Taking the time to market yourself well

Undoubtedly, most, if not all therapists are at their most comfortable when working closely with clients and customers. We are well trained in the skills required to help the person in front of us, and passionate to make a difference. If you were to ask a therapist when they are at their most uncomfortable, then the answer is usually a resounding cry of “when I have to promote myself and market my business to gain new clients”.

Very few of us are formally trained in this skill, and often, even when we do undertake a course or some training in this area, it takes a considerable amount of time to become comfortable and effective. We appreciate the stress and worry caused when trying to find new clients. Here at SportsInjuryFix.com we strive to take the frustration out of every aspect of being a therapist so that you can get back to doing what you do best – getting people fixed not frustrated!

We’ve teamed up with Andy Hosgood, founder ofwww.yourperfectpractice.co.uk to get his top tips for marketing yourself well to gain new clients.

Andy is a Physiotherapist and successful entrepreneur who together with his business partner, Adam Richardson, has opened, run and grown private therapy businesses for over 10 years. Together they currently have 4 clinics in the north west of England. The exciting part of this is that their private therapy business runs without them. With their team and systems in place their business continues to grow and thrive in a competitive market while they help support other businesses.

Andy says “I speak with several owners of private therapy business every week. When I ask about the challenges, they face they often mention…I need more clients”. Here’s some tips on successful marketing from Andy:

Differentiate yourself

Stand out from the crowd, use your personal experiences and background to your benefit. Why not take the time to make it personal? “I have also done over 100 10km to marathon distance races so I fully understand the runner’s mindset and the associated niggles and injuries”. This certainly resonates with us here at SportsInjuryFix. We completed a survey at the 2018 National Running Show, and 91% of people interviewed reported that when they are searching for a therapist, they actively search for someone who understands their sport.

Therefore, when looking to improve your leads from searches, then take the time to consider what your target audience will search for.

Understanding your ideal client

When marketing yourself, particularly if registering to a website such as SportsInjuryFix.com, understand your ideal client and tailor your prolife accordingly. In the marketing world they call it “personas”. This will allow you to consider key words and phrases which will help locate you when customers search for a therapist. Some businesses can spend up to 20 hours a week doing marketing, you may not have this much time, but make sure that whatever time you do have, you do it well and make the maximum use of it to get the maximum benefit from your marketing.

If you are in the sports injury field and you want people to choose you, then consider why they would choose you and use this to make yourself standout.

My advice is to block as much time as you can afford. Consider your personas. Decide what they will be searching for and make sure that you use this terminology when marketing yourself. Taking this time is an investment. Invest your time well and you will be successful. Invest your time poorly then be prepared to just survive.

As my role of mentor and business consultant I am always on the lookout for ways that therapists can make their businesses better. I spend my time researching other companies that can help my clients and those who follow me on social media. I was introduced to Malcolm Sloan and his website SportsInjuryFix.com

SportsInjuryFix.com

SportsInjuryFix.com helps the public search to find you. They use the terminology and marketing that people will search for. They use the language of sports and injuries rather than medical terminology and professions.

It is free for you to register on. It is easy to add content. You have the ability to describe what you do. I also have been privileged to find out that they are launching an online booking system to book clients for your business through the platform. Again, a fantastic time efficient solution.

Make your profile on SportsInjuryFix.com stand out!

When I was looking through the site, I was amazed to see how many businesses describe themselves pretty much all the same. Also, the amount that describe themselves as musculoskeletal sports injury physio’ or ‘mobile sports therapist’ or ‘sports massage’ is huge.

With over 2100 therapists signed up, and more and more signing up daily, take the time to make yourself standout from the crowd. This investment will be worth it when you start getting new clients.

If you haven’t already signed up to SportsInjuryFix.com, then click here to set up your free profile and use Andy’s fantastic tips to make yourself standout!

For more fantastic business advice, we highly recommend visiting YourPerfectPractice.co.uk to find out more!