Occupational Therapy Business Tips
November 7, 2024
Occupational therapy marketing is an essential factor to create a business, attract and maintain clientele, and ensurefuture success. Unfortunately, marketing is not every therapist’s forte. In this article, we will discuss occupational therapy marketing ideas and how using the right occupational therapy software can aid in drawing in new clients and building an occupational therapy practice.
To keep a new business afloat and to attract clients, occupational therapists need to step out of their comfort zone and explore the world of marketing. Thanks to the ever-growing digital realm, occupational therapists have more opportunities than ever to display their professional skills and increase client referrals.
Marketing a new business should be done using multiple people to gather ideas and to share the load. Assemble a marketing strategy team, which can include occupational therapists, coworkers, and marketing consultants. Create a marketing strategy plan, including goals and a timeframe to get your occupational therapy practice up and running.
If the business and marketing world is unfamiliar territory, research current marketing strategies in healthcare. Occupational therapists who are new to marketing should get acquainted with strategies that are simple and effective, which can be done through professional consultation or a detailed internet search.
The first step in occupational therapy marketing is creating a company brand. What makes your practice stand out? Do you specialize in a certain demographic, such as children or the elderly? Are you an expert in certain techniques?
Create logos and mottos with a variety of color schemes and design samples that express your unique brand.Then you can conduct a simple survey to collect opinions from your target audience and other healthcare professionals you will potentially work with. Once you’ve branded your company, obtain the appropriate rights and you’re all set to start promoting your occupational therapy practice.
Gear marketing strategies towards healthcare professionals who are likely to refer their patients to occupational therapy services. This includes private clinics, general practitioner offices, hospitals, or home health agencies who interact with clients initially upon illness or injury and are likely to refer them to occupational therapy for recovery.
Complement your company website with an occupational therapy blog to help increase your viewers and keep them coming back for more. Blogs should be written in a format that is friendly and understandable for potential clients and caregivers. Explore blog websites that offer options to reply to comments and questions, and generally create open-ended discussion for the purpose of attracting new occupational therapy clients.
Occupational therapists can fine-tune their occupational therapy marketing strategies by providing outlets for honest reviews from clients, healthcare providers, caregivers, and families. Sites such as Yelp, Google Reviews, and Google My Business provide clients an easy way to write a new review for you to update your online business profile.
Even a negative review can be turned to your advantage if you reply promptly, apologize, and solve the problem.After all, nobody’s perfect and potential clients can see that you care about your patients and strive to do better.
An effective marketing strategy includes involving active clients by having them refer family and friends to your occupational therapy practice. A strong referral program should include fair incentives to motivate current clients to make referrals. Greater incentives can be granted if new clients sign on for an initial consultation.
Advertise your occupational therapy practice’s brand by posting educational content online. Educational materials in the form of handouts or webinars can be purchased at a flat rate or posted for free access on social media and your practice website. This marketing strategy advertises both your brand and professional skills.
Lunch seminars with healthcare platforms and facilities can provide great occupational therapy marketing opportunities, whether in-person or remotely. Offer incentives to boost attendance and open the hour for free discussion regarding your occupational therapy practice. Keep professional relationships healthy by following up with your host to thank them and collect contact information for email marketing and newsletters.
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Oftentimes, occupational therapy practices will network with healthcare equipment providers and small healthcare clinics to promote their brand and boost their referrals. Networking is a marketing strategy that helps patients and medical providers know you’re the ideal, next step for recovery.
Although marketing an occupational therapy practice can be done digitally, senior adults continue to rely on hardcopy advertisements. Consider using a graphics and printing company to produce pamphlets and flyers that are accessible for clients in relevant clinical settings.
Depending on location, up-and-coming occupational therapy practices can contact city officials to obtain an events schedule for local fairs and festivals. Setting up a stall where prospective clients and families can have face-to-face interactions is an excellent marketing strategy that creates early rapport and trust.
Initiate a YouTube Channel that can be updated and posted regularly to show your target audience what your occupational therapy practice is about. Discuss occupational therapy tips and provide education that can be tied to your practice to attract new clients.
For online marketing strategies, a user-friendly website can mean the difference between attracting new clients and stopping clinical workflow. Consider hiring a professional to optimize your occupational therapy practice websiteso prospective clients can easily recognize your brand, mission, services, and contact information.
Keeping in mind healthcare privacy laws, consider scheduling open houses and tours of your occupational therapy practice so prospective clients can get a feel for the setting and explore their intervention options. Occupational therapists can be available on site to answer any questions that arise.
Occupational therapists have the opportunity to use marketing strategies embedded in their documentation software. Ordinary electronic medical record programs only provide templates and features for assessments, SOAP notes, and other records that are transferable to relevant healthcare disciplines. The best software helps you market your practice.
With ClinicSense, occupational therapists can expand their marketing strategy, as well as keep all documentation in one place. (Try the SOAP notes free trial at ClinicSense today for a sample of what they provide.)
ClinicSense produces occupational therapy software that offers current templates for documentation as well as features to attract new clients and expand your occupational therapy practice. Occupational therapy marketing features include access to client feedback and Google reviews, email newsletters, and so much more.
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