Let’s be honest. Physical therapists didn’t get into this profession because they were dying to write marketing emails.
They got into it because they simply love helping people to walk again after a knee replacement or to finally sit at a desk without that nagging back pain.
But marketing?
That’s the part nobody really signs up for, but somehow it ends up on the to-do list anyway.
And here’s the best part. Email marketing is among the least expensive and yet the most efficient methods that a physical therapy clinic can use to get more new patient referrals, keep existing patients returning, and make sure all other people are thinking about your practice.
There is no need for a big budget. All you will have to do is be creative with it, and stick to using it consistently.
So grab a coffee, and let’s walk through seven tips that can genuinely move the needle.
1. Build a Patient Email List That Actually Grows Itself
Before any of the fancy stuff, there has to be a list. And not just any list, but a clean one that’s full of people who actually want to hear from the clinic.
But in order to develop that list, you have to make it easy to capture the contact information of individuals who are interested in hearing about what your clinic can do for them.
An excellent place to begin developing your list of contacts is simply during the new patient intake process. This could include adding an email collection option to new patient paper work or to an online booking form. It would also include asking for feedback after a visit, such as through a survey, or through a friendly question at the front desk (“Would you like to receive updates from our office?”).
2. Segment Patients So Every Email Feels Personal
Most people simply don’t appreciate receiving an obviously generic mass email. A rehabilitation patient after surgery and a young athlete who has an injured ankle are at very different places in their recovery processes. This is why as far as communication goes, the same general information that is sent to both individuals through the same clinic may not actually be the best idea.
This is precisely where segmentation fits into your plan. The way to go about this is to break down the original email list into many smaller lists so that each individual receives messages that are relevant to them.
Segmentation is useful when creating a physical therapy email list based on either how the injury was sustained (e.g. sports-related vs. non-sports related injuries) or what treatments will be received (i.e. post-surgical rehab, chronic pain etc.).
Another possible way to create segments would be to create categories based upon the level of service being provided (e.g. new lead, actively engaged in treatment, or a recent discharge).
And yet another option could be to group patients by lifestyles (i.e. seniors who are wanting to maintain mobility and ability vs. weekend athletes looking to regain fitness so they can return to competition).
The result of sending relevant content here is increased open rates, click-through rates, and (most importantly) actual engagement by patients resulting in more appointments booked.
3. Automate the Repetitive Stuff
Here’s where things get really fun. Automation is basically the secret weapon of modern email marketing, especially for busy clinic owners already wearing 17 different hats.
Welcome Series
When someone books their first appointment, an automated welcome series can introduce them to the clinic, tell them what they can expect on day one, and even introduce them to the team they’ll be working with. People feel taken care of before they even walk through the door.
Appointment Reminders and Follow-Ups
No-shows are undeniably one of the most frustrating revenue leaks in any healthcare practice. Automated reminders that are sent 48 hours and 24 hours before an appointment dramatically cut down on missed visits. Add a quick follow-up email after the visit, and suddenly retention starts looking a lot healthier.
Reactivation Campaigns
This is where serious money tends to be hiding. People who come in and see you for a couple of visits only to then go away or lose interest have a great opportunity to be reactivated. Simply sending an automated “it’s been a little while” email can bring back a number of people who were formerly under your care.
Setting these types of automation (welcome series, reminders, reactivation campaigns, etc.) with ease is as easy as one click when you use the Townsquare Interactive Business Management Platform. The ability to automate these tasks will free up time for the staff at your office so they can focus on the patient right in front of them.
4. Send Content That Actually Helps People
Nothing kills an email list faster than a steady stream of “BOOK NOW” messages. So what sets apart an office that cares and has a genuine desire to assist their patients from one that simply wants to have a full calendar?
The answer is educational material. The most common inquiries that are asked by the patient on a daily basis in your clinic can be turned into email responses. Examples of topics that may resonate with patients include: identifying when to visit a physical therapist vs, being able to “tough it out,” basic stretches for the most common complaints, suggestions for staying physically active as people get older, and preventing injuries that are related to seasonal activities (such as gardening in the spring or skiing in the winter).
You get the idea. If a clinic sends you something that is helpful and interesting via e-mail, they will become your authority. When you need PT, do you think that is where you will start looking?
5. Personalize Beyond Just the First Name
Slapping “Hi {{FirstName}}!” at the top of an email isn’t really personalization. That’s table stakes. True personalization means using what’s actually known about a patient to send them something genuinely relevant.
But a follow-up on keeping the shoulder mobile would be welcome to someone who has done rehabilitation for their shoulder since last summer, for example. Or a senior may enjoy learning how to prevent falls. Or a runner will probably like an article about common running injuries that occur during marathon training.
That’s where a well-maintained contact database can become a huge advantage when it comes to personalizing your communication with patients. The best contact databases have all of the necessary information (treatment history, appointment frequency, etc.) in order to help you personalize messages and campaigns without having to dig through spreadsheets just to find the correct information.
6. Stay Consistent Without Being a Pest
There’s a sweet spot in email frequency, and it’s somewhere between “we never hear from you” and “please make it stop.” For most physical therapy practices, a monthly newsletter plus targeted automated emails hits the right rhythm here.
In general, it’s far better to send consistent and quality communications than it is to frequently communicate low-quality or unhelpful information. For example, a medical clinic that consistently delivers value with each monthly newsletter will develop significantly more credibility than an office that blasts out a high volume of newsletters in a short period of time followed by no communication at all for three months.
7. Track What Works and Tweak What Doesn’t
Email marketing isn’t a “set it and forget it” forever kind of deal. The best clinics treat it like any other clinical practice: try something, measure the outcome, and then adjust based on what the data is saying.
Key metrics that you should watch out for include open rates, click-through rates, conversion rates (how many are actually booking appointments), and unsubscribe rates.
When something works well, do more of it! And when something flops, no big deal. That’s just useful information for next time.
How Townsquare Interactive Helps Physical Therapy Practices Grow
Running your own PT clinic is an overwhelming task. Add some extra hours working on building, sending, tracking, and optimizing email campaigns while trying to deliver quality care for patients.
This is exactly when Townsquare Interactive can step in to help you. The business management platform will take over the marketing tasks so that you can focus on what matters most: patient care.
Townsquare’s tool allows clinic owners to store their patient contact information in one simple-to-use customer relationship manager (CRM) system. It will automatically create a welcome series to new patients, reminder emails, or reactivation emails based on each specific clinic’s needs. All of the different components are put together within this single platform.
There are no long term contracts. There is no need to submit a ticket through the website. And there isn’t an automated call queue for you to wait in line for someone to assist you. Every clinic has its own dedicated specialist and each specialist knows the practice and assists the staff to get the marketing strategy to be effective.
For physical therapy clinics that are wanting to grow without dealing with all of the headaches associated with marketing, this is a solid opportunity for a worthwhile partnership.