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2020-2021 has been unlike anything we’ve experienced before. COVID-19 has fundamentally disrupted many aspects of modern life, with the healthcare industry very much among them.
At this point, calling these times “unprecedented” feels like a cliché.
But as we like to say, times of crisis are also times of opportunity.
Today, we’ll talk about why you should rethink your therapy practice marketing strategies.
4 Reasons to Rethink Your Therapy Practice Marketing
We’ve observed several prominent trends in the therapy business and in the healthcare industry more broadly.
While nothing is certain, these trends show no signs of slowing down.
The increased acceptance of telehealth, expanding service footprints of healthcare providers, and rising prominence of medical websites are just some of the reasons why the current crisis is the perfect chance to reconsider and reinvigorate your therapy practice marketing.
1. The Rise of Virtual Elements in Healthcare
Teletherapy has never been more popular.
A few months ago, many healthcare providers and patients were forced to move online in response to the pandemic. Though many of us assumed and hoped that this shift would be temporary, it is clear now that telehealth is here to stay.
Turns out that many patients appreciate the convenience and ease of access telehealth provides.
For example, my family doctor now has a two-step process. First, he conducts a video call with patients to discuss the patient’s concerns. Then, if it is deemed necessary, a physical appointment is scheduled.
Both providers and patients are moving in the virtual direction. Crucially, patients have learned to accept telehealth as a normal, routine, and perfectly safe part of healthcare.
For this reason, every therapist should reconsider the role of teletherapy in their marketing.
Our advice? Embrace it! Every therapy practice can incorporate teletherapy in some form or another.
Indeed, out of all healthcare professionals, therapists can make the best use of telehealth. Phone calls and video chat tools make therapy appointments available and convenient like never before.
Patients have come to expect virtual elements in therapy. Rethink your marketing approach to fit their expectations.
Make teletherapy a key part of your therapy practice marketing.
2. Expanding Service Footprints
A direct consequence of the rise of virtual healthcare is an expanding service footprint for many practices.
With teletherapy, you can provide care to people all over the world, not just in your area. That makes sense, right?
The extent of this expansion depends on the practice. However, we can say that therapy practices (and other specialties like nutritionists) have been growing exponentially thanks to telehealth.
On one hand, great! Your pool of prospective clients is wider than ever before.
On the other hand, your competition has expanded in step with your service footprint. You are now competing with therapists on the regional and national levels.
People googling for telehealth services will not be bound to visit a local practice. Relying on local audiences is no longer enough.
To draw in leads, you’ll need to rethink your medical website design and PPC advertising strategy.
For example, check Google Trends for the search volume of certain keywords. These might include:
- Online therapy
- Teletherapy
- Remote therapy
Use this data to fine-tune your advertising and stand out from the crowd.
3. Clients Are Turning to Medical Websites
Did you know that 80% of people look up medical information online before ever visiting a brick-and-mortar clinic?
And if they decide to seek therapy services, where do they look first? The internet, of course.
For all these reasons, your website is the keystone of your therapy practice marketing.
It’s how you make your first impression with prospective clients.
Further, for clients who choose telehealth services, your website is the primary meeting point between your practice and your clients. In many ways, your website is your digital office.
Your therapy practice marketing must adapt to this reality. Your website, not your office, should be front and center.
A few great ways to shift marketing focus to your website include:
- Optimize your site structure for SEO and test it with Google Search Console.
- Include separate pages and blog posts for each condition you treat or service you offer.
- Incorporate an eCommerce store to sell products and services online.
For more inspiration, check out our list of excellent therapist website designs and our guide to the ultimate mental health website design.
4. Moments of Crisis Reshape Society
Without a doubt, the COVID-19 crisis will produce long-term changes in our society and our behaviors.
Many of these changes we may not even be aware of yet. That’s why it’s crucial to experiment with different medical practice marketing strategies and not become wedded to one particular approach.
As we said, these times are unprecedented. You never know what might work.
One thing we can say with confidence: teletherapy will continue to grow. All medical practices will have to redefine their growth paradigm to meet changing social conditions and the changing needs of their clients.
People will come to expect teletherapy services. Practices without it will appear hopelessly outdated.
Be the ‘first mover.’ Recognize and respond to the rise of teletherapy quickly and intelligently. Seize new opportunities.
Reimagine your marketing and keep an open mind.
If you do, you’ll build brand recognition and customer loyalty that competitors will envy.
Conclusion
There’s no better time to rethink your therapy practice marketing and start generating new leads.
As Winston Churchill put it, “never let a good crisis go to waste.”
Practice Tech Solutions loves helping small medical practices with their social media marketing and PPC ad campaigns. Call us anytime!
Medical website design also happens to be one of our specialties. We’re always encouraging healthcare providers to make the most of their websites and use them to draw in new leads.
