Social media has become an inescapable part of life, and consequently a fundamental tool in the marketer’s toolkit. Physical therapy practices, like virtually any other business, will find it worthwhile having a presence on at least one social media platform. If you aren’t already harnessing the full power of social media, perhaps it’s time you got started. Don’t worry, we can help. Here’s some advice to get you started on the right footing.
Social media marketing is big business, with the US alone expected to spend over $56.7 billion in 2022, and with more than 434 million active social media users in North America. Physical therapy clinics will find that every type of patient is represented in that figure, from young to old.
You’re sure to find plenty of opportunities for your practice to gain new leads on social media, if you play your cards right. Facebook is likely to be the best place to start, especially since it’s popular with older generations, but Instagram may also prove fruitful with a younger and more active crowd. Over time you can build a presence in active lifestyle communities and reach people looking for information on pain management and related topics, being helpful while positioning your business to take their treatment further.
Keep the following points in mind when creating your social media pages.
Make your page look great
Social media, especially the likes of Facebook and Instagram, are heavily visual platforms where images and videos take center stage. It’s imperative, therefore, that your pages look amazing. That requires professional-quality, high-res images. Showcase your practice and consider offering instructional content to demonstrate your expertise. Try using video too, so long as it’s professionally edited.
Making proper use of visual content will help you make a strong impression on anyone that comes to your page, demonstrating that your practice is professional and well-established.
Target your audience and track your performance
One of the best things about social media marketing is the ability to home in on your ideal target audience, and another is the ability to measure the performance of your content on a granular level. These two marketing superpowers make social media marketing extremely cost-effective. You won’t need to waste ad spend on the wrong demographics or people who live too far away – instead, you can localize your ads and ensure they only appear in front of the right target age group, for starters.
Performance tracking means that you can keep an eye on what works and what doesn’t. If something resonates with your target audience try doing more of the same, and if it misses the mark then let it fall by the wayside.
Be human
Social media is meant to be all about connecting with people in a meaningful way, and today’s consumers expect brands to do the same. Humanizing your brand is a powerful way to gain trust, and trust is a vital commodity in the healthcare space (as you’re no-doubt aware). Introduce yourself and your staff and show potential patients the people behind your practice and let them feel as though they’re speaking to sympathetic individuals rather than an uncaring monolith.
Be accessible
There’s a difference between being informed and professional and being impenetrable and aloof. Some of your patients may know some medical jargon but you have to assume that most won’t have a grasp of anything but the most basic terminology. Explain things in a way that isn’t condescending or overly simplistic but still conveys the information you’re aiming to impart. It’s a tone of voice that you’ll need to master and replicate across all your channels. And while it should align with the tone of your website content, social media is a space where accessibility is especially important.
Be helpful
Many of the engagements you’re likely to have on social media as a physical therapy practice will be people asking for your help or for information. Always try to be as friendly and helpful as you possibly can. You may also need to deal with frustrated patients who haven’t seen the results they were hoping for, and they will require your understanding and patience. Stay positive and empathetic, don’t leave a question unanswered, and be calm an apologetic in the face of negative reviews or criticism, even if it’s unfair.
Refresh your pages often
A stale old social media page where the last post was several months ago suggests a sluggish business that may not even be operational still. By posting regularly, you can demonstrate to would-be patients that your practice is active and responsive. And through active engagement, you can demonstrate that your business takes the time to give individuals the attention they need. Further to that, by posting frequently you can attract organic traffic to your page which could mean a steady supply of new leads.
Social media can be a very rewarding space for a physical therapy practice, where helpful information and creativity, along with measurable and targeted marketing, can help your business to grow. It pays to have an experience expert to guide you, however. That’s where we come in, since helping businesses like yours make the most of digital is what we do. To get started, get in touch with CODESM.
