Listing your most recommended books makes a quick and easy blog post and is a fantastic resource for website visitors

You know those books that you recommend to clients over and over again? Write  down a list of them, add a couple of sentences about why you like that book, and provide a link to purchase the book. That’s it. Easy, right? Just to make it even easier, here’s my top 10 list. As always, feel free to use some or all of the following on your own list.

One quick and easy way to generate content for a blog post is to answer a frequently asked question

What questions do you get asked over and over again about your practice? The questions can be about your therapy approach, about therapy in general, or specific a question about your practice. Make a list of common questions, choose one question and write your answer…and voila! You have a new blog post.

Here are a some sample questions to choose from or feel free to come up with on of your own:

• How do I know if a therapist is the “right fit” for me?

• Do you work with my insurance?

• How do I know if I need therapy?

• Is therapy confidential?

• I think my partner is depressed. How do I get my partner to go and see a therapist?

• My daughter is losing weight quickly. Could she have an eating disorder?

• What’s the difference between a therapist and a coach?

• How does talking to a therapist differ from talking with a friend?

• How long does therapy take?

• How will I know when I’m done with therapy?

Ok, colleagues. This challenge is so easy. Let’s get blogging! I’m excited to read what you come up with.

Summarizing current research makes great blog article topics and helps you stay informed about relevant studies in your field of practice.

Since we celebrate Valentine’s Day this month I want you to pick a current research study related to love and relationships for your Therapist Blog Challenge #3 topic. Summarize the study, then add your take on it. You may want to discuss why you picked this study, how your readers can apply the study’s findings, what surprised you about the study, and what you learned. I can’t wait to see what you come up with. Get blogging!

Feel free to find your own love-related studies or choose from these news stories on recent research from PsychCentral News:

Blog about your favorite quote and how it can inspire your readers to do something differently.
Thanks for the great response to therapist blog challenge #1! I’m impressed by your creativity and inventiveness. If you’re just joining us for the blog challenge, please continue to post your challenge #1 posts and jump in on this new challenge #2

This one will be easy and fun. Pick your favorite quote and let it be the inpsiration for your next blog post. I’ve posted a handful of my favorite quotes for you to use if you’d like. You are welcome to use the graphics below in your blog posts too. I created these cool, shareable graphics with the iPhone app InstaQuote (my favorite new app). OK, that’s it for challenge #2. Get blogging!

Talk to thousands about your practice by submitting content for Private Practice Toolbox.

I’ve written a lot about the importance of content creation in building a professional online presence, creating value for website visitors and social media followers, and establishing yourself as an expert in your specialty area.

Incoming links to your practice website boost SEO, boost traffic, and establish credibility. It’s always better to create content for larger websites. Well, here’s your chance to shine. I want to feature you on THIS blog in 2013! Here are 4 ways you can be featured:

1) Pitch a guest blog 

I’m always looking for guest posts from qualified individuals from a variety of fields who can share insights about how to run, manage, market, and thrive in private practice. I recently started working on my PhD and I’m not able to blog as often as I used to. I’m open to posts from professionals outside the mental health field as well. Attorneys, accountants, SEO experts, marketing, website design, interior design…If your expertise can help private mental health practitioners build successful businesses, pitch away!

Writing articles for high-traffic websites can help you grow online presence and your practice.

Content creation is crucial for building an online presence, particularly on your own professional blog on your private practice website. In addition to creating content for your own small website, you may want to start strategically writing for other websites, too. Seek out higher-traffic sites to write for

If the thought overwhelms you, don’t stop reading quite yet. Some of the benefits of writing or blogging on other sites as part of your private practice marketing strategy are:

• Getting more back links to your own site which increases traffic and boosts SEO
• Increase name/brand recognition
• More credibility as a trusted expert
• Opportunity to educate and build awareness of important issues
• And best of all, you can re-purpose the content and post it on your own website

Write a professional blog post on a topic that millions of people are already searching for.

For our first 2013 therapist blogging challenge I want to you to provide your unique professional perspective on a top Google search topic or story. It can be local, national, or global.

Apparently, millions of people are searching for people, sports and entertainment in the US. The following topics are from a list of Hot Google Searches (US) on Jan. 6, 2013:

Build your practice and attract more clients to your practice by creating regular content on your private practice website. I’ll make it easy for you!

Welcome 2013! I tell my private practice consulting clients is to have an integrated blog on their private practice website and become a regular online content creator. Potential clients are searching online for your services and I want them to be able to find you more easily. Here’s how blogging can help.

I recently wrote a blog post encouraging therapists to start start creating content as a way to boost website SEO, create value, to create backlinks through social media sharing, and to develop your online practice presence. In my consultation and in online forums I’ve heard private practice therapists express feeling overwhelmed by creating content like blogging or producing videos on a regular basis. That’s where content curation comes in.

Creating consistent online content can help grow your practice faster than almost any other marketing or networking activity

According to PCMag.com digital content creation is “The development of newsworthy, educational and entertainment material for distribution over the Internet or other electronic media.” It falls under the umbrella of content marketing which is a narrative form of sharing information that speaks to a potential client’s need while sharing who you are and the benefits of what you do. Content creation is a way of building trust online and with potential clients by being a valuable resource without asking for anything in return.

Consistently creating compelling and relevant content is the primary reason my private practice has continued to grow in spite of the economic downturn of recent years. Not only has my clinic grown, but since I started regularly blogging, writing, producing videos, and doing media interviews amazing opportunities have come my way. Publishing offers, national media interviews, conference invitations, consulting business, and over 25,000 social followers across multiple social networks are just a few of the incredible doors that have opened to me since I started focusing on content creation.