Many small physical therapy clinics are working with a very small budget, but that does not mean that effective online marketing is not possible. Here are just some of the marketing ideas that won't break the bank.
There is one thing that needs to be at the top of every physical therapists list when it comes to marketing and that is making sure that their website is properly optimized for Google! As the single most popular search engine on the entire internet Google is pivotal to your marketing plans. You can complete this optimization in house at no cost. Your optimization efforts should include identifying and using the appropriate keywords, setting up Google+ and setting up Google My Business.
One of the things that is going to help you to move up the rankings with Google is going to be a steady flow of fresh, relevant content on your website. One of the easiest ways to achieve this is to start a blog for your practice. In addition to helping your search engine rankings, having a blog is also a great way to reach out to patients and gives you a space to share your expertise with potential patients. Every business, regardless of the industry they are in should have a blog!
Social media is an excellent source of traffic and best of all it is totally free. It is important that you create a profile for your clinic on all of the major networks including Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram and even YouTube. It is an excellent way to engage with patients in real time. Use these websites to your advantage and increase the amount of traffic that is directed to your website.
One of the best ways to get referrals is through word of mouth from your satisfied patients! These days thanks to social media and online review websites it has become easier than ever before for people to share their experiences with others. Unfortunately, people are more likely to complain than they are to praise great service so you might need to do something to prompt your patients to leave you a review or write a testimonial. However, you will need to take extra care since soliciting reviews is a breach of the terms on most of these sites. You will need to make sure that you are offering an exceptional level of care in order to get the positive reviews that you seek. You are also going to have to keep an eye on the negative reviews and be ready to tackle reputation management if the need ever arises.
It might seem counter-productive, but one of the best ways to encourage people to buy the product or service you are selling is by offering some kind of free incentive gift. Many physical therapy clinics choose to offer a downloadable ebook which offers expert advice and guidance on a common problem. This is an excellent marketing technique because free guides and books always rank highly in search engines, plus they will attract potential clients.
These are some of the low cost things that can be done to help promote your physiotherapy clinic without blowing your marketing budget. We can help you to maintain most these activities with the help of PatientSites. Take a look at the features that we have to offer your clinic.