As I receive more and more emails from Physical Therapists interested in starting cash practices, I’m finding the questions are often great sources for blog posts.
How should I market my physical therapy practice?
Just a few days ago, I received an email from a young PT who just started a partially cash-based practice. Here’s an excerpt of his email:
I am currently marketing to gyms and personal trainers, although I get the feeling that most of the personal trainers feel that I am trying to steal business. I have placed some yard signs in heavy-traffic areas just to get some attention to the public that I am there. What would you recommend as a good way to strike the public interest in my services? I was thinking of writing an article and placing it in local magazine. But I am not sure what I should provide in the article. Any advice you have will be greatly appreciated.
And here was my response:
No yard signs for a cash practice
Maybe I’m wrong but I would steer clear of the yard signs in high-traffic areas (pardon the pun). You are offering a high-value, high-dollar service; and that is not what most people associate with yard-sign advertisements. Even if it generates a patient here and there, who knows how many people are developing the wrong idea about your practice because of them?
Personal trainer referrals for a physical therapist
On the personal trainer topic: When you’re marketing to trainers, or anyone for that matter, it’s not about going in and just telling them what you do and that they should send you some business. Approach them with the attitude that you would like to generate a mutually beneficial relationship. Explain that you understand what they have to put their bodies through on a daily basis and offer them a discount on treatment. Fix their injuries, and they’ll send you patients. There’s always a give and take and you will be more successful if you go into these situations intending to give first.
Marketing a private practice to the public
In terms of other ways to get the public interested, try some of these ideas for marketing a niche physical therapy practice.
And “yes” on the article submission idea … I’ve done the same and it’s produced a few patients here and there. As far as what to put in it, you obviously have to consider what type of publication it is. Whatever you write, do not make it sound like an advertisement. Make it informative and as valuable as possible to the reader, and write with your readers/audience in mind. We have a tendency to write as if we’re writing to other Physical Therapists.
Once you have something published, you can reword a few things here and there and have the article published in other places as well. Always get as much as possible out of each of your efforts, and constantly be looking to domino any opportunity into even more opportunities. In a week or two, I will have an entire cash-practice guidebook on this subject up for sale on my website. It will be absolutely packed with info for PTs in your position.
Hope this helps!
If you have any advice for this young practice owner, post it in the comments below.
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I would suggest to write a few “how to” articles, with real information on how people can benefit right now from your knowledge. Start with the problem people have, why it is a problem, then itemize the steps people should take to act now to help themselves. Don’t just tell people how about how they will learn something or feel something one they see you, describe in detail some exercises or self-treatment strategies they can begin with today. Once they realize they feel a difference and realize that you have provided something ‘real’ then they will contact you for more information, treatment or share the article with someone else who needs it.
First of all, be sure people can find you when they are searching online and publish these articles online as well.
good luck,
Aaron LeBauer PT, DPT, LMBT
LeBauer Physical Therapy
As always, thanks for the input Aaron!
Have you ever kept clients/done “personal training?” or do you keep a divide?
Thanks for the question Jennifer. I have definitely gone to the gym with clients to help set them up with an appropriate and effective exercise program, and in the past I did take a “personal training” role with a few clients who appreciated my treatments and insisted on using me in the gym as well. At the moment, however, the majority of my services are focused on Manual Therapy. I of course give all my patients a home program to support what is done in the clinic. With that said, if exercise-based therapy is something you excel in you should absolutely capitalize on that. To maximize your efforts (and earnings per hour), setting up cash-pay group exercise classes can be Huge for a private practice, regardless of whether the PT treatment itself cash-based. I don’t see any reason to create a “divide” between these types of services and the PT treatment you provide … they can be a great compliment to one another and huge reinforcement to your bottom line.
Hi Jarod, the link above for your PT Project article on personal trainer marketing is defunct. Is there another place to gather that information? Thanks!
Yeah, PT Project was taken offline, but that’s the only place I put my personal trainer marketing info other than my eBook. I’ve definitely mentioned the tactics here and there, but the book is the only place I have it all in one spot.