How much effort do you currently put into marketing your physical therapy practice? If your business’s revenue isn’t where you’d like it to be, it might be time to focus up. Effective marketing can get you new patients and help build your practice’s credibility, too. It can give your business the boost it needs to increase revenue and help more people find good health in the process.
Although it can sometimes be hard for busy physical therapists to find space in their schedule to devote to marketing efforts, it’ll always be time well spent. If you’re looking to improve your practice’s marketing tactics, here are a few quick tips.
#1 Know you key demographic
Are there any common threads among many of your patients? Maybe you practice in a college town and treat a lot of athletes. Perhaps you’re located in a more affluent neighborhood and many of your patients are retirees. Any trends you’ve noticed or data you can study will be helpful. The better you can understand your patients, their lifestyles, and their needs, the more closely you can cater your branding and services to them. That way, you can attract even more patients in that demographic because you know how to reach them, and you’re familiar with what they’re looking for in a physical therapy office.
#2 Focus on your patients
This is the goal of your practice, so it should be the goal of your marketing as well. Pay attention to the questions your patients ask most frequently. Share articles or write blog posts on those topics and share them on social media. You’ll build credibility and portray yourself as an authority in your field.
You should also strive to provide thorough, helpful answers to patient questions in person—and a pleasant experience in general. Offering great service to patients is a form of marketing in and of itself. We all know how powerful word of mouth can be! That way, next time a patient’s friend, family member, or colleague is in need of a physical therapist, your practice’s name will be the one they recommend.
#3 Be consistent
Consistency is key for success in any marketing strategy! When it comes to collateral, use the same kind of language, phrasing, tone, and colors in each piece you create. From your business cards to your brochures to your website, everything should have a consistent flow and feel.
Make sure to be consistent in how you represent what you do, too. If you portray yourself as a physical therapist who specializes in sports injuries, for example, make sure that’s always how you portray yourself. Have brochures about sports injury treatment in your office, share articles about it online, add it to your website, and have it on your business cards. Focus on what you’re best at and what you want to be known for, and concentrate your image and marketing efforts on spreading the word about it.
#4 Get involved in the community
Positioning yourself as a valued member of the community is another effective form of marketing your physical therapy business. While, of course, you want to contribute to your community anyway, it can also benefit your business. Watch out for opportunities to advertise in local publications or speak at community events. Most any method that will get your consistent, patient-focused message and branding in front of more people in your area is worthwhile.
#5 Contact InnovateU
Reach out to us today to learn how we can help your physical therapy practice succeed! InnovateU offers everything from consulting to practice management for physical therapy offices. Let us help you build your business!