Let’s say you’ve hired someone to design your therapy website and they ask you for website copy. They might say, “What do you want your homepage to say?” “What will go in your bio?” Do you have any specialties?” Suddenly, you may be sweating because you want to make sure you write something good that’s also optimized for search engines. In other words, when people google “(geographical area) therapist” you want your name to come up.
Web designers will help you with search engine optimization (SEO) and picking the right keywords buuuuuut you still need someone to write the copy, or in other words, the text. In that case, you might hire a copywriter.
A copywriter is someone (like me!) who writes content for your website and ensures that it sounds snappy and appealing. They persuade website visitors to schedule their first consultation call with you or at least shoot off an email. A copywriter’s only agenda is to write website copy sprinkled with SEO keywords. They can claim credit for their work, it can show up in their portfolio, and they aren’t trying to sound like anyone other than themselves because that’s not their job. They aren’t a ghostwriter.
What a Ghostwriter Does
A ghostwriter for therapists, on the other hand, has a different agenda. They will write website copy sprinkled with SEO keywords but they won’t claim credit for their work, show it in their portfolio, and they’re trying to sound like their client (you).
When I write for someone as a ghostwriter, I’m trying to do it in their style. You know how some writers use short sentences (Hemingway) whereas others employ long run-ons (Faulkner)? You don’t need to be a literary giant to have your own writing voice; everyone has their own voice. It comes across not only in sentence length but also in word choice. For example, some people might want to use words like “escapade” and “superfluous” whereas others prefer “adventure” and “repetitive.” Those things matter and coalesce to form your writing voice. A good ghostwriter picks up on those things and makes sure to write with them in mind.
Something else that people may not pay attention to is punctuation. I don’t mean the standard comma, period, and question mark punctuation. I also mean, do you use dashes? Or semicolons? Or even full colons? As someone who’s been a professional writer since 2006, these are all things I notice and take into account as I’m writing a piece for a client.
What a Ghostwriter Can Accomplish
One of the reasons I love being a ghostwriter for therapists is that we establish a relationship and work together for six months or even years! It’s not only a one-and-done job to write website copy (which, again, I also do) but a chance to write blogs together and even books.
One of my clients, Renee (name changed to protect their privacy), has seen a 500% boost in traffic to her website after we started working together! Not only that, articles I ghostwrote for her have been placed on prominent websites that reach an estimated 7 million people per month through a variety of partner and advertising networks. Not just one article either — several. On top of that, I’ve ghostwritten THREE chapters for her that were published in anthologies. In fact, based on an article I ghostwrote, one publication reached out to Renee specifically and asked her to contribute a piece to their upcoming anthology. We didn’t even pitch to them! They came to us!
A Ghostwriter Frees Up Your Time
To be clear, Renee is an excellent writer herself. She enjoys writing blogs but she doesn’t have time to write them. As you’re likely aware, the U.S. has a shortage of mental health professionals. Currently, more than 150 million people live in federally designated mental health professional shortage areas. Within a few years, the country will be short between 14,280 and 31,109 psychiatrists. Psychologists, social workers, and others will be overextended as well, according to the report. “People can’t get care,” Dr. Saul Levin, CEO and medical director of the American Psychiatric Association said in an article.
You’re strapped for time and prioritizing client/patient care, which makes sense. But wouldn’t it also be nice to share some of the things you’ve learned with people who may not be able to see you because they live somewhere else or you’re fully booked? That’s where I, as a ghostwriter for therapists come in.
I’ve worked as a journalist since 2006 and in that time have honed my interview skills. I know how to draw information from a person they may not think is relevant or interesting, which I also apply to ghostwriting. By working with me, I can zero in on what matters and expand upon that information. Plus, I have the time to do what you cannot.
If you still have questions about ghostwriting and whether it will work for you, contact me. Together, who knows what we can accomplish?