How To Build An Email List For Your Therapy Practice

Now that you know why you need to build an email list for your therapy practice, how exactly do you build it? In our last post in our Email Marketing series, we introduced you to the idea of how free reports are key to building your list. So what exactly is a Free Report, and how can you use it to convert potential clients into actual clients?

What is a Free Report?

A free report is just that – a free downloadable report on your website, which offers a person free, valuable information in exchange for their email address. Most include an image of the report cover and an optin box for their email address. Behind the scenes, you have auto-responder service (Mailchimp, icontact, Aweber, Mailpoet, to name a few), which automatically adds them to your list.

 email list for your therapy practice

Once a person downloads your report, they engage with you MUCH more than they would by just reading your website. This alone can make a HUGE difference in your marketing.

Why do Free Reports work?

While it may seem counterintuitive, giving away valuable advice for free can help you become more successful. By doing so, you gain credibility while establishing a relationship with the people who visit your site. Like in any relationship, you must first gain a person’s trust, before a deeper connection can be established. As I discussed in our last post, 80% of therapy clients come in after the 5th-12th exposure to you.

A free report also allows you to stand out as an expert in your field and set yourself apart from other therapists in your area. Picking up the phone to call a therapist can be an intimidating thing for many people – especially if they are still questioning whether they have a problem. It enables you to share your knowledge with them, and building an email list allows you to keep in touch with them in a nonthreatening way – via email.

Benefits of a Free Report

  • Builds your email list for your therapy practice – enabling you to nurture a relationship with potential clients.
  • Increases engagement on your website. Find out how to build a monthly newsletter 5 minutes here. 
  • Builds trust with your potential clients, the first step towards converting them to a client.
  • Allows you to stand out as an expert in your field.
  • Helps you to illustrate expertise and value up front, leaving a person knowing you can help them through their issue.

Important Aspects of the Free Report

Two very important aspects of the free report itself are specificity and location.

  • Specificity: The more specific a free report is, the more likely a person is to download it, AND benefit from it. For example, if a person is concerned they may be depressed, then a free report titled ‘The 3 Signs That You Are Depressed, and You’re Not Just Having The Blues’ would be of interest to them. Anyone who is contemplating seeking therapy for depression will be compelled to read about 3 signs of depression. Below is a great example of a specific title on Beth Patterson’s website.

 email list for your therapy practice

  • Location: A free report should be located strategically, based on the subject. If you have a free report about depression, for example, it should be placed on the depression page. The WRONG way to do it is putting one on your home page that says “How counseling can make you feel better in your life.” No one wakes up thinking ‘Gosh, I wonder if counseling can make me feel better in my life.’ You instead should put a Free Report on your home page that is specific to your specialty, and what you are passionate about.

How To Create a Free Report

  1. Identify something the client really wants and is feeling, that you can give them to implement in their lives and feel a shift. This is tremendously helpful in deciding what the report is about.
  2. Create a title that will draw them in. Two great examples from two of my clients are, ‘Who needs help? 3 Ways to Know’ or ‘Do I Have ADHD? 6 Questions To Ask Yourself And Your Closest Friends.’
  3. Write the report. Don’t let this intimidate you – you are the expert! If you do feel intimidated with writing the free report, email me and one of our writers can write it for you.
  4. Format the report so it looks professional. Use borders, titles and subtitles to break up the text. Create a 3D cover on fiverr.com, or have our designer create one for you. I share all of my easy tips on how to format a free report here. And no, you don’t have to be a designer 🙂

The most important thing to remember is this: what you are doing with a report is you are starting a relationship. You need to nurture this relationship. In our next post, we are going tell you how to nurture this relationship, and what exactly to do with your email list once you build it. Find out more about the essentials of building a successful therapy site here.  

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