Content| Content Creation | Content Marketing

“Content is My Secret Weapon”

And it can be yours, too…

Lawyer in my building: “How in the world did you start with a full practice?”

Me: “Content is my secret weapon.”

After 10 years in private practice as a counseling psychologist, I opened my own practice back in ’96.

I rented half of a 2 suite building. In the other suite was a workers compensation attorney.

One day in the hall we got into a conversation in which he said:

“When you first moved in a couple of months ago, I thought it would take you awhile to build your practice. But I see clients coming in and out of here every hour of every day. I know from what I do that there’s more therapists than attorneys in town. How did you do that?”

What he didn’t know was that I had been writing a weekly relationship column in the newspaper for the last 2 years.

So I answered: “Content is my secret weapon.”

Him: “What do you mean?”

Me: “Well, for the last 2+ years I’ve been writing a weekly relationship column in the newspaper. It kinda helps the practice.”

Guy: “Wait, you’re the guy in the paper?”

Me: “Yep, that’s me! I’m just more gray in person”

Him: “Man, I wish I could do that!”

Me: “You can.”

Him: “Man I almost didn’t finish law school because I couldn’t write.”

Me: “So you specialize in workers compensation, right?”

Him: “Yes.”

Me: “So what are the 3 biggest mistakes clients make when hiring a workers compensation attorney?”

Him: He named 3 mistakes. When he started on the 4th I stopped him.

Me: “Well there ya go.”

Him: “What do you mean?”

Me: “I mean you can do this. You just created content. You better go write it down.”

Him: “You and I need to talk some more!”

Me: “OK, my fee for that is…”

He later learned

He later learned that every week on Monday I cut that column out of the paper and made copies. Every client left the office with a copy.

On Wednesday I’d head over to the local #1 morning radio show in town and do a live 3 minute interview on the column and record one to air on Friday.

And once a month I’d take one column to the local NBC affiliate for an interview as “The Good Morning Show Family Therapist”

Big Take Away #1

The first big take away from this story is that everything that worked about “my secret weapon” offline, works 1,000 times better online.

Big Take Away #2

You can get started for free with my complimentary digital guide “21 Fresh Content Ideas” * just click the graphic below:

And if you’re wondering how I went from counseling psychologist to online content creator guy, here’s the story about how I traded my couch for a mouse: