Branding and marketing go hand-in-hand; however, consider how your brand represents your practice’s face and personality in the eyes of potential patients. For most businesses, branding decisions are made prior to launch and serve as inspiration for future marketing efforts and content.
In short, once you’ve decided on your brand, you can begin to market your practice to the world.
However, poor branding could ultimately be killing your marketing efforts. How so?
There are a number of tell-tale signs that it’s time for a branding makeover, including
A lack of response from your outreach efforts, such as that of influencers or potential patients
Low levels of engagement on your on-site and shared content (think: no comments, shares or “Likes:)
Low open rates from your email marketing campaigns; likewise, a lack of responses from direct mail marketing is equally troubling
If you’re unable to gain any sort of traction, neither positive or negative, chances are that there’s something wrong with your branding strategy and it’s time to fix it.
But how?
Rebranding your business doesn’t have to be a headache. Although ideally we don’t want to reinvent ourselves, it may be the the different between your physiotherapy site bringing in traffic or falling falt. If you’re stuck on your business’ branding and don’t know how to move forward, keep the following tips in the back of your mind.
In order to stand apart from the crowd, you’re going to need your own distinct voice in terms of how you present yourself on-site and throughout your content. There are two distinct types of “voices” your brand can implement, both which are appropriate for a physiotherapy practice, including:
Humorous and lighthearted- Medical practices don’t have to be all gloom and doom: after all, a lighthearted approach may attract business that’s perhaps hesitant to seek medical help.
Serious and professional- Regardless of your industry, professionalism matters: a no-nonsense brand can garner respect from new patients looking for a trustworthy, traditional practice.
Regardless of your voice, make sure that you’re authentic and consistent. In short, don’t try to be something that you’re not: you’ll eventually burn out or run out of ideas.
For many of us, the term “brand” is associated with images of think of Nike’s “swoosh” or the classic Apple logo. Design certainly matters when it comes to setting yourself apart from the competition: therefore, dare to be different in regard to how your present your brand visually. How so?
Craft a logo that makes sense for your practice: such imagery is easy to overlook, but can become staples of your branding as it creates a visual associated with your practice that can be used throughout your marketing campaigns (think: email, social and beyond)
Pick a color scheme that makes sense: choose colors that physiologically build trust for your brand and don’t clash
To avoid looking unprofessional, consider asking a legitimate designer to help craft your logo and pick out the essential visuals for your site redesign: you can find such designers on sites such as Upwork and Fiverr on the cheap
Your design scheme and voice go hand-in-hand; however, the final piece of the branding puzzle is your practice’s personality.
Personality goes a long way for any brand, whether it be a physiotherapy practice or any other type of small business. The following tips will ensure that your brand is received positively by new leads and potential patients alike:
Don’t be cold and calculating: make sure to promptly respond to the concerns of others courteously via phone, email and social media
Stay as positive as you can: a strong mental attitude can transform how potential customers perceive you
Emphasize your customers and their experience, noting how you can help versus presenting yourself as a salesperson
An effective rebrand takes a lot of legwork, but it can be done. If you think that your brand could use a makeover or simply aren’t sure where your marketing weaknesses lie, consider how PatientSites can help transform your practice and its traffic.
Get started with a Free Evergreen Marketing Blueprint to learn how you can create long-term assets that will attract new patients for years to come.