We know that recent events have opened the door for this digital age to become even more prominent.
More than ever, people are scouring websites, reading reviews and seeking Telehealth options.
With this extra time and attention on digital, you must have your Marketing ducks in a row in order to gain any traction and make a scalable impact online.
The 5 Scalable Marketing Tips for Physical Therapists (Post-COVID) can help!
Tip #1: Know Your Audience
You must evaluate your raw public. This includes all the people who could learn about your clinic from within your market.
This could include people from your patient database, medical professional database, or media outlet database.
Take a good hard look at your target audience and the social channels they frequent. Does your public spend most of their time on Facebook, or in a more professional setting, such as LinkedIn?
Knowing this will give you an inside look into the needs and wants of your audience.
Tip #2: Website Musts
As we established earlier, your website must be top-notch – with clear information and easy-to-use features.
Think of your website as the storefront of your private practice.
Be aware of your messaging, tone and voice – these are all a part of your brand!
Have a clear and simple layout with a visually pleasing design (the less clutter, the better) and easy-to-navigate buttons and tools.
You might want to look into your team performing SEO (Search Engine Optimization) to make the most out of your keyword usage and ranking on Google’s results page.
Tip #3: The 4 Keys to Business Success
3A) Environment
Post-COVID, it is important to consider the following changes/upgrades when establishing your physical environment:
- A social distanced waiting room
- Physical front desk barrier (Plexiglass)
- Personal protective equipment (PPE) supplies (hand sanitizer, gloves, etc)
- Removal of water cooler from the waiting area
- Replace fabric materials (on chairs, etc) to “spray-and-wipe” materials
- Telehealth services for high-risk patients
These will not only lower the risk of transmission but will greatly increase your patients’ comfort level with the idea of physically returning to your clinic for care. Of course, you must have at least one therapist in office who is available to provide Telehealth for those at higher risk or who are not ready to return physically.
3B) Structure
We’ve modified our training to include a 5 Division Organization Chart for structure organization versus the previous 7 Division approach. This condensed version of our previous Organization Chart allows you to manage a leaner, more efficient team. The essential components in each division clearly identify the key posts, responsibilities, products, and statistics necessary for the division to run effectively.
For more on Structure, check out this recent Zoom Cast that we conducted spotlighting top industry leaders in the world of physical therapy practice management: “Workable Solutions To Real Life Problems; Innovative Concepts From Industry Leaders”
3C) Personnel
Okay, this is a big one.
When establishing your Marketing team, it is important to keep an eye out for the “PR Personality” who is ideal in helping drive this division forward. Some key characteristics of this individual are generally:
- A good conversation starter
- Enjoys being in action
- Has “thick skin” and can take constructive criticism
- Creative
- Artistic
- Entrepreneurial in spirit
When filling this role and others such as the Marketing Coordinator and the Patient Care Rep, make sure you seek out those who are patient care advocates and are vetted through an established hiring/onboarding system, such as our 5 Phase Hiring Process.
3D) Systems of Operation (SOPs)
The 5 Phase Hiring Process is a critical system to ensure that you are evaluating the true individual – not just a smile and a resume. This detailed approach to recruiting and hiring the most ideal team members ultimately saves the practice owner time and money by decreasing employee turnover. You can learn more about this system in our MEG Academy training.
It is equally important to have a system for onboarding new hires to your team to ensure thoroughness and consistency of training for each and every employee. This onboarding system should include either an LMS (Learning Management System) or a very detailed approach to training a new hire including a Company Orientation checklist and a Post Orientation Checklist. To learn more about systems of operation, check out our MEG Academy training.
Tip #4: Email Campaign Musts
For email campaigns, you must understand the segmented lists within your target audience. An example might be segmenting your patient list into a body part or injury type.
You would then strategically build campaigns and develop content around these segmented lists – remember, it all starts by knowing your audience.
Now, you’re ready to send the appropriate message to the correct group based on these target audiences!
Final tip – Tip #5: Marketing Challenges & Post-COVID Considerations
We know that these have been strange times and that you might have the following reservations in moving forward with the expansion and development of your Marketing division:
- Limited funding and budget restraints
- No existing patient database (for new Startups)
- Lack of necessary time and personnel
But fear not, there are solutions available to you!
These times provide you with the incredible opportunity to explore new virtual solutions and technology. For example, check out the home exercise app for patients developed by PT Wired!
Incorporate the above Systems of Operations automated on-boarding systems. Smooth this area out and you will have a family of team members working together, just as hard as you!
In summary, this is a great time to boost your Marketing for all divisions. The opportunities for growth, change and optimization are abundant, if you take the time to explore.
We expect you to do well on your Marketing journey, but please do not hesitate to reach out if help is needed! Even the best athletes in the world need a coach.
