Top Four Channels for Physical Therapy Clinic Marketing

If marketing your physical therapy practice seems overwhelming, you are not alone. For many private practices, the easy part is caring for patients, the hard part is putting yourself out there and in front of prospective patients. They don't necessarily teach marketing in physical therapy school, and the way the healthcare industry markets itself has changed dramatically over the years.

Knowing where to put your focus when there are so many options is one part of the problem. The solution is to find the best marketing channels for physical therapy clinic marketing and focus on those. From there you can develop a marketing strategy that works best for your business in your market.

1. Social Media

Social media is how people connect with others, and it's how they find out more about the goods and services they need. For many, social media functions like a phone book, review site, and search engine. Social media is also a huge source of word-of-mouth advertising because it's where so many conversations are happening. People ask for and receive recommendations on social media, and when people receive good or not-so-good service, social media is often where they turn to talk about it.

This is why you want to get social media right. By having a focused and consistent social media presence you will be able to connect with potential patients.

How do you build a following on social media? By posting informative and relevant content that your target audience will want to read and share. This is the place to share your blog posts, news, and developments about physical therapy, health, and wellness, tips and tricks, and any type of new patient promotions or referral programs you have. 

Other things you can post include introductions to new staff members or involvement with the community. Open houses or promotions of any kind are all things worth sharing on social media. 

One way to maximize social media as a marketing channel is to include a call-to-action on every post. This should motivate your audience to respond by taking the action you requested, such as giving an email address. You may wish to offer them something in exchange, like an informative ebook or a free consultation. The idea is to bring your audience closer, deepen the relationship, and encourage them to engage with you further.

2. Email Drip Campaign

The above leads right into another valuable marketing channel, the email drip campaign. While social media, paid advertising, and direct mail are all important and effective means of reaching your patients and potential patients, email takes the relationship to the next level. 

People check their email daily, and once they have given you their email, they have upped their own investment in your practice. They are willing to hear from you. They are open to learning more about you and what you have to offer them.

But what is a drip campaign, and how can it help your practice attract new patients?

A drip campaign is a series of automated emails that are triggered when someone takes some kind of action. For example, signing up for your email newsletter. Perhaps you offered a free guide or some other incentive for signing up. This triggers a series of emails sent at certain intervals. Each email is crafted to bring the recipient closer to taking the next action. For example, if you send a drip campaign to new subscribers, your email series should be crafted with the ultimate goal of the recipient making an in-person appointment or scheduling a virtual consultation.

You can also set other triggers. Perhaps you set the automated campaign to trigger after a patient has completed treatment. The series could focus on giving feedback and encouraging word-of-mouth via referrals. Email marketing is a powerful channel that will benefit your practice.

3. Direct Mail

While email marketing is powerful, it shouldn't replace direct mail campaigns. Direct mail is still a remarkably effective channel for healthcare businesses. People who are looking for services do rely on direct mail to show them what is available in their neighborhood. A targeted direct mail campaign with a compelling offer will help you build awareness of your practice and bring an influx of new patients.

4. Search and Display Advertising

Both search and display advertising are two of the best marketing channels for physical therapists. Each has its uses and advantages and doing a combination of both leads to results. 

What Is the difference between the two?

When you bid on certain keywords so that you'll show up in Google search, this is search advertising. This type of ad is useful because it can put you ahead of your competitor. For example, if someone types in "best physical therapist" in your area, ideally you will want to show up in that search. Paid search ads make that happen.

Display advertising is also useful because it puts your message in front of potential patients wherever they are. Your ad shows up when they are browsing websites and keeps your practice visible. This is particularly helpful if someone has already visited your site. The two can work in conjunction in this way. For example, someone searches for physical therapists in their area, and your practice shows up at the top of the search. They click on your website, browse for a few minutes, then maybe move on. Later, when they are online again, your ad shows up on the website they are visiting. This helps to remind them to visit your site again or call the number to take advantage of your new patient offer.

Using available inbound and outbound marketing strategies together will help you grow your physical therapy practice and build your brand. Using social media and email marketing, you can keep your audience engaged and help get the word out about your practice. Direct mail and ads also help put your practice in front of people in your area who might need your services. Using these marketing channels wisely will help your practice thrive now and into the future. To learn more about FYZICAL’s robust private practice model for physical therapy clinic owners, contact us today.