Every business must have a strategic marketing plan, including physical therapy. Nitin Chhoda suggests ways in order to have an effective and strategic marketing plan, and emphasizes its importance and impact on your practice.
A recessive economy, loss of insurance and limited patient funds has led many clients to delay treatment for their health care needs.
Instead of treating a burgeoning clientele, physical therapists are spending less time with patients and expending more effort marketing their practice and dealing with budget issues.
Physical Therapy in Today’s Economy
Practical physical therapy management is essential in today’s economy and requires focused budgeting of time, money and effort. There was a time when a therapist could hang out his or her shingle and count on a steady flow of patients.
Those days are long gone and in the new economy, a critical element of operating a successful practice and physical therapy management involves careful budgeting and marketing efforts that offer a superior return on investment.
Physical Therapy Management Software
Implementation of a physical therapy management software system to increase efficiency, productivity and profitability is an ideal beginning. Operating on a budget for physical therapy management doesn’t mean therapists can’t market effectively.
A variety of low-cost, budget friendly means are available that will increase referrals, attract new patients and achieve a higher rate of return clients. Physical therapy management and marketing choices should be made carefully, keeping in mind the best return on investment. Different strategies will produce assorted results, based on the target market, locality and services offered.
Promotions
Therapists of physical therapy management can utilize small, inexpensive giveaways such as key chains imprinted with the practice’s phone and website, colorful handouts, and downloadable eBooks and audio files.
Informational CDs and DVDs all represent affordable, low-cost marketing methods for clinics on a budget. Even a simple phone call, postcard, email, or voice or text message has a place in modern marketing methods on a budget.
Customizable publications for physical therapy management such as Therapy Newsletter and the Clinical Contact mobile marketing system offer therapists with an easy way to connect with clients and potential patients.
Special offers and coupons can be transmitted electronically, and they provide social media marketing.
In the digital age, websites provide a first contact for patients and sites should include SEO to rank highly in search engine results.
Maximize Marketing
Physical therapy management requires maximization of every marketing dollar that’s spent and therapists can gain additional value through featuring local doctors and healthcare providers in their newsletter.
Those who haven’t built up extensive practices are more likely to find the idea appealing. It’s an effective way to increase overall exposure and referrals, and build beneficial relationships for the future.
In the current economy, therapists of physical therapy management services are finding themselves contending with shrinking budgets and the need to identify innovative ways to market their clinics.
Giveaways, downloads, newsletters and EMRs all provide low-cost ways to stay within a budget while increasing awareness among patients and other healthcare providers.
Effective physical therapy management includes distinguishing and differentiating the therapist, practice and services from all the possible competitors and those that do so will see an increase in referrals, better retention of established clients and an influx of potential new patients.
