Marketing Through a Pandemic: 7 Strategies for PT Clinics During COVID 19

Our lives have changed rapidly over the last few weeks. News changes minute by minute, schools are evolving into virtual classrooms, and brick-and-mortar offices have closed to stop the spread of COVID-19.

In the meantime, as so-called nonessential employees have been put on notice to stay home, many private practice physical therapy clinics are wondering the same thing: how are they going to keep their client pipeline healthy if no one can (or wants to) venture outside their homes?

The difficulty in getting new customers is one problem that impacts almost every business right now. Still, smart clinicians are adjusting their strategies to stay ahead of the competition, stay open and, above all else, be helpful to people in need.

People may not be able to come into the clinic to see you, but that doesn’t mean their pain has gone away. So, what are you doing to connect with these potential patients and clients – to ensure them that through this pandemic, you’re available and ready to help them move better and more comfortably?

Content is King

The old saying, “Content is King,” could not be more relevant than it is today.

Whether it’s business as usual, you’re seeing fewer patients, or you’ve fully embraced Telehealth, sharing relevant content (i.e., updated news, clinic information and general education about PT) is and always will be the key to keep your pipeline active.

7 Digital Marketing Activities During COVID 19

Here are some content techniques savvy physical therapy clinics are using to stay top of mind and continue to grow their client base, even during the COVID-19 pandemic:

1) Blog Posts

Blogs offer physical therapists an ideal platform on which they can earn and maintain attention during this difficult time.

People are maneuvering through a world they’re not used to, yet they’re still experiencing many of the same musculoskeletal issues they’d normally experience in life. They will no doubt be looking for answers, and they need to know you’re still available to offer them solutions.

Posting blog content is a great way to earn credibility and trust with your community and future clients. It also boosts your organic listings on search engines.

2) E-Books

Who knows more about the body’s musculoskeletal system than a physical therapist? Who will people turn to when looking to relieve pain, treat an injury or live a more active, healthful life?

As people in the era of social distancing are often looking for simple solutions they can try at home, now is a great time to use E-Books to gather leads and keep your sales funnel moving.

To collect client information keep your E-Books behind a form. Once completed, you can use information from your form to follow up via email or phone to set up an evaluation, offer treatments or simply keep them informed about your clinic over the long term.

3) Social Media

People are digitally connected now more than ever, and many spends hours every day scrolling through content. This continual and devoted use has a decidedly strong impact on our lives, from what we read to finding new local places to visit.

That’s why social media remains a great tool to distribute your content, connect with the community, and keep your brand strong. It’s also a great channel from which to share timely information about your clinic related to COVID-19.

Every social media platform is different, and users have their preferred ways of interacting. Best practices should follow only three to four Facebook posts a week, one to two Instagram posts a week, four to five posts a week for Twitter, and one to two posts a week for LinkedIn.

4) Webinars

Webinars are fantastic for generating new leads, supporting current customers, and boosting SEO (Search Engine Optimization). They’re great, long-form ways to share exercise, injury prevention tips … pretty much anything you might offer during a live workshop.

There are many different platforms you can use to record and host webinars including GoToWebinar and On24. Most platforms let you stream live, share your screen, and even provide a Q & A section to interact with attendees.

Once the live webinar is over, the lead collection doesn’t stop. Recorded webinars should be shared on social media, email campaigns, and even on your website behind a gated form to collect viewer information for follow up.

5) Videos

According to WordStream, 55% of people watch videos online every day, and social media videos generate up to 1,200% more shares than text and images combined.¹

Videos offer a great way to target changing pain points and offer tips and tricks for people who are now in a new working environment. Now that people are working from home, you may need to learn different stretches to relieve common slouching problems.

6) Paid Advertising

Distributing content to new eyes has never been easier with social media and search engine marketing. Paid media serves as a lead generation tactic by meeting your customers and prospects where they are: online!

After you’ve built your content, paid media fits into the strategy as the vehicle to get your hard work and industry knowledge into the hands of people who would benefit from it.

7) Local Press Relations

If harnessed properly, your local press can be one of your greatest mouthpieces. Especially during a time when the media’s continually looking to make sense of the COVID-19 pandemic, physical therapists can offer information and perspective that’s both timely and newsworthy during this chaotic time.

How can people stay active while quarantined at home? How can one set up a home office that’s most ergonomically pleasing? If one’s elective knee surgery’s been postponed, how can he/she stay active while keeping the pain at bay? Tell it to the media, and let them amplify it while boosting your credibility.

Also, don’t forget to share clinic news with your local press. Many will share announcements for free workshops/webinars, updated business hours, and new services like Telehealth.

This is a lot to absorb, but the good news is that you’re not alone. At Net Health, we’re here to help you better understand which options are best for your clinic, and then we absorb some of the bandwidth needed to roll out a strategy.

As digital marketing experts, we get it, which is why we’re here to help. Schedule a demo today to learn more about digital marketing in this crazy time.

References:

¹ WordStream, “75 Staggering Video Marketing Statistics for 2021,” May 10, 2021.