The New Rules of Marketing for Therapists with Andy Crestodina | POP 1356

AI content strategy, AI in marketing, AI persona marketing, content marketing for therapists, digital marketing for therapists, niche marketing strategy, therapist website tips

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With everything changing in digital marketing, what actually still works? Is your website working to build trust? Are you using AI to improve your content, or just to produce more of it?

In this podcast episode, Joe Sanok discusses digital marketing tips for therapists with Andy Crestodina.

Podcast Sponsor: Alma

As a clinician, you probably chose this field because you wanted to support people in navigating challenges and finding personal growth. But many mental health care providers end up spending almost as much time on billing, insurance, and other documentation as you do in sessions with clients.

That’s where Alma can help.

Alma supports clinicians in building rewarding private practices—with simplified insurance credentialing in under 45 days, enhanced reimbursement rates, and guaranteed two-week payback.

Plus, a free profile in their searchable, filterable directory—making it easy for clients who are the right fit for your practice to find you.

Learn more about how Alma could support you in building a thriving private practice at helloalma.com/joe.

Meet Andy Crestodina

A photo of Andy Crestodina is captured. He is a co-founder and Chief Marketing Officer of Orbit Media, a digital agency known for its expertise in web design and content strategy. Andy is featured on the Practice of the Practice, a therapist podcast.

Andy Crestodina is a co-founder and Chief Marketing Officer of Orbit Media, a digital agency known for its expertise in web design and content strategy. He’s a leading voice in content marketing, helping businesses create high-performing websites through data-driven insights, SEO best practices, and user-focused design. Andy is also the author of Content Chemistry, a widely respected guide to content marketing, and a frequent speaker on how to build trust, drive traffic, and convert visitors into clients.

Visit Orbit Media and connect on LinkedIn.

In This Podcast

What Andy has seen shift in marketing today
Basics of good content in every therapist’s website
What you should and shouldn’t use AI for in marketing
Andy’s advice to private practitioners

What Andy has seen shift in marketing today

Channels have changed … People are using AI to research options. Formats have changed: we went through COVID and the live format kind of died … All kinds of stuff has changed … and some things have not changed at all! (Andy Crestodina)

Drawing a circle on the type of marketing that we commonly have today, Andy briefly lists the latest changes and things that have been timeless within the marketing industry.

While we have AI, social media, and digital marketing, which are all new, updating, and shifting almost weekly, some things have stayed the same, such as the questions that your clients are asking.

The fact that people need information [hasn’t changed]. The fact that trust is built in certain specific ways. People need answers. (Andy Crestodina)

Even though the tools for connection have changed, the fact that people look for and need trust, consistency, and authenticity in that connection has remained the same.

Basics of good content in every therapist’s website

Here is a brief list of some of the types of content Andy wants you to have on your website and social media pages:

1 – Sales enablement content: For example, this could be content that tells a story about a positive result that a client of yours went through.

2 – Taking a stand: Strong opinions, spicy narratives, hot takes … These are much more memorable than other content, and it is also something that AI can’t create.

[Standing a stand] is also something that AI can’t create. AI doesn’t have any opinions, AI doesn’t care about anything, so when you take a little stand, even on something relatively minor, it can make a big difference. (Andy Crestodina)

3 – New, original research: Content that shares new insights and findings, which catches the attention of even bloggers, editors, and journalists who take your research and spread it.

What you should and shouldn’t use AI for in marketing

Many marketers use AI to save time and improve efficiency, whereas a smaller percentage of AI users use it for quality control and performance measurement.

My numer one use case for these [AI] tools is to use it to audit things that you’re making to make those things better and more comprehensive. (Andy Crestodina)

For example, you can use AI to create a synthetic member of your target audience and interview this persona.

Take a screenshot of your homepage and share it with this synthetic persona and ask it:

What’s missing?
What are the most important things I didn’t talk about?
What are the claims I have failed to support with evidence?
What are the biggest concerns I haven’t yet addressed?

AI-powered persona-driven gap analysis? Gold! A short way to say it: stop using AI to find efficiencies and start using it to find deficiencies, plug those gaps, and you’ll get greater performance. (Andy Crestodina)

Andy’s advice to private practitioners

You can use and train AI to help connect people who need your services with your business, and that’s not sketchy.

It is part of the job to make sure that your content and homepages are clear and easy to understand, so that your clients can reach the help that they need.

Books mentioned in this episode:

Andy Crestodina – Content Chemistry: An Illustrated Handbook for Content Marketing

Gary W. Keller and Jay Papasan – The One Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Result

Simon Sinek – Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action

Sponsors Mentioned in this Episode:

Learn more about how Alma could support you in building a thriving private practice at helloalma.com/joe.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Visit Orbit Media and connect on LinkedIn.

Work with us one-on-one!

Join the Practice Academy!

Check out these additional resources:

Meet Joe Sanok

A photo of Joe Sanok is displayed. Joe, private practice consultant, offers helpful advice for group practice owners to grow their private practice. His therapist podcast, Practice of the Practice, offers this advice.

Joe Sanok helps counselors to create thriving practices that are the envy of other counselors. He has helped counselors to grow their businesses by 50-500% and is proud of all the private practice owners who are growing their income, influence, and impact on the world. Click here to explore consulting with Joe.

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