How Whitney Goodman got 275,000 Instagram followers
Eight years ago, I wrote an article for the Gottman Institute newsletter (which was distributed via PDF at the time) about why therapists should use social media. The more things change, the more they stay the same.
Instagram therapists are the new Instagram poets, at least according to this New York Times article from last summer. I’m excited to share insights this week from a real-life therapy marketer and Instagram pro, Whitney Goodman, LMFT.
Whitney is the radically honest psychotherapist behind the hugely popular Instagram account @sitwithwhit and the owner of The Collaborative, a co-working community for clinicians based in Miami, FL.
I spoke to Whitney about how she’s built her Instagram audience to over 275,000 followers, and what she’s learned along the way. Enjoy!
How did you get your first 1,000 followers?
When I got on Instagram initially, I thought it would be a fun and free way to promote my practice. I also wanted to engage in some activism and make mental health more accessible through social media.
Many people in marketing told me that this wasn’t a platform where you could just put up content and leave it. I had to invest some time and energy. Every day for 30 minutes, 15 in the morning and 15 in the evening, I would set a time and engage with my community through likes, comments, and shares. I approached it like any social situation and really just focused on getting to know people and making friends.
How did you scale to over 275,000?
Since my platform reached 100,000 followers, it’s continued to grow pretty organically. I’ve focused on just putting up content I can stand behind, sharing other’s work that I respect and trust, and responding to comments from my community.
What didn't work?
Sharing photos. People really like written content. Trying to sound like someone else or changing my voice to fit what I “should sound like” as a therapist.
What tools do you use?
I use Canva on the computer and save my captions and photos in the Notes app.
Has your Instagram directly led to revenue?
Yes. It’s a source of clients for my practice at The Collaborative and has allowed me to start writing a book and creating other offerings like courses, webinars, and worksheets.
In one sentence, why should people follow you on Instagram?
For relatable, trustworthy content and a radically honest approach to mental health.
There's a lot of simple wisdom in Whitney's responses. Here are a few key takeaways.
It’s all about relationships. Would you walk into a party and broadcast what you do? Probably not. You’d ask questions, listen, and respond. It’s the same thing with Instagram.
Showing up is half the battle. Spend 30 minutes per day, 15 in the morning and 15 in the evening, engaging with your community. That's it.
You don’t have to be a designer to create content. Canva is a great, free tool that makes graphic design accessible to anyone. The Collaborative even offers a Canva 101 training for $40.
It's a referral source. Your potential clients are using Instagram. Why not meet them where they are?
If you’re enjoying Therapy Marketer, it would be amazing if you could text or email the link to sign up to one therapist. Sharing really does help.