Physical therapy clinics have become increasingly popular in the United States. One quick search for physical therapy clinics on the internet, and you’re bound to find a lot of listings for ones near you. So, if you are running a physical therapy clinic of your own, you might have been concerned about the growing number of competitions at some point. One of the things you should always remember is that the easiest way to stand out from the competition is to always offer exceptional service. Once you do, you will gain a competitive advantage over other clinics (and more clients through referrals). There are, however, other things that you should still do in order to stand out among the crowd. Some of these might be about getting the word out, while some are about upping your clinic’s game. Here are a few strategies you can use to grow your physical therapy business.
Go online
Gone are the days where the only way to grow your practice was through traditional marketing methods. With the rise of the internet age, physical therapists are now able to reach more potential customers through the web. With almost everybody in the world constantly facing a screen of some kind, you want to make sure your medical practice is found online. Having a professionally designed website as well as creating social media for your clinic can ensure that your business is visible to other markets such as millennials.
Stay relevant
Medicine and healthcare is not a static industry. Scientific breakthroughs occur frequently enough that practitioners need to attend seminars, conferences and similar gatherings in order to update themselves on any innovations in their practices. Being able to stay relevant means that your practice can keep up with the demands of the times. It also means that patients are more likely to trust you because your clinic is up to date on the latest methods and technology. This will make it easier for you to market your clinic to customers, especially if you get guidance from firms like Breakthrough PT Marketing. Staying relevant not only applies to the medical side of your practice but also in how you market yourself.
Get Feedback
Customer feedback is perhaps one of the best ways to grow your physical therapy business. If your practice has a website, you can get customers to leave their feedback there. Visitors will be more likely to book a session with your clinic, especially after seeing positive feedback. Don’t be afraid of negative feedback either. Having a customer feedback section that is purely positive can feel fake, and may even create the impression that your practice is buying reviews. Deal with negative feedback with an apology and let them know that you will be contacting them directly so their issues can be addressed in private.
Get referrals
A lot of medical practices don’t really have the power that big companies have. They don’t have the resources to purchase air time for ads on television networks. They also do not have enough manpower to launch nationwide marketing campaigns in the traditional sense. Which is why for the most part, clinics have always relied on word of mouth to grow their businesses. You can take it a step further by building a network from your existing client pool. You don’t have to wait for your patients to spread the word. Sometimes you can be more direct with them and ask for referrals. You can even partner up with other service providers, such as doctors or surgeons, so they can refer any patients of theirs that need physical therapy to your clinic.
Differentiate yourself
Part of being able to stand out from the numerous physical therapy clinics out there is to provide a service that other clinics are not able to provide. Being able to differentiate your clinic from others is an important part in getting new customers and referrals. One example of this would be offering hydrotherapy services. Other clinics in the area may not have the facilities for hydrotherapy, and this would mean that patients who have back problems or spinal injuries will flock to your practice in order to get the treatment they need. Acquiring unique services will require a considerable investment, so always make sure that you are marketing it well by linking up with other service providers like geriatrics clinics and other specialized health centers. Growing your physical therapy business is all about knowing the right strategy to use in order to gain potential clients. Having an online presence, staying up to date, getting feedback, asking for referrals, as well as differentiating yourself all play off of each other. In that way, you will be able to market your practice effectively and make it possible for you to stand out among the rest of the clinics in the industry.
