TikTok made a lasting mark on the social media world when it introduced its hallmark short video format, perpetuating a social media aesthetic centered around fun and entertainment. TikTok’s large audience and its unique style of engaging users, make TikTok videos an excellent way to share information with your community about mental health, therapy, and how you can help them.
This is the first of three blogs focusing on how social media is an effective marketing strategy and how it can lead to a thriving practice — so stay tuned!
What is TikTok?
TikTok is a mobile app and social media platform. Users create short-form video content, and the app makes it easy to use special sound and video editing tools to maximize creative potential. With videos lasting three seconds up to 10 minutes, users scroll through a stream of content that is curated through the algorithm. Most videos are shot vertically, filling a phone screen with content and giving users visibility into the views, comments, and likes for each video. Popular TikTok trends include dances, beauty tutorials, and informational content across a wide range of topics — including mental health.
Since its relatively recent inception in 2016, TikTok has grown a huge user base with over 1 billion accounts. Not only are there a lot of people who use the app, but TikTok’s users also spend a lot of time on the app per session, with people spending more time on TikTok than YouTube.
TikTok Demographics
While TikTok’s original branding in the US was geared towards children, adolescents, and young adults, it’s become a platform used by people of all ages. One source shares that 60% of TikTok users are 16-24 years old, though many other generations also watch and create TikTok content.
It’s important to keep TikTok’s audience demographics in mind when creating content, especially when talking about mental health and therapy. A younger audience may mean a limited understanding of what therapy is and how it works, so focusing content around what therapy is, what your specialties are, and how prospective clients can engage with your practice goes a long way. TikTok users might also want to learn more about how you work with clients, your practice philosophy, and any general advice you have for improving mental health.
Other TikTok therapists talk broadly about popular psychology and psychological concepts, using the platform as a way to promote mental health education. Others describe different
interactions they’ve had with clients (anonymized and with the appropriate disclaimers, of course).
TikTok Marketing Tips
If you think TikTok marketing might be the perfect strategy for your therapy private practice, there are a few things to know about using this platform and getting the most out of it. Ultimately, the goal of using TikTok marketing as a strategy is to convert your audience into clients.
TikTok Video Length
Creating content takes some people mere minutes and others hours or even days. If this is a marketing strategy for your private practice, it’s important to find the sweet spot when it comes to content length — the question to ask yourself is: How long should my videos be and how much time can I spend creating these videos? Time spent making content is time away from seeing clients or other practice responsibilities. While videos can last up to 10 minutes, TikTok users generally engage with content that lasts only 24-31 seconds. According to a survey, TikTok users found that videos longer than one minute made them stressed, which goes to show that shorter videos perform better on TikTok.
TikTok Sounds
On top of content that hits the right length, TikTok users prefer videos that have been edited to include video or sound effects. There are many useful resources to learn more about how to use TikTok’s editing and sound tools. You can use other therapist’s TikTok content to get some ideas about what you want to post about — and you can even share sounds with other creators. This allows users to apply trendy and popular sounds in their own videos, and is a useful tool for jumping on TikTok trends.
TikTok Livestream
TikTok also has a live streaming feature similar to “going live” on other social media platforms. However, one unique feature of the TikTok live stream is that viewers can engage with you through features like interactive filters, gift-giving, and shopping. This can even translate into earning money from your content, and these tools are a great way to interact with your audience in real time. Many TikTok therapists go live to host Q&A sessions, to take viewers through mindfulness exercises, or to talk about certain services they offer.
Your TikTok’s Call to Action
The last and perhaps most important tip for using TikTok marketing for your practice is to include a hook at the beginning of your video as well as a call-to-action at the end of your video. Because of the nature of TikTok content, users will simply scroll past your content if it doesn’t grab their immediate attention. Your video’s hook might looking something like this:
- “Have you ever wondered why you feel sad?”
- “So what is the best therapy approach for anxiety?”
- “Today, I’m going to share with you five ways to boost positive self-talk so you can grow your self-worth.”
Ending a video with a specific call-to-action gives your audience a clear next step — which could be contacting you for a consultation call. Example call-to-actions include:
- “To learn more, visit my website.”
- “I work with many clients who experience high levels of stress, and if you can relate, I can help you. Please reach out to me to schedule a consultation call!”
- “Watch my next video where I take you through the next stage of this therapy approach.”
TikTok Business Tools
It’s no secret that TikTok can be the secret sauce when it comes to marketing services to a large audience, which is why TikTok offers both Personal Accounts and Business Accounts for their creators. A Business Account gives you a more in-depth look at analytics and content performance so you can plan out effective user engagement. Business Accounts also provide access to TikTok’s Commercial Music Library and increase accessibility for users to go from watching your content to completing intake or interest forms.
Another feature of a TikTok Business Account is the TikTok Ads Manager, a tool that launches paid advertising campaigns and manages ad resources. TikTok has extensive help desk articles on these features and a library of help resources to help users fully utilize these features.
Pros and Cons of TikTok Marketing
Pros of TikTok Marketing for therapists
Overall, TikTok is a powerful tool to use to engage an audience and become a TikTok therapist.
- The app is fairly easy to use and provides numerous tools to flex creativity and to make unique content.
- Short form content means less time creating content and more time to focus on other aspects of your practice, and allows you to cover more topics and also get in on TikTok trends for more audience engagement.
- The platform’s Business Account provides businesses with accessible tools and information to generate more interest in your practice.
Cons of TikTok Marketing for therapists
While TikTok marketing can provide therapists with an additional strategy for their practice, it may take time and creative energy to see the growth and rewards of becoming a TikTok therapist.
- If your clients tend to be older generations, you might consider using another platform that has an older audience.
- TikTok’s quick pace and endless content contribute to a lower attention span, which might make it challenging to sustainably create content that keeps people’s attention.
- You will need 1,000 followers or more to host live streams, which can limit your ability to engage with your audience.
Summary
TikTok can be an intimidating platform, particularly for therapists seeking wider audiences for their services. However, with the amount of users and the extensive resources available, it can be a great tool for your practice and a fun way to draw an audience. While there might be a learning curve when first getting started, the app is easy-to-use once you’ve created a few videos.
With so many people looking for information on mental health and advice on how to improve their well-being online, TikTok might be the perfect way to showcase your strengths and expertise in the mental health field — and it can also be a source of prospective clients.
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