“The best damn marketing tool by an order of magnitude I’ve ever had.”
– Tom Peters, co-author of “In Search of Excellence”, on blogging
On the surface, it may be hard to see a connection between blogging and your private physiotherapy practice. After all, isn’t that more suited for celebrities and the paparazzi that follow them?
Strangely enough, blogs have managed to creep into mainstream culture recently (N.B. ABC, The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, and The Australian all use blogs extensively online). Therefore, you as an entrepreneurial private clinic owner must get in front of the crowd by starting a blog now.
How can a blog help your physiotherapy business? For starters, it offers you a free micropublishing platform to demonstrate why you are the best clinic, and an obvious choice for physical recovery needs. Fresh, useful, and relevant content is king for any business, attracting visitors the way honey attracts bees. Traffic is the lifeblood of any physiotherapy practice, and while a great blog cannot alter the cyclical nature of your business, it can help smooth out its harder edges with a stream of potential prospects.
What should you blog about? Don’t be afraid to show off your clinic’s qualifications in niches like knee reconstruction, rotator cuff injuries, or seniors’ fitness. This is precisely the information that folks are desperate for. It is an opportunity to establish yourself as an authority in your field, in your readers’ eyes. Choose topics that put you at the heart of the health care conversation in your local area. Amidst cutthroat competition for the health care dollar, this is where you can open a dialogue with hundreds, perhaps thousands of people on a regular basis.
What skills are required? Some people are natural writers, or adept at making stunning multimedia presentations. Congratulations if you belong to this group. However, even people who consider themselves bad writers or technophobes should not be dissuaded, because in blogging, practice really does make perfect.
What kind of commitment is required? The debate rages about optimum blogging frequency, but for starters, perhaps a biweekly entry is a good way to start. If your schedule is just too jam-packed to handle the load, consider letting your staff write the occasionally post, invite guest experts, or hire a service that can provide content best suited to your clinic’s specialisations.
Physiotherapy blogs can be a difference maker for your private practice. While others cringe at the thought of progressive online marketing, you will be at the forefront of an exciting new approach to reaching Australians and offering them the care they deserve.
If you would like to get started with a blog for your practice, just ask us how easily we can get you up and running.