the basics of bringing a (wellness) business online
TRANSCRIPT
Basics of Taking Your Wellness-Based Business Online
Should be noted these slides were used as talking points on an iPad mini that I had in-hand while giving the talk, supplemented by a handout.
With certain exceptions, slide presentations are corrosive to audience attention, creative thinking and the ability of the audience member to form questions from their own perspective and properly internalize what you’re talking about versus what’s on display.
So take the slides as a brief synopsis and little more.
Technology in/as/augmenting practice
Technology as fulfilling/meaningful/positive contribution to practice
Evolving practice with technology
Express yourself creatively
Balance risks with rewards
Website trends, social media guidance, security awareness
Tech and healing
Societal approach to tech fosters imbalance that can lead to unhealthy relationship in general populace and an adversarial one between tech and healers
Physical stuff such as posture, eye strain, headache
But also psychological - disconnection, isolation, territoriality and trolling
Not entirely the fault of technology!
We also see, for good or ill, where priorities lie. They're sending Apple towards a $1T stock market valuation.
Tech and wellness aren't mutually exclusive, though. You're not necessarily compromising personal or professional ethics by going there.
And you're potentially reaching a much wider audience, bringing them further toward wellness.
You need a website.
You need a website. That's how young people search. Someone reluctantly looking for a therapist is already way out of their comfort zone. Allow them to find you on more familiar ground.
Can be simple - general explainer of who you are, what you do and how to contact you.
Blog is recommended - static web page is just an online busienss card without depth or activity/signs of life. Not memorable or explorable and people explore first to orient themselves in the notional space of becoming healthier.
Going deeper
Provide multimedia content. Again about feeling their way around in a notional space. They can get an impression of you from voice and video that's unavailable in text and a headshot.
Start with free content to provide that impression. And don't skimp. A 30 second teaser video that suggests they buy your video or come in fools no one. The internet is full of halfhearted efforts and cynical marketing that the digital generations have grown up on. We can spot it in a second and are tired of it. Anything but genuine content does you no favors.
Paid content
Meditations, videos, full courses, books, etc
Use a big third party site, establish an account there (or have your technologist do it) and refer people from your site to there. You lose a percentage and some traffic, but you don't have the resources to host and protect your own ecommerce.
Breaches happen every day, self hosted and small ecommerce sites are what're called "low hanging fruit" to hackers.
Authenticity
Make your content authentic. It shouldn't be picture perfect. If you want to bring in new yoga students, put up a video of a beginner class with beginner students. Highlight the humanity of it, the fundamental truth that neither you nor your clientel are infallible. That it can be outside of everyone's comfort zone and that's okay.
Video content needs to be well lit with clear audio. Professional recording of very human proceedings.
Mobile
Mobile is incredibly important. Who really surfs on their phone? Everyone.
Pew:
As of October 2014: 64% of American adults own a smartphone.
7% can only access internet on their phone
As of May 2013, 63% of adult cell owners use their phones to go online.
34% of cell internet users go online mostly using their phones, and not using some other device such as a desktop or laptop computer.
Evolving your practice to offer new services
Digital content we've talked about. DRM FREE.
Teaching courses, sites like Udemy. Doesn't have to be hard-nosed or incredibly expansive. Life skills, even. But needs to be genuine and worthy content.
Remote sessions via skype or other. Get paid in advance. Make clear that client's tech/connectivity is their responsibility.
Can also do series of sessions - offer block discount (still paid in advance). Work with them toward whatever goal your practice centers around. Even simple accountability sessions/check-ins.
Collaborative Tools
Google Drive
Evernote
Mindmapping tools
As simple as a spreadsheet, as complicated as a fully-formed app.
Self-tracking via health/symptom apps, fitness tracker devices (beware of step counts).
The quantified self and the gamified self.
Social Media
Broadcast, but also engage.
Keep priorities, responsibilities and boundaries crystal clear.
Be careful of geotagged photographs or posts – may give away a location you’d rather keep confidential.
Pew: as of January 2014, 74% of online adults use social networking sites.
40% of cell phone owners use a social networking site on their phone, and 28% do so on a typical day.
Numbers
Pew: As of September 2014:
71% of online adults use Facebook
23% of online adults use Twitter
26% use Instagram
28% use Pinterest
28% use LinkedIn
Services Facebook – 1.4B users – significant connections among multiple
subgroups, huge sharing ecosystem.
Twitter – 289M users - 140-char microblogging, engagement, facilitation. Another sharing ecosystem, but engagement much more important here.
Instagram – 300M users – posting and sharing images, from art to daily life/meals/selfies/quotes.
Tumblr – 240M users – blogging/sharing platform made easy, reblogging/sharing huge on here.
Pinterest – 73M users – curating images and other media on a virtual pinboard. Lots of sharing once you have a network with overlapping interests.
LinkedIn – 340M users – professional networking. Be especially careful with client boundaries here. Growing potential – LinkedIn is changing into a better platform.
Safety and Security Always use a passcode on your phone and computer.
Most devices have encryption capabilities – learn about and use them.
Use strong passwords and don’t reuse them elsewhere.
Always use updated antivirus software.
Keep your operating system up to date.
Be very careful with free programs due to malware that usually rides in with them.
Be very careful with email attachments.
Don’t use public wifi (especially not without a VPN).
Be careful what you share online – make sure everyone involved consents.
