6 Digital Marketing Ideas for Physical Therapy Clinics

Getting more patients and referrals just got easier with these data-driven physical therapy marketing strategies. Read on for results!

 • 8 min read

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physical therapy marketing strategies

Attention PTs! The physical therapy profession is in great shape. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects above-average growth in the industry through 2028, citing a growing population in need of care as a key reason.

But how can your physical therapy clinic capture the attention of this growing market? We’re glad you asked.

If your marketing plan needs some rehabilitation, these six marketing ideas for physical therapy clinics are just what the doctor ordered.

From simple and effective tools like directory listings to search engine optimization tactics that bring you digital prominence, this list is filled with gems that can elevate your clinic. Let’s dive in!

1. Stretch your reach with social media

Want more people to learn about your clinic? A free physical therapy marketing strategy that increases brand awareness is a great place to start. Yup, we’re talking good old social media.

Think about it. Everyone and their mom is on at least one or more social platform. As users scroll, like, retweet and interact with other accounts, they are in search of content that adds value to their lives. Your content can do just that.

Take Dr. Jonathan Kim of @jkimstrength_rehab. His Instagram page is filled with video tutorials of exercises for different areas of the body, along with detailed captions about the purpose behind each movement.

physical therapy marketing strategies

What makes this golden content? Well, it showcases Dr. Kim’s knowledge and builds trust with his audience. Users can see that he knows his stuff.

Need more convincing before beefing up your social profiles? People are increasingly turning to social media for healthcare conversations and topics. A survey by PwC found that 41% of people said social media would affect their choice of a specific doctor, hospital, or medical facility. So getting active on the gram and other social platforms is a no brainer.

Showcasing your skills is not the only way to garner attention on social media. Seize the opportunity to add a personal touch to your posts. R&R Physical Therapy frequently shares photos featuring the team members that keep the clinic moving forward.

physical therapy marketing strategies

Positioning your clinic as a team of friendly and dedicated individuals imparts a personal element to an otherwise faceless office. Grab your smartphone and gather up for a group selfie.

Make posts count with hashtags

For all the physical therapists out there who have tons of followers and more likes and comments than they know what do with, skip to the next section.

Oh, you’re still here? We’ve got you covered. Getting your accounts in front of more people requires the intentional use of specific social media tools. One of these tools is hashtags.

To allow more people to find your account, incorporate hashtags into your social media strategy. Hashtags serve as a means of boosting the discoverability of your posts. When you tag a picture with a relevant hashtag such as #physicaltherapyworks, then people searching for that hashtag may stumble upon your post.

physical therapy marketing strategies

To find the right hashtags for your posts, search for hashtags that are not too popular that your posts will be immediately buried. For instance, #physicaltherapy results in over 2 million results. Good luck crawling to the top of that mountain!

On the other hand, avoid hashtags that are so specific that no one is searching for them. A hashtag like #physicaltherapyislife yields fewer than 40 results, so it’s unlikely that anyone will find your account through the use of this unpopular hashtag.

Want more insights on how to rock the hashtag game? Here’s a quick and easy guide to hashtag research.

2. Publicize your practice with help from the press

Next up: a physical therapy marketing strategy that shines the spotlight on your clinic.

Local news stations are always on the lookout for a great story to tell. Odds are, your clinic has one. If you want a bit of free press, set up a meeting with a reporter from the local news outlet and offer an inside scoop on your practice.

The key here is to have a story that connects with readers in some way. A physical therapy clinic in Spokane, Washington, took the humanitarian route and received coverage in the local news.

physical therapy marketing strategies

Whatever your story is, remember that the primary goal of this tactic is to build awareness not to advertise your practice. A good story builds a connection with readers and communicates your values.

If your story is a diamond in the rough, it could get picked up by a national news station, catapulting your practice to newfound levels of recognition. All we ask is that you don’t forget us when you’re famous.

3. Make visible improvements with SEO

For those in search of a great physical therapy clinic, options are just a Google search away. This means that your clinic needs to show up in the search results for a chance at attracting new clients.

So what does it take to earn first page rankings on the search engine results page (SERP)? Well, there’s no one magical action that can take your website to the first page of Google. Instead, a combination of intentional practices will help you achieve this goal. This is known as search engine optimization or SEO.

Of all the physical therapy marketing strategies to implement, SEO packs the biggest punch. That’s because SEO brings your business in front of people who are actively seeking out the services you offer.

Here are three ways to incorporate SEO into your physical therapy marketing strategy:

Diagnose issues with an SEO audit

Just like a physical therapist conducts an exam to learn what areas of the body need treatment, an SEO audit uncovers underlying issues on your website so you can address lackluster elements. Before crafting your SEO strategy, learn what’s holding you back from higher rankings on Google. Take advantage of a free SEO audit to get an objective analysis and inform your plan.

Tinker with technical SEO

Technical SEO refers to the behind the scenes elements of a website that help it to rank higher on the SERP. For instance, improving the load time of your web pages translates to users spending more time-on-page.

Internally linking between pages on your website makes it easier for search engines to understand the structure of your site. You can also improve your technical SEO by uncovering and fixing broken links.

Do you know how fast (or slow) your website is? Here are five tools that analyze site speed and offer solutions.

Craft click-worthy titles and meta descriptions

You don’t invest time and resources into your website just to have people scroll past it in the search results page. Ensure that your titles catch the attention of users. The same goes for the brief description of each page that appears under the title called the meta description.

The more informative and interesting these two elements are, the higher likelihood that others will click through. This tip comes straight from our Beginner’s DIY SEO Checklist, which is a useful resource for those who are just getting started in the SEO world. Now let’s

4. Extend a hand to locals using Google My Business

Next up is a physical therapy marketing strategy that’s too good to pass up. It involves a branch of the SEO tree called local SEO.

If you’ve ever hopped online to search for a restaurant, store or office nearby, then you’re one of the 86% of users rely that on the internet to find a local business.

Local SEO allows you to reach people in your area via Google Maps and on the search results page. Here’s how it works:

Picture Beatrice, a runner with an injured knee. When she decides to pursue physical therapy for her knee, she’ll look for someone close by so that getting to appointments is not a lengthy ordeal.

Say Beatrice lives in the great state of Texas. She might go to Google and search “physical therapists in Houston” and see some clinics pop up in the results.

physical therapy marketing strategies

These physical therapy clinics did not get to the top of the results page by a stroke of luck. Each of them has a Google My Business profile that is optimized for peak performance.

When it comes to marketing ideas for physical therapy clinics, don’t neglect your Google my Business profile.

Data from an analysis of healthcare providers found that nearly a third did not have a local online listing. To make matters worse, almost half of those with listings had errors in the location details that could misdirect patients.

To avoid the pitfalls that many healthcare providers experience, fill your GMB profile with accurate information and lots of it.

Bellaire Physical Therapy has details on hours, answers questions from searchers, and has lots of photos on its GMB profile.

physical therapy marketing strategies

Google favors profiles that have detailed and full information. So be sure to optimize your Google My Business page for top-notch results.

5. Get listed in a physical therapist directory

On the hunt for quick marketing ideas for physical therapy clinics? You’ll enjoy this tip.

For increased online authority and a chance to connect with new clients, list your clinic in a physical therapist directory. Each listing should contain, at minimum, your business name, address and phone number (NAP).

To understand the power of citations, think of them as recommendations. Each time you or your physical therapy clinic appears on another website, it is like a digital endorsement of your practice.

Since search engines don’t know whether a business is trustworthy, they scan the internet to gather data on it. When the scan uncovers mentions of your business across multiple websites, your credibility receives a boost.

Gathering citations is simple—directories like Healthgrades feature PTs from across the country. Plus, there are multiple associations with directories for physical therapists.

6. Lean into content marketing

We’ve discussed strategies that work well when people are searching for physical therapy services. But what about targeting those who don’t yet know that they’re looking for a PT?

Fortunately, content marketing provides an SEO focused method of reaching people with the information they seek. Let’s move from the abstract to the concrete with an example.

Let’s revisit our beloved Beatrice from the earlier example. Before deciding to pursue physical therapy, she wants to do some research. She searches “benefits of knee rehab” and sees this result from Ability Rehabilitation.

physical therapy marketing strategies

Beatrice clicks lands on the clinic’s website. From here, she learns valuable information about healing her knee and navigates to learn about the services that Ability Rehabilitation offers.

Thanks to Ability Rehab’s focus on targeting the keyword that Beatrice searched for, their website comes up on the first page of her search results. Beatrice went from not knowing about this clinic to viewing it as a place that offers valuable information.

The ability of content marketing to generate potential clients is a key benefit of this physical therapy marketing strategy. In fact, research shows that, when compared to traditional marketing, content marketing generated 3x the amount of leads.

To drive traffic and connect with new patients, develop a solid content marketing strategy.

Find your stride with an effective marketing plan

The six physical therapy marketing strategies above work best when combined, increasing your reach and attracting new clients.

Many of these practices require monitoring and continual updates to reap the rewards. If juggling multiple strategies is too time-consuming for your clinic, consider partnering with a skilled SEO agency.

At Markitors, we take small to medium-sized businesses to the top using data-driven strategies that move the needle for our clients. Leave cookie-cutter strategies and marketing fads behind.

Our team tailors and executes a custom strategy that fits your physical therapy clinic’s goals. Learn more about our SEO services and how we can boost your business by contacting us today.

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