Health care providers use web-based technologies to communicate with patients and assess needs. Remote patient monitoring allows providers to track blood pressure, blood glucose and other health status measures. For individuals who have difficulty traveling to a clinic, these services offer an alternative to going for several months without health care. But web technology is not just practical for diagnosing and treating some conditions. Health care providers also find that using multiple platforms on the internet to market their services enables them to reach a vast audience and find new patients. Read on to learn more about physical therapy social media marketing ideas that will help you get an edge from your competitors.
The Web Is Where People Go for Information
According to experts, over 90% of American adults use the internet. One of the primary reasons for internet use is to find health information. When individuals experience pain or discomfort, searching the web for information to self-diagnose the problem is not unusual. What often follows is the search for a provider who can diagnose and recommend treatment.
As many health care providers know, it’s essential to use as many digital resources as possible to reach potential patients and maintain existing patients to stay competitive. When considering digital resources such as social media to market their services, physical therapists can take a page from the advertising “playbooks” of business.
Digital Marketing and Advertising Works
Imagine seeing an ad for a product when you click to open your email. When you watch television, you then see a different ad promoting the same item. When you drive down the road, there’s the item again — this time on a giant billboard.
When you need a product, the company that’s best at keeping it in front of you is the one you’ll think of when it’s time to make the purchase. That’s why businesses use advertising and marketing to ensure an audience thinks of a specific company or service provider when they need a product or service.
Digital Marketing Can Be an Educational Tool
Some individuals may not understand the benefits of physical therapy. Many people have no problem calling a health care provider when they don’t feel well. They go for a diagnosis and get medication or another treatment in hopes of quick relief from pain or suffering. But in some cases, such as joint pain or discomfort from injuries, the pain returns, requiring another doctor’s visit and more medication.
Health care providers may not consider referring the individual for physical therapy. If the patient has no idea that physical therapy might help them, they may not ask for a referral. As a result, physical therapy social media marketing can be an educational tool that enables individuals to make informed decisions about their care.
Patients may see social media sites as referral sources to help them get beneficial treatment. Future patients in your community looking for a physical therapist can go to a search engine and find your practice with the help of your website and social media platforms.
Help People Find You by Establishing a Web Presence
Using several platforms and marketing channels can reach a bigger audience. Some still don’t use social media because they may be concerned about privacy issues or misinformation. However, they may be navigating a search engine for a physical therapy practice and going to a website or blog to get more information. A web presence can promote physical therapy practices because it’s like a digital storefront or front desk accessible to millions of individuals daily.
Let Your Website Be Your Social Media Gateway
A website can serve two purposes — it’s a place where potential patients can find you and learn about your services, and it can make social media marketing easier by serving as a gateway to your social media pages. You can increase engagement as curious website users click on links to social media accounts like your Twitter or Facebook page.
Social Media Platforms Can Build Trust
Contrary to how some people feel about social media, it can be a means of building rapport with consumers. Individuals who visit your social media site may feel a personal connection that helps them trust you. Engaging with your platform can help them get to know you, especially when the content you create is interesting, fun and research-based. They’ll likely seek you out when they require treatment if they feel you’re genuinely concerned about their well-being.
Increase Engagement With Multiple Sites
Social media links on your website invite your target audience or new patients to visit your social media pages or sites and interact with them. Once they subscribe or follow your social platforms, your practice can reap the benefit of reaching a wider audience and becoming a household name for physical therapy. If you keep scheduling posts regularly and creating content to help your site stay current, your followers can increase your reach by sharing content with friends.
Social Media Marketing Is Cost-Effective
If your advertising and marketing budget is limited, setting up a social media platform helps you reach new patients for a fraction of what you might spend using mass media or print media.
Ideas for Using Social Media
The sky’s the limit when you get creative with social media. You can offer something to each target audience. Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and blogs are social media platforms that help you reach audiences and bring in new business when your budget for paid advertising is minimal.
Facebook offers several options for creating content to attract visitors to your pages. For example, you can post tips to help people avoid injuries. Proper lifting techniques and choosing shoes for physical activities are topics that individuals would find interesting. Post video messages on your page, or host Facebook live presentations.
Your followers can get notifications when you post new content, and whenever you post a photo or video, that will pique their curiosity, making them more likely to visit to see what’s new. Keeping your content fresh keeps visitors coming back for more. You can also set up group pages for special physical therapy topics. For instance, a Facebook group geared toward sports and physical therapy could attract athletes and coaches. With Facebook paid ads, you can boost your reach to specific people in a geographical area.
YouTube
YouTube makes it easy to create instructional videos for helpful exercises and alternative movements for individuals with physical limitations. You can set up personalized videos for specific patients, with links that provide access to only those individuals. You can also make YouTube commercials to market your practice.
Physical therapists also find Twitter a means to reach current and potential patients. Content ideas include seasonal tips related to physical therapy, such as using caution when walking on icy sidewalks during winter and techniques to reduce the risk of injury while working in the garden during summer.
Blogs
A blog works well if you enjoy writing informational pieces. Blog posting content allows you to write long- or short-form articles to explain information to your patients. You might write articles about arthritis or tips for recuperating after a knee or hip replacement. A blog post about managing low back pain could attract many readers.
How Lead to Conversion Can Help
If you have a physical therapy practice that needs to reach more people, becoming active on social platforms by using physical therapy social media marketing can help your practice grow. But rather than take time from doing what you do best, consider hiring an expert like Lead to Conversion to take care of setting up social media content for you. Contact us today to find out how our healthcare marketing agency can help your practice.
