As we firmly plant our feet into the second half of 2020, it's imperative to think about the future of physical therapy. How is your physical therapy clinic getting a head start on its 2021 marketing plan?Regardless of how well your practice is doing, there's always room for improvement. And building off of your marketing strategy now can put you leaps and bounds in front of competitors. The best part is that most of these suggestions are easy to implement and majorly impact patient volume and brand loyalty. Without further ado, let's touch on some game-changing tips to book out your appointment calendar and build momentum moving into the new year.
According to Brightlocal, in 2018, approximately 86% of consumers read reviews for local businesses. And among that percentage, the vast majority, 89%, studied the businesses' responses to those reviews. So what kind of reviews is your physical therapy clinic receiving? And if your accounts for these websites aren't set up, how many potential patients are searching for physical therapy right now? Being an active member of Yelp, Google, Facebook, and other popular review websites are essential when formulating a marketing plan. The truth is that people want a forum and need to be heard, especially when things go wrong. Additionally, reaching out to people who are leaving 5-star reviews helps the business image and solidifies your position with those patients. A solid marketing plan thrives with the addition of these accounts. And if you already own them, consider refreshing your business information and turning up the engagement with your patients.
In the search engine world, nobody stands out like Google. And if you want your clinic to thrive, it's essential to create your Google My Business account. Here are some benefits you'll enjoy right out of the gate:
In the world of technology, data is king, and what some physical therapy clinics don't realize is they're missing invaluable marketing opportunities. When physical therapy websites don't capture email addresses, it stunts growth by limiting outreach potential. If you're already started on this email list, great job, you're ahead of the competition. But ask yourself, are the collection methods employed highly effective? Figuring out your market is tough, but luckily tools like Google Analytics and Mailchimp make life easier by analyzing the raw numbers. Play around with different copywriting styles and presentation templates to capture what meshes with your audience best. Once you have established a following, craft the perfect newsletter again and again. Experiment with different marketing approaches over a set period to measure results. When you figure out the ideal formatting and voice of your newsletter, it's off to the races.
Hopefully, you've already had some success marketing your practice to physicians, but how can you solidify these relationships? A handwritten card is a flattering way to show appreciation for referrals. Above all, doing quality work is the most crucial factor when getting referrals, but taking the time to thank physicians for suggesting your practice goes a long way.
Finding the right keywords for your marketing campaign is essential for attracting patients to your practice. The trick with keyword research is that things are always changing; people are always changing their expectations and searching for different terms, regardless of industry.Physical therapists can use sources like Twitter to determine what's hot in the world of physical therapy right now. Also, a visit to Google Trends is essential because you can search for specific topics and see the volume it's receiving. By combining industry knowledge with these tools, you can brainstorm the perfect keyword compilation and use it in your next marketing campaign.
Part of launching a prosperous marketing campaign is utilizing what works well and changing the rest. Practice owners can analyze successful sources to figure out what's converting patients at their clinic. Successful physical therapists will typically institute a feedback survey—digital or on paper—and ask how their patients heard about them. Once PTs can pinpoint the source, you can tell which methods are propelling business. Furthermore, PTs should be utilizing software that can swiftly analyze electronic medical records (EMR). Specific software programs can run reports and feed clinics irreplaceable market insight that will launch their next marketing campaign to the moon.
What are most patients expecting out of their physical therapy treatment, and how can you give those things to them? PTs who review and revisit patient feedback should be able to fill in the blanks. No patient is the same, but it's certainly worth exploring reoccurring themes. The power of patient feedback is immeasurable—they're giving PTs the answers to the test. Getting a head start on your marketing campaign in 2021 should revolve around how to improve what's already great. Quantify patient feedback and implant common themes into marketing campaigns for dynamic results. Ask yourself, "Why does this appeal to patients, and are there examples of this in the past?" Once you can confidently answer those questions, your marketing campaign is well on its way to greatness.
Far-reaching productivity, by way of software automation, does wonders for everyone involved in the physical therapy landscape. Clinics can optimize their billing, telehealth, compliance, outcomes, and loads of other metrics by bringing on robust software solutions. So how does this affect marketing? Here are a few prime examples:
The U.S. Small Business Association recommends businesses with revenues less than $5 million to allocate 7-8% of their income to marketing. However, for newer clinics, this number can skyrocket with extra marketing efforts needed to establish a foundation. The point is, if you want to attract patients, you must be willing to pay the price. Try increasing your budget for a few months and check for results.
If one tip could give your marketing campaign a head start in 2021, it's this—focus your energies on the patient experience. When Jeff Bezos started Amazon—originally named Cadabra—he stated, "our goal is to be earth's most customer-centric company." Today it goes without saying how successful his company has become because customers have always been their number one priority. Building a practice, brand, and culture that is genuinely patient-focused creates unparalleled results that you can't buy from any marketing wizard or technology junkie. People feel a connection to your clinic when they're cared for, treated with integrity, and believe their physical therapist has their best interest at heart.
Effective marketing takes large amounts of engagement, money, and knowledge. But it starts with small steps like a handwritten thank you note, emphasis on the patient experience, and a few changes to the fundamental systems. By reading and implementing these suggestions, practice owners can outfit their marketing plan and enjoy instant results. If you'd like some more time to study, implement, and empower future marketing campaigns, try automating everything from billing to EMR. Check out MWTherapy's feature-rich software. They make it easy for practice owners to take control of their schedule by making just about everything—end to end—so much easier.
