TILT – Therapeutic Innovations in Light of Technology
Marketing Toolbox
Susan Giurleo
The other day I had a friendly debate on my blog with a colleague who stated that marketing can take many forms, but the real crux to building a practice is being a highly skilled therapist. While I agree that being excellent at your work is of paramount importance, I disagree that it is the only factor that matters as we build our businesses.
“Eight-in-ten internet users look online for health information, making it the third most popular online pursuit among all those tracked by the Pew Internet Project, following email and using a search engine. Since one-quarter of adults do not go online, the percentage of health information seekers is 59% among the total U.S. adult population.”
Marketing matters. And for therapists who want to work online, online marketing matters more. Why? To work via the internet you need to connect with people comfortable using technology and the internet. The only way these folks will find you is if you stand out in a crowded online environment. This sounds basic and simplistic, but when I talk to therapists who are looking to offer services online, they struggle with developing a robust online marketing presence. And these people are online in big numbers. In February, 2011, the Pew Research Center published statistics on how the public is utilizing the internet to access health care information. They found:
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And statistically, • 66% of internet users look online for information about a specific disease or medical problem (perennially in the top spot). • 44% of internet users look online for information about doctors or other health professionals.