Blogging for Therapists: Is It Really Necessary?

No matter what stage of private practice you’re in, you need to have a solid marketing plan. Whether you’re just opening your doors or are maintaining a thriving practice, you need to let people know who you are in order to keep the lights on—and sustain the undeniable highs and lows of entrepreneurship. The good news is you’re entirely in control of what that plan looks like. 

A lot of private practitioners are under the impression that blogging for therapists is an essential part of a successful marketing plan. But that’s not true—it’s okay to not have a blog. It’s more than okay to focus your time and energy on other parts of your practice and other marketing efforts. 

Keep Your Focus on Clients

There’s a lot to prioritize. If you already have workload concerns, something as time-consuming as a blog can easily blur priorities. Use your energy to stay present with your clients in sessions, recharge after the workday is over, and manage the business side of your practice. There are only so many hours in a day, and your clients should come first in those hours. 

When you’re not worried about what you’re going to write, when you’re going to write, or even why you’re publishing it, you can stay focused on client care. If you feel like you want to expand your impact beyond client care, think of ways you can offer the best support to your clients and your community, and focus on what’s the best use of not just your time but your natural skill set. 

There Are Other Means of Connection

There’s no one right way to market your private practice. Different tools are more effective for some people than others, and part of astute marketing is being selective about the tools you use. The marketing strategies you use shouldn’t feel like they’re adding stress or another item on your to-do list. When you choose marketing tools that you enjoy, marketing your practice becomes less of a chore. If a blog isn’t that tool for you, focus your energy elsewhere. 

In fact, you should be marketing where you know your clients already are. Social media, video, and podcasts are just a few other ways you can connect with your community that offer you unique ways to engage that you might not get with a blog. 

Social Media

No matter what age group you work with, chances are most of your clients are on some kind of social media. Maintaining an active social media presence still requires work, but individual posts are a smaller writing commitment than maintaining a blog would be. The captions are shorter, and you can post a quick story if you’re short on time. You also have more opportunities for direct engagement with your followers in the comment section and in direct messages. 

Video 

If you aren’t as comfortable writing posts for a blog, videos might be a better fit for you. There are a lot of routes you can take here—from quick, snappy videos on social media to more long-form content on your site or YouTube. This still offers an opportunity for you to share your knowledge and connect with clients, without the added pressure of writing everything down. That said, creating and editing video content is still a lot of work, so if time is a major concern for you, this might not be the best option. 

Podcasts

Podcasts, like videos, offer a unique opportunity to collaborate with other clinicians in your network or bring in other expert voices. You can interview other clinicians, offer business-building and marketing advice to other business owners, or share your experience and wisdom with younger clinicians. This also gives you the chance to interact with your community in real time, which you can’t do as easily with blogging. 

There are so manys ways you can market and connect with your community. If a blog isn’t your ideal way of doing that, you have tons of other options. Spend some time thinking about what marketing tools best align with your creative mind, time, and resources, and really lean into that form. 

Blogging For Therapists: A Personal Choice

It’s true that blogs can be the right choice for certain practitioners. If writing content is your strength—and you have the time and energy needed to start and maintain a blog,—then that particular marketing tool can be a valuable asset for your practice. But consider the time commitment carefully. 

No one would find it useful or inspiring to click on your blog and see that your last post was from two years ago, and the one before that, three or four years ago. Consistency is key when it comes to blogging for therapists, so you need to be able to commit to a regular schedule. 

But if the idea of writing that often stresses you out, or you don’t feel as comfortable writing as you do in other creative mediums, or you’re concerned about your workload, then it’s okay to not have a blog. You’ll leave yourself more creative energy and time for other endeavors, and you can always revisit a blog as your workload and priorities shift. 

Ultimately, blogging for therapists can be a meaningful form of connection and shared knowledge. If that’s the case for you, then make the most of it and strive to perfect your blog in your arsenal of marketing tools. But if blogging isn’t a strength for you, that’s okay. Recognizing that about yourself early on will help you preserve your energy for where it can make the biggest impact.