“Is It Important for My Therapy Clinic to Have an Online Presence?”
In short – yes. But let’s go deeper.
Imagine you are the mom of a 3 year old…
You’ve been noticing for a while now that something seems off. “He’ll get it in his own time” you think, “everyone has their own pace”.
Your frustration grows as it seems like potty training is nowhere in sight. Your friends’ kids didn’t take this long.
You watch with a heart full of lead while your baby plays all by himself at the park. Unwilling or unable to keep up with the other kids.
Your lovable boy is clumsy and quiet… but you think, “it’s gotta just be how he is right?”
You feel isolated and alone, not sure if you’re being paranoid or if your gut is trying to tell you something. So you continue to wait and see.
Now your the mom of a 5 year old…
And he is nowhere near ready to go to school. You feel crushed. You feel like you’ve failed, and you are breaking down in front of your child’s pediatrician asking for help.
Now imagine the mom of that 3 year old had known about your therapy clinic.
When her child was 3 her intuition was telling her something was off. She began looking online for answers.
She found your empathetic, thoughtful, and informative blogs on childhood developmental delays. She learned what to look out for.
She signed up for your newsletter and started doing some of your recommended activities at home with her son.
She found comfort in knowing you were nearby in her city. She felt like she knew someone she could trust with her son. She didn’t feel alone.
She used your resources to help her decide that her son was in need of professional support.
She knew who she wanted to call.
You.
You welcomed her and her son to your clinic. Gave her all the education and support she needed. You worked with her to build her child's skills years before he started school.
Now she’s the mom of a 5 year old who has all the support he needs as he starts kindergarten.
She feels empowered to advocate for her son. She's informed to help support his development. And she's proactive about planning for his continued growth.
All because she found you.
Do you see why it’s important to market your therapy clinic online?
Your digital marketing strategy has the potential to create long-standing relationships. Building a connection between your clinic and families before they need a referral has a profound impact. You want your patients and their parents to already see you as credible--to trust you before they come in for an evaluation. If you wait for a pediatrician to refer a lead, you've already missed out time you could have been treating that child. That’s why having an online presence matters for your therapy business.
What kind of online marketing should I be doing as a pediatric therapist?
Blogs
Researchers found that companies who have blogs gain 67% more potential clients than those who do not have a blog. If you want a steady stream of referrals and a full wait-list for your clinic, a blog is a good way to start.
Blogs can provide valuable resources for parents and caregivers in your area. You can write articles for your website that inform parents and caregivers on developmental milestones, age-appropriate play recommendations, or ideas for family games. The topic ideas are endless.
A blog for your therapy clinic does 3 things:
Creates a relationship and builds trust. Blog content on your website gives caregivers valuable information that they can use right away. Continuing to find expert knowledge on your clinic’s website-- they'll come to view you as a credible source for information related to their child’s health and well-being.
Increases your website traffic. Blogs also use search engine optimization to rank your website above others on search engines. This helps potential clients find you when they are searching related topics online.
Motivates parents and caregivers to choose your clinic. Someone who has trusted your content is more likely to trust you with their child.
Newsletters
A newsletter is a great way to personalize your support for parents and caregivers. Potential clients are more likely to trust email than other forms of marketing. You can maintain a connection between your clinic and parents by routinely showing up in their inbox. This encourages them to come to you if their child needs professional support.
Newsletter topics could include:
fun cut out crafts
indoor fine motor games
outdoor fine motor games
obstacle course building guides
Social Media Posts
Posting on social media does not necessarily improve your online presence. Create posts that drive engagement like:
pose a question for users to answer in the comments
do a giveaway
host a Q&A
These types of posts improve your page’s visibility on social media platforms. This can lead to more followers and increased credibility.
More Tips on Digital Marketing for Your Pediatric Therapy Clinic:
Focus on what you’re focused on.
Whatever your practice’s specialty is– target the parents of those children with your content.
If you are a feeding therapist create content related to: oral sensorimotor development, picky eating, and the effects of oral ties. Don’t worry about making content related to everything within your scope– focus on what you like to do the most to attract your ideal caseload.
Understand what parents need.
Children with special needs require special support. In parents of children with special education needs, 50% of them report high levels of stress. They are navigating raising a child who is not functioning at the level of their peers. They have to coordinate family, teachers, and healthcare professionals surrounding their child. Caregivers devote many of their waking hours to advocacy and care for their child.
You know better than anyone your patients' and caregivers' problems. Keep this in mind when you are writing your marketing content for your clinic’s website. Address their questions, concerns, struggles, and needs in your digital marketing content. Write helpful posts and letters that answer questions, educate, encourage, and inspire.
Pick something, and stick with it.
When you’re trying something new in online outreach for your clinic, avoid the temptation to try all the new things. Pick something, and go with it. Start either a weekly blog, bi-weekly social posts, or a monthly newsletter. Get really good – and consistent – at doing one of those things before you add anything else in.
Find help when you need to.
I know you’re busy. You want to create digital content that gives families a trusted resource to turn to. You want to generate more referrals to your clinic– but you’re strapped for time. You’re treating a caseload, running a business, and living a life.
If you don't have the time to dedicate to creating the online presence you desire- I’d love to take your clinic’s digital marketing off your plate.
