The challenges faced by physiotherapists when trying to grow a practice are unique. Local physiotherapy clinics are growing rapidly, so practice managers will need to be more innovative in order to get new referrals.
While word of mouth is important in today’s highly competitive market health professionals who have physio marketing knowledge can boost their clinics’ referrals and repeat clients.
Chris Knights is the Managing Director at Zib Media. He says that for physiotherapists to grow their practice in 2022, they will need to be able to use social media, SEO and mobile-optimised marketing.
“Consumers have become more connected to the internet than ever, so we expect that new marketing trends will emerge and continue to be effective in 2022.
SEO will still be the best way of getting organic website traffic. But Google is becoming increasingly local, which favors physiotherapy centers.
“If your clinic is located in one location, or multiple locations, then you already have an established audience that can be reached via a local search engines marketing strategy.”
According to Mr Knights: Consumers will continue to look for information in order to be informed this year. Therefore, physios will need to provide a steady stream of engaging content.
Social media is the ideal platform for this kind of information.
“Marketing via platforms such as Instagram and Facebook are highly targeted, cost-effective and cost-effective ways to increase website traffic and improve local awareness. They also increase brand loyalty.
“It is also an excellent tool for promoting preventative benefits of therapy, as well as attracting clients looking to treat injuries.”
Consumers spend more time browsing on their mobile devices. This trend is predicted to grow in 2022. Therefore, physios must focus on marketing content that can be used on mobile.
Websites should be able to give information to users in an accessible way.
“Clients search more frequently for services on their mobile devices. A mobile-optimised website will help you achieve better search results via mobile browsers.
Peter Gamgee AM is the founder and principal at Better Business More Money. He believes that building a successful clinic for physiotherapy in 2022 will require more than word of mouth referrals, and trust.
However, it is not about offline versus online marketing strategies. Instead, what medium and how you use it will depend upon the type of clients and businesses that physiotherapists wish to attract.
“Loyal customers will be attracted more convenience and lower rates than other physiotherapists.
“It doesn’t suffice to be good at your job – you must bring relief to the pain of others and build capacity and function for those who are in need.”
Gamgee stated that the key to a successful company is a combination of business knowledge and strategies to win over the market to retain and acquire ideal clients.
Tips for marketing your clinic by 2022
Here are the strategies Mr Gamgee uses to keep clients happy this year.
This is not a marketing issue. You must consider how your business functions, what it offers, how you deliver, the type of clients you desire, and the “bottom line”. Before doing anything else, ensure you have a good understanding of the market and the type of business you want.
Know your client. Write a description about your ideal client.
If you have only a few clients, be prepared to pay high rates for elite services (e.g. Profile sportsmen or women to find out what they are reading, where they travel, how they interact, what they think, and the potential benefits that physiotherapy could bring.
If you’re like most private practices of physiotherapy and want clients from the general populace, then you need to understand who the majority are.
Did you know that over 90% of all clients seek out physiotherapists in order to treat a pain issue or improve their functionality? A majority of these clients are female or have a spine-related injury[i].
Know your media. Are you able to market via the internet? You probably do, however, not always need to advertise via the internet.
You shouldn’t be selling globally and asked to increase your Google rankings or do the “SEO exercise”. This could lead to a loss of revenue. This is why you need to use media that will reach the potential clients you profiled.
Take, for example, our elite sportspeople. Are they likely to read Facebook posts or Facebook ads if they are your target market? Referrals from family, friends, sponsors, or sports managers are more likely to lead them. In these cases, direct marketing could be more advantageous than internet marketing.
There may be a different general population. They might be conducting online research that could allow them to target marketing.
Offer a compelling deal. What is it that sets you apart from the rest? What is your unique skill in repetitive strain injury rehabilitation? Do you have the ability to provide immediate pain relief for some conditions? Do you have the diagnostic equipment in-house that allows clients to get ultrasounds without having to travel elsewhere? Be sure to understand your compelling offer and how it will set you apart from the rest.
Market with structure and information
You can get your leads by taking people on “buyers’ trips” with engaging information.
Many of your clients come to you because they have an injury and need attention. However, what about those with ongoing pain or spinal issues (the majority reason to see a physiotherapist).
What about people who need preventative or injury-related care? You must provide these people with the relevant information to make them clients.
You must follow these steps for your “elevator speech”. It must grab attention, engage, inform and give an easy (informational) next step. Many websites for physiotherapy practices don’t follow this structure and are losing clients.
Continue to follow up. This would be the greatest failure in physiotherapy practice. Did you know that just following up with clients to see how they are doing can result in a 10 percent increase in client visits?
The value of maintaining marketing strategies offline and on-line is increasingly recognized by health professionals. To grow a successful physiotherapy practice, it is important to continue learning about marketing as it develops.
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