Ep 15 - Is Ethical Marketing Possible? with Rachael Kay Albers

A Therapist Can't Say That

Here in 2022, therapists have largely resigned ourselves to the fact that we need to do some kind of marketing. We have been dragged into the world of social media, user generated content, and the imperative of the personal brand. And the necessity of marketing ourselves comes with a lot of uncertainty, discomfort, and unease.

How do we market ethically? What does it actually mean to be authentic in our marketing? Is there any way to do this without feeling icky or like we’re selling ourselves?

And our discomfort with the idea of marketing in and of itself makes us easy marks for people selling certainty, selling relief from our anxiety about marketing, and we can end up buying into cookie cutter strategies that don’t work.

Which isn’t to say all standard marketing advice is bad–it helped me grow a thriving practice–but there is something deeper to consider about how and why therapists struggle with this process, and how we contend with it.

Which is why I’m talking to Racheal Kay Albers, Creative Director and Brand Strategist at RKA Ink.

I wanted to talk to Rachael specifically, because she puts the experience of marketing in 2022 into a much-needed historical and sociological context that gives voice to the way marketing grinds up against our values and our senses of ourselves.

Rachael Kay Albers is a creative director and brand strategist for businesses that burn the rulebook. When she's not helping brands set fire to the box instead of thinking inside it, she writes about the intersection of branding, pop culture, tech, and identity. She also hosts the podcast, Marketing Muckraking, where she explores what brand culture is doing to us — and what to do about it.

Listen to the full episode to hear:

• How social media skews our concept of how long marketing–or therapy–should take before we see results
• Why your brand is about how your audience perceives and remembers you, not your logo
• Why we have to go deeper than fill-in-the-blank “about me” and “who I treat” to make potential clients feel seen and safe
• Why marketing can be surprisingly emotional
• A way to think about niche that goes beyond ideal client profiles
• Why the pursuit of ethical marketing means leaving money on the table

Learn more about Rachael Kay Albers:

• RachaelKayAlbers.com
• RKA Ink
• Marketing Muckraking Podcast
• Instagram: @rachael.kay.albers
• YouTube: @RKAInk
• TikTok: @rachaelkayalbers
• Twitter: @rkaink
• Facebook: @rachaelkayalbers
• Connect with Rachael on LinkedIn

Learn more about Riva Stoudt:

• Into the Woods Counseling
• Instagram