How to be a successful blogger psychologist, in 9 keys
It is fashionable, and it is because it works . More and more psychologists and other mental health professionals are starting to publish their texts on the internet, through a personal blog or through one of the specialised digital magazines, as is the case with Psychology and Mind .
In the 21st century, visibility in the digital environment is almost a prerequisite for attracting the attention of potential customers. In this case, patients, rather. In order to analyse this phenomenon of “blogging psychologists”, I have prepared this article with which I explain some keys to carry out this immersion in the digital world successfully .
Advantages of being a psychologist blogger
Among the benefits of being a blogging psychologist is the ability for many people to know you and follow your posts and updates. Let’s not fool ourselves: we spend hours and hours connected to social networks, researching and enjoying diverse content.
When a psychologist becomes an influential person in the networks, the possibilities of attracting more people interested in their services increase dramatically. Visibility is power .
Online psychologists and influencers
In addition, many psychotherapists are beginning to develop their activity through video conferences, a modality that extends the geographical range of influence to infinity. Of course , it is a way of increasing the possibilities of having a wider portfolio of patients .
This is not to mention a new trend that makes the influencers of each professional sector a pole of attraction for brands and companies that want to approach the public with the help of a recognized therapist.
9 keys to being a blogger psychologist out of 10
Creating a blog is a good way to start gaining visibility and impact in the network of networks . However, doing things right saves us time and effort and allows us to amplify our actions.
I’m going to tell you a total of 9 secrets that will make your journey much more comfortable . Anyway, don’t forget that the key is to enjoy the process from minute zero.
1. Differentiate
Think about it: what do you have to say? What makes you different? You have to take into account that there are thousands of psychologists who were already before you in the social networks, promoting their posts, their reflections and their services.
What makes you different from them? Maybe your CV is absolutely admirable? Have you specialized in a particular field of psychology? Are you very good or good at writing? Have you written any books or manuals? Do you offer something that has not been done before?
If you want to be someone worth following, effectively convey what you do in each of your writings. Your brand image is essential for your profile to stand out from other professionals in the sector. It is not a question of believing that you are superior to anyone else, but of transmitting that what you do has a very high added value .
2. Write frequently
In other words, be constant as a blogger . It’s no use writing great texts once every four months. If you want your audience to be aware of what you’re doing, you need to offer them updates on a regular basis.
From my personal experience, this means writing at least one text every week . Anyway, in your social networks you should not only share blog entries; you can make them more enjoyable by sharing photos, relevant videos, a famous quote, a reflection of a few lines… The blog is just one of the tools you should use intelligently, but your way of reaching the public should not be limited to it.
3. Do networking
Contact and collaborate with professionals in your trade . This is the best way to generate positive synergies between people who, like you, love the profession and love to spread information about issues related to therapy, positive psychology, philosophy…
You can even form a group of several professionals and agree to share each other’s posts. In this way, you all gain an audience from each other and make yourselves known beyond your virtual “borders”. Of course, it’s an opportunity to create bonds of friendship and common projects, even in the real world… let’s never forget the real world, please!
4. Take care of your personal image
When we browse social networks, we take just a few milliseconds to decide which content deserves our attention and which does not. This means that the image we convey is especially important to generate attention and trust .
When I talk about taking care of your personal image, I don’t just mean carefully choosing a memorable photo with which to illustrate your profile, but also elements that may be overlooked, such as cover images, illustrations of blog entries… but I also mean writing with care and without spelling mistakes and this kind of detail that generates a lot of rejection if not polished properly.
Personally, I think it’s a good investment to hire a photographer who is able to capture your essence and your style and capture it in impressive photographs. These will serve you for your profile image, for your cover, and to illustrate the different pages of your blog like a true professional. If your blog has an unmistakable design and style, it will be easier for people to get hooked on it. Keep in mind that we live in a sea of information and if something doesn’t fit our eyes… it’s doomed forever. But you can avoid it.
5. Write about what interests you, not about what interests you
One of the main mistakes that many novice bloggers make is to limit themselves to writing about topics that only interest them.
Let’s be on time: it’s not a question of going to the other extreme either and writing simply to please or please the audience , we simply have to try to match themes so that they are suitable both for our personal image (corresponding to the “what” we want to convey) and for the needs of the audience (corresponding to the “what” our audience expects from us).
To understand this point better, perhaps an example will suffice. Imagine that you are a clinical psychologist who promotes yourself as such on social networks and on your blog, that you have a long history in your personal practice and that, in addition, you studied a Master’s degree in primate behaviour. Surely for you it is super interesting the way bonobos interact, but if your audience knows you as a clinical psychologist and expects you to talk about topics like depression, anxiety, stress and therapy, they may be negatively surprised that more than half of your posts are about bonobos and the field of ethology.
In short: adapt the contents to the themes that are positive and coherent for your brand image . Your personal hobbies and areas of interest may have other showcases.
6. Don’t forget to have some basic notions of digital marketing
Without going crazy or basing our whole strategy on these techniques, we should know them and take them into account.
For example, it is a good idea to know the basic keys to get our blog positioned correctly in search engines such as Google. This will allow anyone searching for our name to find our blog, and see what services and content we offer. It is another window that we open to the world and that can guarantee us opportunities and visibility. To know more about this, I recommend you to read about SEO (Search Engine Optimization).
As for the proper use of social networks, there are also many websites dedicated to offering us guidelines and tips. For example, it is worth taking into account what time it is appropriate to publish, since the potential audience is not the same at 5 in the morning as at 5 in the afternoon.
7. Link to other websites and document your writings
Personally, I like to read digital magazines that properly substantiate their articles. This is especially relevant if as a psychologist you want to talk to your audience about the different mental disorders that exist. If they notice that you write in a superficial way and without referencing your statements, they can detect that you don’t take your informative work very seriously. This can damage your personal image and credibility.
To avoid this, simply focus on producing quality, properly referenced content. You can use APA standards and link to other reputable websites in the industry. Details count, and a lot.
8. Use Facebook and Twitter… at least
Maybe, at this point, you are wondering… Ok, but… what social networks should I promote?
Facebook and Twitter are a must . If you also do video blogs and have a YouTube channel or are a good photographer and want to open an Instagram account… better than better. Anyway, it is better to have only a couple of networks and use them thoroughly than to be in all of them and not get any performance from them due to lack of time.
My humble advice is to start with Facebook and Twitter, and later on you will notice if inertia drives you to be present in others.
9. Generate contact and empathy with your audience
When we open a blog we run the risk of taking refuge in the virtuality of the posts. It’s not about publishing in an aseptic and impersonal way, but about generating community and empathy with your audience. Are you Wikipedia or a person of flesh and blood? Do you want your readers to consult you as if your blog were a leaflet for a medicine, or do you want to promote yourself as a professional?
Generating contact and empathy with your followers is key to making your work in social networks meaningful and reaching a potential that will help you advance in your career. How can you achieve this? By writing about current and interesting topics, responding to the comments that readers leave in your networks or in your blog, responding to private messages, solving doubts, encouraging participation…