blogging voice, that can be identified as yours and yours only.

The one exception to this is copywriting. Copywriting is a proven science that compels people to take action through the written word. I have studied copywriting and I often help therapists with the copy for the webpages, so that the copy is compelling and targeted for their niche market.

If you’re creating copy for your website, I encourage you to consider using the skills of a professional copywriter. One simple way is to write the copy for your webpages, and then have them reviewed by a copywriter.

Copywriters are also often trained in SEO (search engine optimisation), so they know how best to use keywords so your webpages rank in the search engines. (And if you’re looking for an experienced therapy copywriter, check out www.julietaustin.com ).

What’s your experience of using technology for your therapy practice? Do you suffer from technophobia, or have you successfully used it to build your private practice? Please leave your comments below.

 

 


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10 Steps for Overcoming Your Fears of Writing

June 21, 2011

This article was part of the Goodie Bag for attendees at the Therapist Leadership Virtual Conference that I presented at in June, 2011. Download the accompanying  TLC 2011 Writing & Broadcasting Resource List to get the list of technology products that you can use to get your message out. Unfortunately, therapists, coaches and healing professionals [...]

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Isn’t it Time for Therapists to Start Using Online Appointment Booking Systems?

May 31, 2011

I’ve always wondered why so many therapists are hesitant to tap into a new technology even when it is clear that it can have a powerfully positive impact on their business. Part of the hesitation, I now know, is the genuine complexity of much of the online technology out there, while another part is the [...]

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Is Social Media for Therapists All It’s Cracked Up to Be?

May 7, 2011

Social media for use by therapists and healthcare professionals has received a huge amount of press about the power of reaching clients and getting your brand and message out into the community. Some people have gone as far to say you can fill your private practice from using social media. In this post I challenge [...]

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Online Therapy Appointment Scheduling Q&A

February 27, 2011

The following interview was conducted by Elizabeth Doherty Thomas with one-half of Therapy Marketing Geeks, Clinton Power. Interview with Clinton Power, who can be found on Twitter as @SydneyTherapist His website to see how he does online appointments: www.clintonpower.com.au Of all the online tools, technologies, and ways to make your life easier as a therapist, online [...]

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Wibiya plugin

February 26, 2011

Welcome to the first blog in our series of WordPress plugin of the month. You probably know that WordPress is one of the most popular blogging platforms available on the Internet today. The versatility of WordPress allows you to create a site that looks like a static website, however, you have complete control over the content [...]

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What Can New Marketing Technologies Add to Your Practice?

January 5, 2011

One of the things I have sensed over the past several years from therapists on the directory I developed in Vancouver, is a strong resistance to technological innovations that I have implemented on the site.  I have also seen the frustration of needing to learn how to craft the words they use, get a photo [...]

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