How to Become a Rehab Therapy Thought Leader

While our clients value us, many don’t understand a whole lot about what we do, and they are curious. They want information and education, but all too often, we get too busy and don’t take the time.

Many physical therapists face this issue. How do we find time to educate, improve, and show value to our clients above and beyond what we can cover in a patient session?

One way is by becoming a thought leader.

Thought leaders are experts in a subject area, who make the time to offer commentary and opinion. They do this by offering educational information on their websites through blogging and creating downloadable content like ebooks. They organize webinars and share them through email outreach. They seek opportunities to talk to the media who are seeking insights for complicated issues.

Download E-Book: 7 Compelling Content Channels to Engage Rehab Therapy Patients

Becoming a source of information serves to build trust with clients and potential clients, as well as inspires interactions that lead to new relationships. This activity improves client satisfaction while helping you to grow your business.

Thought leaders are not as much about generating news. Rather, they are about providing insights that make the news relevant and compelling.  They don’t create the market, they speak to the audience. They don’t publish the reports, they comment on them.  All this to say, their load is not heavy, like you would think.

As an expert in your area of rehab therapy, your load can be light as well, all the while providing meaningful insights to those around you.

To be a thought leader, consider these 4 tips:

1. Keep your eye out for interesting news to comment on.  Provide insights though blogging. Topic areas may include news coverage of notable injuries, sporting events, or other health-related topics.
   
2. Build a network of valuable relationships.  To be a thought leader, you need to find ways to let people who you have something to say.  It is the media’s job to make the news interesting.  To do so, they need us – resources who can make their stories relatable and understandable.  Reach out to local media outlets and nurture these relationships so you’ll be top of mind when a thought leader is needed.
   
3. Communicate through social channels.  Don’t wait for the media to notice you first.  In today’s world in which all news is a mere click away, use your own social media channels to share commentary about current events pertaining to your expertise.  In many ways, your own social media channels can be the most effective for purposes of engaging a market.
   
4. Take just a few minutes to share information with your network.  Even if you don’t have the time to formalize a written opinion about a trending topic, by virtue of sharing the information with those around you, an invitation to partake in a discussion can be openly extended.  A daily habit of sharing online links, quotes, or trending topics can take mere minutes, and provide vast opportunity to share your expertise with those who need you.