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5 Ways to Make Your WD Profile Stand Out
by Catherine Morris | July 19, 2021, updated about 3 years ago
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When you joined Which Doctor, you joined a family. A family that’s almost 8,000 strong, and still growing. But, while it's great to be part of such a dynamic community, sometimes you want to stand out.
First impressions matter when you’re looking for new clients. If you're not making the most of your Which Doctor profile, you're not maximizing your reach.
We can help.
Creating an eye-catching profile is easy with the following tips—from choosing the perfect picture, to writing a top-notch bio, we'll show you what it takes to boost your profile and your business.
1. The Perfect Profile Pic
Your headshot is the first thing potential clients see when they look at your profile, so there's a lot riding on that small image. Not only should it grab attention, it also has to convey the essence of you and your business in a single glance.
Don't just reach for your last vacation selfie, take some time to think about what you want people to see when they look at your pic. Maybe jot down some words or brainstorm if you're really stuck. Here's a few ideas to get the word salad started:
- Approachable
- Friendly
- Open and honest
- Reliable
- Genuine
Give off any of those vibes in your pic, and clients will be eager to book!
Then there's the technical stuff, because great photos take planning. A professional photographer can help, but you don't have to shell out for expensive headshot sessions with the following tips on technique.
Pay attention to lighting
Ask any professional photographer and they'll tell you it's all about light. Too much and you're over-exposed, too little and you're shrouded in shadow.
Natural light is the most flattering so head outdoors if possible, or pick a spot beside a window. Avoid direct sunlight though, as this can be very harsh. The gentler light in the early morning or late afternoon is great for soft tones. Always stand with the sun behind you—you don't want to be squinting in the final result!
If the weather keeps you indoors, choose a bright light source and position it to the side of your face, just above eye level. If you want to really up your game, place a whiteboard or other reflective portable surface below your chest, and angle it up (it can rest on your lap if you're seated). This will reflect light back up, and illuminate your face.
Need more help? Click here for extra tips on how to take better selfies.
Positioning and background
We rarely think about posture, but body language says a lot. For a simple but effective headshot, keep your back straight, and your shoulders relaxed. Turn your upper body slightly away from the camera, but keep your head facing forwards.
Straight-on shots run the risk of looking wide, so play around and find your best angle.
When choosing a background, aim for simplet. Cluttered, busy backdrops draw attention away from the star of the show—you!
Greenery is great, but indoor backdrops work just as well. If you want to create a more interesting, quirky look, pick a solid coloured wall done in loud hues like turquoise or orange.
Relax and smile!
With all the little details to think about, it's easy to forget the big one – smile! We're not talking a Cheshire cat grin, but your own, natural, beautiful smile. People are drawn to happy people, that's the way we're made. If you're looking gloomy, or preoccupied you won’t attract as much potential client interest.
If, like me, you get tense the minute a camera appears, get one of your favourite people to take the pic. Seeing a loved one behind the lens will help you to relax, and even better if they're able to crack a joke and capture your look as it lands.
No one around to help? Relax by getting goofy. Practice your pose in the mirror first, and/or snap off a few 'test' shots where you're simply playing around with different positions and angles. It can also help to wear your favourite outfit. Choose something professional and comfortable so you don't feel constricted.
Play around
Now that you've got your photo, and you're happy with it, try playing around. Run it through a few filters and see if you like the results—maybe try it in black and white, or with a tint.
This pic represents you and your business so it has to reflect your personality and therapeutic approach. That might mean more serious, muted tones, or bright and vibrant. You do you!
Oh, and make sure your photo is high-res. Clients may be viewing it in miniature, but you still want to look sharp.
2. Crafting Your Bio
Happy with your headshot? Great! Now it's time to get down to the details.
Your practitioner bio is your way of introducing yourself to the world, so draft it carefully. It needs to include your professional background and qualifications, but shouldn't read like a dry CV. Add a touch of personality with a few personal details—
- What do you like to do in your spare time?
- Any personal goals or accomplishments you want to share?
- Why did you become an alternative health practitioner, what motivates you to do the work you're doing?
Don't worry if your first draft is a rambling mess. That's the point! Now you can get down to finding what you really want to say, and see where you've gone off track. Edit carefully—your bio shouldn't be pages long. It needs to be clear and concise.
If in doubt, get feedback from the people that know you best. We're often terrible at promoting ourselves, but a friend or family member can let you know if you're doing yourself justice and showing off all your attributes.
It's good to get others to look at your work, because people who haven’t viewed the piece are more likely to catch any typos or errors that you may have missed. Once your bio is written, read, read, and read it again. Basic grammar and spelling mistakes come off as unprofessional.
3. About Your Business
Your personal bio is separate from your business bio. This is where you can highlight all the services you offer, and let people know how you can help.
It should be shorter than your personal bio. Start with a brief paragraph summarising your business:
“Which Doctor offers alternative health practitioners an easy to use online platform to help them expand their reach and grow their business.”
Then move into the specifics:
“Our services include marketing, billing, booking, and access to our support network and educational resources.”
If you've room, you can finish off with a few lines about your company's core values and brand ethos—
“Which Doctor believes our practitioners can change the world, one client at a time, and we want to help them on that journey.”
4. Listing Your Services
No need to reel off all your services in your business bio—your Which Doctor profile has a separate listing for each offering, and this is where you can go into more detail about specific treatments.
At this stage clients are browsing your profile to see if you can give them the help they need. They want that information quickly and easily so don't worry about selling yourself, just stick to the details.
Each service description should be accurate, simple, and straightforward. Resist the urge to elaborate or exaggerate. The client wants to know:
- What the service involves – including steps taken and techniques used
- How long the session will last – is it part of a course or a single treatment?
- How it's delivered – online, phone, or in-person?
- Is there anyone it's NOT suitable for, are there any additional details a client needs to know before booking?
The more concise you can be with that information, the better. A good rule of thumb is to keep it to 2-3 lines. Any more and readers may lose interest and look elsewhere.
5. Finishing Touches
We give you several ways to sell yourself via your Your Which Doctor profile so don't just complete your bio and call it a day. Take time to explore and take advantage of every aspect of your page—the most complete profiles get the most views.
As an added incentive, a great profile will also draw our attention—making you more likely to win the coveted title of Which Doctor’s ‘Practitioner of the Month’. This honour goes to our high-profile practitioners, giving us a chance to celebrate and promote them in our content and on social media.
Be thorough
Don't forget to list your opening hours and availability. If clients want to book, they need to know when they can reach you.
Add an image for every service listed
This will motivate viewers to stay on your profile and look around. Photos of you at work, or your working environment, are great but it's also fine to grab stock photos related to your service. Just make sure they’re relevant and recognizable.
Update your profile when necessary
There's nothing more annoying than browsing a site, finding the service you want to access, going through the booking process and then discovering that it's no longer available.
No-one wants disappointed, frustrated clients so make sure your services and bio are accurate. If you drop a service, add another, or rethink the name of your business make those changes to your profile as soon as possible!
Check out the competition
If you’re still not sure what makes a great profile, check out your competitors.
With over 1500 practitioners in our network, we’ve lots of examples of informative, colorful profiles that show off the practitioner’s personality and services.
Check out Viktoria of Playful Loving or Christy from Rewilding From Within for fun, personality-filled pages.
Maybe you want to model yourself on Dr Hayley or counsellor Athena Reich—both great examples of a comprehensive and professional-looking profile.
Browsing our site should provide you with all the inspiration you need to work through any blocks and get a headstart on your homepage.
Then all you have to do is sit back, relax, and let us take care of the rest.
If you need further help with any aspect of creating your profile, feel free to reach out to the Which Doctor team. We love hearing from our community and will resolve any issues asap so you can get back to booking more business!
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