How to be a successful psychologist blogger, in 9 keys

It's fashionable, and it's 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 specialized digital magazines, as is the case with Psychology and Mind.

In the 21st century, visibility in the digital environment is almost an essential requirement to attract the attention of potential customers. In this case, patients, rather. To analyze this phenomenon of "psychologist bloggers", I have prepared this article with which to 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 psychologist blogger is the possibility that many people 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 various content.

When a psychologist becomes a social influencer, the chances of attracting more people interested in their services increase dramatically. visibility is power.

Online psychologists and influencers

In addition, many psychotherapists are beginning to carry out their activity through videoconferences, a modality that extends the geographical range of influence to infinity. Of course, is a way to increase the chances of having a broader portfolio of patients.

This is not to mention a new trend that makes influencers in each professional sector a pole of attraction for brands and companies that want to approach the public at the hands of a recognized therapist.

• Related article: "The 12 biggest 'influencers' in the field of Psychology"

9 keys to being a blogger psychologist out of 10

Creating a blog is a good way to start gaining visibility and impact on the network of networks. However, doing things right saves us time and effort and allows us to amplify our actions.

I am going to tell you a total of 9 secrets that will make the road much more comfortable. In any case, do not forget that the key is to enjoy the process from the very beginning.

1. differentiate yourself

Think about it: what do you have to tell? What makes you different? You have to keep in mind that there are thousands of psychologists who were already on social networks before you, promoting their posts, their reflections and their services.

What is it that differentiates you 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 hasn't 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 about believing yourself superior to anyone, but about transmitting that what you do has a very high added value.

2. write frequently

In other words, be consistent as a blogger.. It is useless for you to write great texts once every four months. If you want the audience to be aware of what you are doing, you must offer them updates with a certain frequency.

From my personal experience, This means writing at least one text every week. In any case, on your social networks you should not only share blog posts; you can liven them up by sharing photographs, relevant videos, a famous quote, a reflection of a few lines... The blog is just one of the tools that you have to use intelligently, but your way of reaching the public should not be limited to he.

3. Network

Contact professionals in your trade and collaborate with them. It is the best way to generate positive synergies between people who, like you, love the job and love to spread the word about issues related to therapy, positive psychology, philosophy...

You can even form a group of several professionals and agree that you will share each other's posts. Thus, you all gain an audience from others and make yourself known beyond your virtual "borders". Of course, it is an opportunity to create bonds of friendship and projects in common, 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 only take a few milliseconds to decide what content deserves our attention and what doesn't. This means that the image we convey is especially important for generating attention and trust..

When I talk about taking care of personal image, I am not just referring to carefully choosing a memorable photo with which to illustrate our profile, but also elements that can be overlooked, such as cover images, illustrations of blog posts... but I also mean writing carefully and without spelling mistakes and this type of detail that generates great rejection if not polished duly.

Personally, it seems to me a good investment to hire a photographer who is capable of capturing your essence and your style and captures it in some impressive photographs. These will be used 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 does not enter our eyes... is doomed forever. But you can avoid it.

5. Write about what interests you, not about what interests you

One of the biggest mistakes many novice bloggers make is to limit themselves to writing about topics that only interest themselves.

Let's point out: It is not about going to the other extreme 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 (that correspond to the "what" we want to transmit) as well as for the needs of the audience (that correspond 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 media and on your blog, who You have a long career in your personal practice and, in addition, you completed a Master's degree in behavior of primates. Surely the way bonobos interact is super interesting to you, but if your audience knows you as a clinical psychologist and expects you to talk to them about topics such as depression, anxiety, stress and therapy, they may be negatively surprised that more than half of your posts are seen on bonobos and the field of ethology.

Summarizing: adapt the contents well to the themes that are positive and coherent for your brand image. Your personal hobbies and your areas of interest may have other showcases.

6. Do not forget to have some basic notions of digital marketing

Without going crazy or basing our entire strategy on these techniques, it would be necessary to know them and take them into account.

For example, It is a good idea to know the basic keys to ensure that our blog is positioned correctly in search engines like google. This will allow whoever searches for our name to find our blog, and thus can 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 that you read about SEO (Search Engine Optimization).

As for using social networks appropriately, there are also many websites dedicated to offering us guidelines and tricks. For example, it is worth taking into account what hours it is appropriate to publish, since the potential audience is not the same at 5 in the morning as it is at 5 in the afternoon.

7. Link to other websites and document your writings

Personally, I like to read digital magazines that properly support 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 superficially and without referencing your statements, they can detect that you do not take your outreach work very seriously. That can damage your personal image and your credibility.

To avoid this, simply focus on producing quality, properly referenced content. Can use APA standards and link to other websites in the sector that have a high reputation. The details count, and a lot.

8. Use Facebook and Twitter… at least

Perhaps, at this point, you are wondering... Ok, but... which social networks should I promote?

Facebook and Twitter are essential. If you also make video blogs and have a YouTube channel or are a good photographer and want to open an Instagram account… even better. In any case, it is preferable to have only a couple of networks and use them thoroughly than to be in all of them and not get any performance out of them due to lack of time.

My humble advice is to start with Facebook and Twitter, and later 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 posts. It is 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 prospectus for a medicine, or do you want to promote yourself as a professional?

Generating contact and empathy with your followers is key for your work in social networks to make sense and reach a potential that will help you advance in your career. How to achieve it? Writing about current and interesting topics, responding to comments that readers leave on your networks or on your blog, responding to private messages, answering questions, promoting stake...