How To Write A Free Report

Counseling Wise – How To Write A Free Report

Important Tips:

  • The report should be no less than three pages. Five plus is best.
  • The content of the report needs to be something that the client really wants.  They need to be motivated to download it. For this reason, the title is MUST be enticing. People tend to download reports that lean toward the negative. For example, “??????” Meagan and Becky have title tools and can help you create a title after writing the report if needed.
  •  Use titles and subtitles to break up text.

Prep Work:

  • Create a “Working Title” that identifies what the report will be about.
  • If your client hasn’t already done so, ask that he or she complete the “Dig Deep Exercise” (posted). This exercise will help the therapist to tease out the problems/pain of their potential clients, which should inform the free report. Based on the insights/discoveries of the exercise, ask them to pinpoint tips, steps or an assessment to be included in a free report that could provide value to their potential clients. These should be specific. For example, people suffering from depression or anxiety often also suffer from insomnia. In these instances, an example of a valuable report could be something like, “Suffering From Insomnia? Five Effective and Easy Ways To Get A Better Night’s Sleep.” Another approach is to offer an assessment to help potential clients determine if a problem exists. For instance, I recently wrote a free report for a client called, “7 Signs That Your Marriage May Be Suffering.”

The Interview: 

  • The interview questionnaire is posted. These interviews typically take longer than those for marketing messages because you are collecting more in depth information. As a rule of thumb, I suggest allotting two hours for the interview and you may want to break it up into two calls.
  • As the writer, make sure that YOU are able to answer the following questions before you begin writing:
  1. What is the problem/pain of the potential client in regards to their issues and the specific topic of the report?
  2. How and why is it possible for them to feel better?
  3. What is the hope in feeling better? Has the information that will presented in the report helped other people with similar problems?
  4. Do you have 2-4 possible objections or resistances to getting help? Are you able to address these objections?
  5. Do you have 3-7 specific steps/tips or questions (if you created an assessment) that speak directly to the potential client’s problem?
  6. Do you have enough information to write a paragraph about each tip/step/question?
  7. Do you have 1-3 specific examples about how applying these tips/steps or answering these questions and working through issues in therapy have helped others with similar problems?
  8. How can the therapist help? What is their expertise?
  9. What are the next steps that will bring the potential client a step closer to the therapist? A free phone consultation is a great idea here.

Writing the Report

  • Begin the report with an introduction that identifies and addresses the pain and problem(s) of the potential client. This should be relatable and provide them with valuable information/insights about their problem. It’s important to remember while writing that a primary goal of the report is to help your client establish credibility as an expert. You can also list and address possible objections here. For example, “While you may believe that there is nothing that can improve your sleep, studies show that…”
  • Explain what the tips/steps/assessment can do for the reader.
  • List and address each tip/step/assessment question. If it’s a tip or a step, give them something specific to do and explain how it can help. If it’s an assessment question, talk about what answering yes or no might mean for them.
  • Write a graph that explains the assessment or ties all the tips/steps together. If you’re writing an assessment, explain what answering most of the questions as yes or no means for the reader. If you’re using a steps/tips format, explain the results that they can expect to achieve by following the steps/tips, as well as how long the reader should try them, when, how… any details that address the steps/tips as a whole.
  • Offer proof. How has following these steps/tips helped other clients? AND/OR how has working with the therapist helped other clients with similar issues feel and function better?
  • Address what the therapist can offer the client in therapy.
  • Provide another Call To Action. Offering a free phone consultation is a good way to end a report.
  • Add a brief bio of the therapist or group practice at the end.
  • Review your working title and create a final title that is engaging and specifically addresses something the potential client wants.

Formatting, Editing and Final Steps: