7 Common Mistakes Therapists Make On Instagram
I know marketing yourself on social media can feel overwhelming and confusing, especially when you’re constantly bombarded with algorithm changes, new trends, AI updates, the latest Instagram “hacks”… the list goes on.
At the same time it can also be a powerful way to grow your business, provide value for your community, and create other streams of revenue that allow you to spend some time away from the therapy chair.
That said, let’s dive into 7 common mistakes we see therapists make on Instagram and talk about WHY these mistakes are no-go’s when it comes to social media.
7 Common Mistakes Therapists Make On Instagram
1) Using Excessive Clinical Jargon
Keep the clinical jargon and technical terms to a minimum. Yes, your potential clients want to know that you are a licensed therapist, but no, they don’t care about all the random letters following your name or abbreviating the modalities you use. They just want to know that you understand what they are experiencing and can help them through it.
2) Not Including Captions On Posts
Skipping captions on your post is a major missed opportunity. Captions not only provide context and an opportunity to elaborate, they also engage your audience and help get your post seen!
This is because keywords and hashtags play a key role in helping other people interested in the topic of your post find it among the billions of pieces of content out there. They also help keep people on your post longer (while they’re reading) which will help push your post to more people.
3) Overlooking The Power Of Doing The “Little Things”
When it comes to social media, doing the little things can make a BIG difference. This can be as simple as taking an extra second to add a location to your post or adding a quick engagement sticker when you reshare your post to your story.
Some other little things you can do include:
Responding to the comment someone left
Including a link to the resource/blog/product when taking about it in your stories
Adding 3-5 relevant hashtags to your post
Resharing someone else’s post to your story that you found valuable
Including your logo on your post
Doing an interactive “check in” with your audience through a poll in your story
Adding a call to action on your post
All these little things add up and something as simple as a having a quick link to tap can be the reason someone chooses to read your blog, buy your shirt, listen to your podcast, etc.
4) Only Reposting Other People’s Posts
Sharing other people's posts can be valuable, but your audience also wants to hear from you directly! Instead of reposting others people content to your feed, share it to your story and leave original content for your own feed.
5) Inconsistent Branding and Lack Of Cohesiveness
I will be the first to say that the visual aesthetic of your Instagram is NOT what’s most important nor is it a make or break it kinda thing. BUT having a cohesive look and consistent branding does add a level of professionalism and personality that allows your audience to have a better understanding of your brand/business.
Keep in mind, cohesiveness doesn’t mean your content has to look any certain way, but rather that all the elements of your content (visual appeal, tone/messaging, emoji/punctuation usage, etc.) create the same overall “vibe” and that vibe aligns with the personality of you and/or your business.
6) Only Posting When They Are Promoting Something
Don’t wait till you have something to promote to start posting! You can’t expect people to immediately trust you, you have to build that trust over time.
Nurture your Instagram now so that when the time comes that you’re ready to promote your new service, event, workshop, product, etc., your audience already knows and trusts you and will be more likely to buy from you sooner!
7) Copying & Pasting Content From Chat GPT Without Adding Their Personal Touch
While Chat GPT can be a GREAT resource to help you save time and effort when it comes to showing up consistently on social media, it is certaintly not meant to replace the work completely.
The reality is that if you’re going to copy and paste content straight from Chat GPT,
People are going to notice.
Your content will lose value.
This doesn’t mean don’t use Chat GPT - trust me I am fully on the AI bandwagon and the way I think about it is you either hop on or get left behind. AI isn’t going anywhere so instead of avoiding or resisting it, let’s focus on learning how to use it your advantage without sacrificing the quality and value of the content it provides you.
