PHYSICAL THERAPY MARKETING
Private Outpatient Physical Therapy Clinic Marketing Strategy
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Outline
I.​
MARKET RESEARCH
A.​ Jannenga (2019a) emphasizes the importance of knowing about the
competition and current state of the industry. Link to author’s experience.
a.​ Description of predominant physical therapy clinical model.
b.​ Differentiation from this model to improve customer retention.
II.​
MARKETING DIFFERENTIATION
A.​ Service marketing mix as a theoretical framework for differentiation.
a)​
Physical Environment
1.​ Physical environment is tied to service value.
2.​ Physical therapy clinic based within a recreational center to help
differentiate.
3.​ Increased visibility through location (Jannenga, 2019b).
4.​ Financial advantage due to cost-splitting and reduced capital
(Jannenga, 2019b).
b)​
People
1.​ Relevance of customer-employee interactions on customer
satisfaction.
2.​ Employee selection, training and motivation contribute to customer
satisfaction (Paurova & Nadanyiova, 2020).
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3.​ How the proposed model for treatment will help with therapist and
customer satisfaction.
4.​ Core values centered on customer satisfaction on service value.
c)​
Process
1.​ Lost income for clinics due to “churn” (Wendel, 2016).
2.​ Market segmentation to target patients who have had poor
experiences at other clinics with unique clinical model offered.
3.​ Improve patient engagement and retention and also improved word
of mouth referrals.
4.​ Positive customer relationships lead to customer loyalty and
improve profitability (Hawkins & Hoon, 2020).
III.​
CUSTOMER ATTRACTION AND RETENTION STRATEGIES
A.​ Social media marketing through online reviews via Google Maps and Facebook.
a)​
95% of patients admit that online reviews influence whether they
will use a certain physical therapy clinic (Net Health, 2021).
b)​
Marketing through patient testimonials/reviews.
1.​ Digital word of mouth marketing that will provide social proof
through to attract new clients (Jannenga, 2019a).
c)​
Social media marketing can lead to improved return on investment
(Daugherty, 2018)
B.​ Physician Referrals
a)​
Marketing to nearby physicians’ offices and reciprocate referrals.
PHYSICAL THERAPY MARKETING
b)​
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Antonacci et al. (2021) showed how marketing liaison activities
which involved similar strategies as outlined above led to 42.7% of new
patients at a new orthopedic clinic, highlighting the importance of building
professional network.
C.​ Email Marketing
a)​
Email marketing is vital for customer retention (Wendel, 2016).
b)​
Discharge campaign as part of marketing tactic to help patients
re-activate (repeat customers).
IV.​
CONCLUSION
A.​ Addressing elements of service marketing mix can help with differentiation.
B.​ Unique clinic model can improve customer engagement, satisfaction and loyalty.
C.​ Current client/patient testimonials help to attract prospective clients.
D.​ Building professional relationships with physicians in the region can contribute
towards the acquisition of new customers.
E.​ Email marketing increases engagement with current and former clients and can
lead to repeat purchasing.
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Abstract
​
The field of outpatient physical therapy is highly competitive and also suffers from poor
customer retention due to the current clinical model that the majority of clinics use. Namely,
most clinics see 2-3 patients per therapist each hour, leading to decreased patient engagement.
This paper proposes a unique clinical model and marketing strategy that focuses on one-on-one
care. Through application of the service marketing mix, the paper will highlight how this model
will help the clinic differentiate itself from competitors and improve patient engagement and
satisfaction to improve retention. This will lead to improved customer loyalty which will form
the basis for online marketing through real patient testimonials/reviews to attract prospective
patients. The paper also discusses professional marketing and relationship building to boost
physician referrals and email marketing as a strategy to improve repeat purchasing of services.
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Introduction
Physical therapy is a growing, competitive field within healthcare. Outpatient physical
therapy clinics usually see patients/clients with various pains, neurological or musculoskeletal
conditions or post-operatively to rehabilitate them to improve their overall function with specific
focus on physical mobility and pain reduction.
Small businesses, especially in the physical therapy field can face great competition. A
quick google maps search for a “physical therapy clinic” in La Plata, Maryland, a relatively
small town 1 hour south of Washington D.C. shows well over 10 clinics in just this small town
and even more in the nearby towns of Southern Maryland. Small businesses face immense
challenges towards long term sustainability and many of them end up closing within 5 years of
starting up (Hawkins & Hoon, 2020). However, small businesses also have advantages over
larger companies such as decreased bureaucracy, and more efficient communication that can all
help to create competitive advantage (Kunz, 2017). This paper will combine the author’s
knowledge as a practicing Doctor of Physical Therapy within the field, as well as aspects of
marketing research to create a marketing strategy for a small, privately owned physical therapy
clinic in Southern Maryland. This marketing strategy will focus on differentiation to create
competitive advantages using a combination of techniques addressing the marketing mix in order
to attract new clients and most importantly to improve customer retention and boost customer
loyalty.
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Market Research
Through market research, organizations may obtain, process and utilize information
about the market within which they are based to identify opportunities and threats (Kolencik,
2020). In particular, the external elements of a SWOT analysis can help to identify opportunities
and threats and help direct marketing strategies (Kenton, 2022). Jannenga (2019a) emphasizes
the importance of knowing about the current state and competition within the industry. The
author of this paper has two years of experience working in this geographical region as a
physical therapist, thus is familiar with the environment and competition.
Currently, the predominant model of physical therapy clinics involves one licensed
therapist seeing 2-3 patients simultaneously per hour with assistance of a rehab aide. This often
results in “churn” which leads to poor customer/patient retention (Wendel, 2016). Thus, the
current state of the industry presents an opportunity because many clients are frustrated with the
lack of individualized, one-on-one service. Differentiation from the predominant model may lead
to improved customer experiences and improved customer retention and loyalty.
Marketing Differentiation
The service marketing mix which is enhanced to include “physical environment, people
and process” in addition to the traditional 4Ps provides a framework to guide marketing strategy
and differentiation for service-based organizations (Paurova & Nadanyiova, 2020). These
concepts can help guide the marketing strategy of an outpatient physical therapy clinic.
Physical Environment
The physical environment within which services are rendered is an important factor in
how a consumer interprets the value of the service (Paurova & Nadanyiova, 2020). Therefore, to
differentiate themselves from competition, the clinic could base itself within a recreational center
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in the community. This would allow patients of the clinic to have access to more equipment and
would be different to most physical therapy clinics. Clients may perceive their treatments at such
a location to have greater value. Additionally, certain locations can increase visibility to
customers (Jannenga, 2019b). Perhaps, clients of the recreational center may convert to physical
therapy patients since active people occasionally get injured. Finally, such a partnership could
also be financially efficient due to decreased spending on capital such as gym equipment
(Jannenga, 2019b).
People
​
In service-based industries, customer-employee interactions directly affect the level of
customer satisfaction (Paurova & Nadanyiova, 2020). Employees who smile, actively listen and
have a positive outlook and body-language help to cultivate a positive experience and allow
patients to have more positive experiences and feel more satisfied with the service they receive
(Jannenga, 2019b). Employee selection, training and motivation are all crucial to ensuring
customers have a pleasant experience (Paurova & Nadanyiova, 2020). The clinical model of the
proposed clinic will involve physical therapists working one-on-one for a full hour with a patient
compared to the traditional model described earlier. This will lead to less burned out therapists
and allow therapists to be less stress and thus more satisfied, involved and caring towards their
patients. Which in turn will contribute towards more positive interactions and better customer
service. Additionally, the proposed clinic will have core values based around customer service,
and each week during staff meetings a different core value will be discussed and employees will
highlight examples of how they or their co-workers embodied this core value over the course of
the week. This will help improve employee motivation and recognition and further contribute to
excellent customer service and can result in improved customer satisfaction and retention.
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Process
Currently, only 30% of outpatient physical therapy patients finish their full plan of care
due to lack of engagement in care that often results from lack of one-on-one attention from
therapists (Wendel, 2016). “Churn” not only contributes to poor outcomes for patients but it
contributes to lost income for clinics (Wendel, 2016). Through market segmentation,
organizations can identify and target groups of consumers and tailor their services towards that
group (Tarver, 2021). Thus, a proposed clinic can especially target such frustrated patients who
have had poor physical therapy experiences at other clinics. The unique service delivery method
at the proposed clinic where one-on-one full hour sessions may help differentiate the clinic from
other clinics and attract such patients. This could allow for improved service encounter quality
and lead to improve patient satisfaction (Ko & Lee, 2017). Their improved experience at the
proposed clinic would optimize their engagement and help retain them and even drive referrals
through word of mouth marketing (Wendel, 2016). This improved patient relationship
management will lead to more satisfied patients (Wendel, 2016). Additionally, creating and
maintaining positive customer relationships will encourage repurchase of services and repeat
customers, thus improving customer loyalty and profitability of the company (Hawkins & Hoon,
2020).
Thus, the proposed clinical model addresses different elements of the service marketing
mix to help differentiate the practice from other practices. The next section explores other
customer attraction and retention strategies.
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Customer Attraction and Retention Strategies
Social Media Marketing
In the current business environment online marketing is essential. Particularly, social
media marketing through Google Maps and Facebook will be used by the clinic to attract new
customers. Nowadays, 95% of patients admit that their decision to use a particular physical
therapy clinic was influenced by online reviews (Net Health, 2021). The proposed clinic will use
the aforementioned platforms to display patients’ reviews to highlight the value of service
offered by the clinic. Social media allows authentic, experiential stories that are told by business
customers (Hofacker et al., 2020). Additionally, patients are likely to provide well-rounded, and
meaningful descriptions of their experiences that will serve as social proof to prospective
patients (Jannenga, 2019a). This can boost word of mouth marketing and highlight the positive
of the business and reach a large audience (Borrego & Maite, 2021). As noted earlier the
proposed business model allows for differentiation from the normal model in the industry. Social
media marketing through customer reviews can bring attention to the benefits and value of this
model in an authentic manner to attract new clients. Additionally, social media marketing can
also lead to improved return on investment and help the company grow financially (Daugherty,
2018).
Physician Referrals
​
Additionally, in healthcare, especially physical therapy, networking is crucial. Physicians
may serve as a great source of referrals, providing new patients to the practice. Thus, the
proposed physical therapy clinic will also visit nearby primary care physicians and orthopedic
physicians and build relationships with these healthcare professionals. It will be important to
highlight the unique clinic model to the physicians and even provide them with a brochure of
PHYSICAL THERAPY MARKETING
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services offered as well as real patient testimonials. Additionally, the clinic will also refer
patients to these doctors as and when required to reciprocate the symbiotic relationship.
Antonacci et al., (2021) showed that marketing liaison strategies similar to those outlined above
contributed to 42.7% of the new patients at an orthopedic clinic compared to traditional
marketing methods, thus highlighting the importance of building a professional network.
Email Marketing
​
Another important marketing strategy to be utilized will be email marketing. Email
marketing is the most effective marketing tactic for customer retention and automated platforms
that email the right client at the right time are vital (Wendel, 2016). The proposed physical
therapy clinic will use a discharge campaign tactic to help past patients re-activate and become
repeat customers. Specifically, once a patient’s plan of care is completed and they are discharged
from physical therapy, they will be added to the email list. The campaign will involve sending
out of an e-book about different diagnoses (back pain, knee pain etc.) on a monthly basis and
also links to the company blog which will be updated frequently on various topics. This will help
the business stay fresh in the mind of patient and can increase likelihood of reactivation.
Conclusion
In summary, a small, private outpatient clinic may differentiate itself through addressing aspects
of the service marketing mix. The unique service delivery (clinic model) will help attract clients
and also ensure better patient relationship management and customer satisfaction. In turn, this
contributes to customer loyalty. Online reviews from satisfied customers are vital in attracting
prospective clients/patients. Additionally, marketing efforts to build professional relationships
with local physicians can further contribute to the acquisition of new clients/patients. Email
PHYSICAL THERAPY MARKETING
marketing can improve engagement with current and former clients/patients and ensure
continuity of the relationships and promote re-activation or repeat purchasing of services.
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Annotated Bibliography
Antonacci, C. L., Omari, A. M., Bassora, R., Levine, H. B., Seidenstein, A., Klein, G. R.,
Inzerillo, C., Alberta, F. G., & Sodha, S. (2021). Success of various marketing strategies
for a new-to-the-area orthopedic practice. Cureus. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.18122
This peer-reviewed study investigates the cost effectiveness and efficacy of
different marketing activities and the influence of patient demographics on efficacy. 300
new patients at an orthopedic practice were surveyed on their reasons for consulting with
this orthopedic practice. Marketing costs and demographics data were analyzed to
determine the effectiveness of each marketing strategy employed by the clinic. The main
findings were that traditional marketing and online advertising costs made up for the
majority of marketing costs (~92% of all costs) but only delivered 18% of the new
patients to the clinic, whereas marketing liaison related spending (8% of total costs)
delivered 42.7% of the new patients. The highest percentage of new patients came from
physician referrals. This study is unique in that it analyzes the most cost-effective
short-term marketing strategies that may be used by orthopedic clinics. The limitations
include that patients were asked by providers during the first visit about their reason for
choosing the practice and the presence of the provider could have influenced their
answers. Also, physician referrals were not tracked in relation to the timing of a visit to
the physician by the marketing liaison - that is some referrals could have come even
before the liaison may have visited the physician to network with them. Relevance: This
source will provide information on cost-effective marketing strategies that are specific to
healthcare and maybe applied to a physical therapy practice as well.
PHYSICAL THERAPY MARKETING
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Borrego, Á., & Maite, C. N. (2021). What users say about public libraries: an analysis of Google
Maps reviews. Online Information Review, 45(1), 84-98.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/OIR-09-2019-0291
This peer-reviewed paper analyzes the implications of use of Google maps,
specifically their review system and how it is used by users to post their views on public
libraries' facilities and services and their perception of the libraries within the public
library system in Barcelona. The study found that all of the city's 40 public libraries had a
presence on google maps. Typically, lower star reviews tend to be longer than those with
high ratings. In the reviews, unique aspects such as children's areas, certain collections
and general library location received positive reviews. The two main issues that received
criticism were: noise and lack of seating space for studying. Three aspects of the libraries
attract similar numbers of positive and negative reviews: staff, opening hours and
technology. The study concludes that libraries should monitor reviews and create
guidelines to offer feedback, especially to negative reviews. Limitations of the study
include that it focused only on google maps and one city (Barcelona). Additionally, the
users who leave reviews may not truly be a good sample to represent all library users.
Also, it was found that “local guides” who receive benefits for leaving higher reviews
could leave positive reviews for those benefits without actually knowing much about the
libraries. This study is unique as it provides insights into user generated content/opinions
to improve the understanding of how library patrons see public libraries and to design
effective strategies to respond to and generally manage their suggestions and complaints.
Relevance: This source will be used as a reference for the importance of online review
PHYSICAL THERAPY MARKETING
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systems and their importance for online marketing of services and quality
control/feedback application.
Daugherty, M. L. (2018). (dissertation). Small Business Marketing Strategies for Physical
Therapy Practice Owners. Retrieved March 19, 2022.
This dissertation paper explores the marketing strategies employed by small
businesses in their first 5 years of business, specifically analyzing 5 physical therapy
businesses in Northeastern Florida. Data was collected using semi-structured interviews,
online marketing materials and other company documents and the data analysis was
carried out using Yin’s 5-step analysis. The study mostly focused on brand awareness,
perceived quality, relationship marketing, word-of-mouth marketing and social
media/online marketing. Some of the findings included that business owners may use
marketing strategies such as running volunteer community activities and workshops to
create patient referrals, activities that build relationships with current patients for
increased referral generation, provide excellent services to demonstrate expertise and
specialization to patients and use online marketing tools to create online presence. This
study is unique in that it can help small physical therapy owners with implementation of
marketing strategies in a time when 50% of small businesses fail within the first 5 years.
This can have social implications in more PT businesses meeting the current demands for
services and helping decrease the opioid epidemic since early and direct access to PT
helps decrease healthcare expenditure and days off work. Relevance: this paper is
directly related to the content to be explored in this marketing plan and outlines some
PHYSICAL THERAPY MARKETING
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marketing strategies that may be applied to the hypothetical small physical therapy
business.
Elrod, J. K., & Fortenberry,John L.Jr. (2018). Healthcare establishments as owner-operators of
digital billboards: making the most of excellent roadside visibility and high traffic counts
to better connect with patients. BMC Health Services Research, 18(Suppl 3)
This peer-reviewed paper focuses on Willis-Knighton Health System’s marketing
strategies, specifically with the use of outdoor advertising and digital billboards which
are around the clock. Healthcare organizations must take measures to communicate
effectively with current and prospective patients. This includes addressing the marketing
communications mix properly, but organizations should also focus on emerging
communications innovations to bolster communications with patients. They strategize
that since the Willis-Knighton Health System’s campuses are positioned along
highly-transited roadways, the institution could deploy this relatively new roadside
advertising (digital billboards that provide the ability to change messages with ease) to
better engage audiences. This particular train of thought ultimately led to the installation
of digital billboards at several of its locations. This article profiles the development of
Willis-Knighton Health System’s new marketing communications asset and also
discusses decision making principles for placement of digital billboards onsite to better
connect with patients. The study concludes that companies should continually look to
enhance their marketing communications. Digital billboards can be a useful method of
engaging with the community to potentially increase patronage and prosperity for the
organization. Relevance: this paper may contribute aspects of marketing communication
PHYSICAL THERAPY MARKETING
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strategies and advertising, specifically relating to outdoor signage that could be applied
towards a physical therapy clinic.
Hawkins, L., & Hoon, S. (2020). The Impact of Customer Retention Strategies and the Survival
of Small Service-Based Businesses. IUP Journal of Marketing Management, 19(2), 7-34.
https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/impact-customer-retention-strategies-surviv
al/docview/2437905395/se-2?accountid=9864
This peer-reviewed paper explores the importance of and application of customer
retention strategies to build brand loyalty, specifically for small businesses. Small
businesses comprise 99.9% of all firms in the US but unfortunately the majority of small
businesses are plagued by high failure rates. The lack of customer retention strategies, as
a means of sustainability can often lead to small business failure. The study established
relationships management, and customer satisfaction, as fundamental elements that can
yield increased revenue, enhanced brand equity, and profitable retention. Small
businesses that have a large pool of satisfied customers create a competitive advantage
and are more likely to have sustainable profitability in the long term. This study can
provide unique insight into the importance of managing retention for small business
survival. It also provides strategies and tactics to create positive customer experiences,
meet and exceed customer expectations, and create repeat purchases and brand loyalty.
Relevance: the customer retention strategies in this paper can be applied to a small
physical therapy clinic to help build brand loyalty.
Hofacker, C., Golgeci, I., Kishore, G. P., & Gligor, D. M. (2020). Digital marketing and
business-to-business relationships: a close look at the interface and a roadmap for the
PHYSICAL THERAPY MARKETING
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future. European Journal of Marketing, 54(6), 1161-1179.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/EJM-04-2020-0247
This peer-reviewed study explores digital marketing and business-to-business
(B2B) relationships. This study is unique in that it focuses on the implications of
digitalization on B2B relationships which is an under-researched topic. This is a
conceptual paper in which the authors review the existing literature and lay out the field
of digital marketing and B2B relationships, creating concepts for future research. The
authors found that the following areas are most relevant for future trends: coopetition
(simultaneous competition and cooperation), value co-creation, B2B branding,
servitization among others. Relevance: this paper contains insights into
business-to-business marketing and relationships which can be applied to physical
therapy marketing such as referral generation through marketing to other healthcare or
wellness providers.
Jannenga, H. (2019). Physical Therapy Marketing Guide: Marketing Your Practice. WebPT.
Retrieved from https://www.webpt.com/guides/how-market-your-physical-therapy-clinic/
This source is a guide to marketing an outpatient physical therapy clinic that is
written by a physical therapist who is the co-founder and chief clinical officer of
“WebPT”, one of the most utilized PT electronic health records companies. In this piece
the author discusses the nuances to consider when designing a marketing plan such as the
audience, competitors, state of the industry and strategy. The author then talks about the
importance of focusing on patient-centered marketing with methods to achieve this. The
PHYSICAL THERAPY MARKETING
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author also describes the importance of creating a warm, welcoming atmosphere and also
references studies carried out by Coca-cola and Pepsi. The author also describes tactics to
increase patient word of mouth referrals as well as building an increased online presence.
For example, she discusses the ability to use google reviews to validate the company’s
legitimacy and solidify reputation with prospective patients. Other online marketing
strategies such as website design, email lists and blogs are also discussed at length by the
author. Relevance: since this article is written by a physical therapist with business
experience it is extremely relevant towards this paper. Various strategies such as
promotion strategies, referral generation, as well as customer relationship and retention
strategies that are discussed in this source may all be applied towards the marketing
strategy for an outpatient PT clinic which will be covered in this paper.
Jannenga, H. (2019). Physical Therapists’ Guide to Starting an Outpatient Clinic. WebPT.
Retrieved from https://www.webpt.com/guides/how-to-start-a-physical-therapy-clinic/
The author (same as that of the previous source) of this source is a physical
therapist and businesswoman who co-founded the popular physical therapy electronic
health record company “WebPT.” In this article the author outlines the types of physical
therapy business models and strategies for choosing a model that works for you. The
article is highly detailed and delves into the various steps that may be involved in moving
from a business idea to a functioning business. One section of the paper focuses on
marketing and generating patient referrals. Relevance: This paper provides information
about how certain business models and certain marketing strategies mesh together in the
PHYSICAL THERAPY MARKETING
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physical therapy context. Ideas presented in the article will be useful towards the
development of a marketing plan for a physical therapy clinic.
Kenton, W. (2022). How SWOT (strength, weakness, opportunity, and threat) analysis works.
Investopedia. Retrieved from https://www.investopedia.com/terms/s/swot.asp
This article written by Will Kenton, an expert on the economy and investing laws
and regulations, provides a simple explanation of SWOT analysis and its application. The
article also contains the real-world example of a SWOT analysis applied on the
Coca-Cola company and also Home Depot. Relevance: this reference provides a concise
definition and example of the usage of a SWOT analysis which serve as a theoretical
framework resource for the completion of a SWOT analysis as a tool to help guide
marketing and business strategy and can be used in my paper.
Ko, M.-S., & Lee, W.-H. (2017). Analysis of the relationships among perceived service
encounter quality, service value, satisfaction and behavioral intention for physical therapy
patients. Journal of Physical Therapy Science, 29(11), 2000–2003.
https://doi.org/10.1589/jpts.29.2000
This peer-reviewed article is written by two researchers, one who is a physical
therapists. The study investigated the interactions between perceived service encounter
quality, service value and patient satisfaction among physical therapy patients. ​
335
patients were surveyed from 5 different clinics in South Korea. The results found that
service encounter quality was positively associated with perceived service value and
patient satisfaction. The authors believe that the study will be useful for the development
PHYSICAL THERAPY MARKETING
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of a customer-centric management and marketing strategy to improve a clinic’s
competitiveness within its market. A limitation of the study was that all clinics were from
a single city - thus it could be hard to generalize the results of the study. Relevance: this
article can help support evidence towards the importance of customer service in creating
a marketing strategy that focuses on customer service and retention which are two key
concepts which will be discussed in the marketing paper.
Kolencik, J. (2020). Marketing research as an essential prerequisite for the success of a modern
society. Varazdin Development and Entrepreneurship Agency (VADEA), 267-272.
The aim of this peer-reviewed paper is to identify the main differences between
marketing research and market research in the context of the needs of a successful
modern society. Marketing research is a crucial part of marketing management.
High-quality, latest information can help create competitive advantage and long-term
sustainability. In practice, there are confusions that result from mixing up marketing
research and market research. This can negatively affect marketing decision making and
create the misconception that marketing research is not important for the company. The
study is mostly a literature review and synthesis that helps better define marketing
research and market research and compare the basic characteristics of these two concepts
in the context of the current needs within modern society. Relevance: this paper provides
foundational aspects of marketing research and market research that may be applied in
general to business and marketing planning and will be useful considerations within
physical therapy marketing planning.
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Kunz, M (2017). The advantages of a small business over a big chain. Small Business Chron.com. Retrieved from
https://smallbusiness.chron.com/advantages-small-business-over-big-chain-18695.html
In this article by Kunz, a writer for the Small Business Chronicles, the advantages
of a small, community based business are analyzed. The article discusses some of the
benefits enjoyed by small companies over large, chain companies. Concepts such as the
cost advantage, local community atmosphere, decreased bureaucracy and lesser levels of
communication are all explored as possible advantages enjoyed by smaller companies.
Relevance: this paper describes how small companies often provide more personalized
service that can lead to increased community support. Physical therapy clinics can also
flourish with the use of a marketing plan that centers around providing excellent
customer service and building relationships to promote customer loyalty.
Net Health. (2021). How has the 2021 healthcare consumer changed physical therapy
marketing? Net Health. Retrieved from
https://www.nethealth.com/how-has-the-2021-healthcare-consumer-changed-physical-the
rapy-marketing/
This article, shared by Net Health, an electronic health record company, outlines
some trends among healthcare consumers that may help shape marketing strategy. Some
of the factors they discuss are how the pandemic concerns and telehealth adoption can
help guide marketing. They also discuss the importance of digital interaction. One key
point they discuss is how 95% of patients today consider online reviews when deciding to
make an appointment at a clinic. Relevance: The use of online reviews and other online
PHYSICAL THERAPY MARKETING
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efforts can help market a physical therapy clinic and improve referral generation. Thus,
this article provides some supporting evidence for this concept.
Paurova, V., & Nadanyiova, M. (2020). Marketing mix as part of marketing strategy used in the
service industries. Varazdin Development and Entrepreneurship Agency (VADEA),
649–657.
This peer-reviewed paper aims to clarify the theoretical foundation of the
marketing mix for services. The traditional marketing mix, known as 4Ps is insufficient
for service related businesses. Because of the nature of services including immateriality,
non-storage, inseparability, heterogeneity it is necessary to extend the classic marketing
mix to 7Ps. For business success it is crucial to correctly identify the specific
marketing goals to achieve, define target customers and customize each tool of the
marketing mix. The study also involved an online questionnaire to clarify the views and
criteria of consumers on the option and choice of business services. Findings of the study
included the fact that the individual tools of marketing mix are strongly interconnected,
and one tool cannot work without the other. To ensure a successful business marketing
strategy, a company must work on activities for each tool of marketing mix. Relevance:
this paper provides a strong foundation on application of the marketing mix for the
marketing of services and can be applied to the physical therapy context since physical
therapy is also a service-based field.
Tarver, E. (2021). Market segmentation. Investopedia. Retrieved from
https://www.investopedia.com/terms/m/marketsegmentation.asp
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In this article, Tarver provides a simple definition of market segmentation and
methods of segmentation. The article also details some of the benefits of market
segmentation. It then goes on to provide examples of market segmentation from the auto
industry and cereal makers as well as the sports-shoe industry. In particular, it emphasizes
how market segmentation leads to the clear identification of a particular consumer group
to which to tailor the marketing strategy to. Relevance: This source provides a theoretical
framework for marketing segmentation which can be applied by a physical therapy clinic
to enable certain marketing strategies and create an advantage.
Wendel, A. (2016). The physical therapist's guide to patient retention. WebPT. Retrieved from
https://www.webpt.com/blog/physical-therapists-guide-to-patient-retention/
This article was written by a physical therapist as a featured blog post on “WebPT” which
is a popular physical therapy electronic medical record software company. In this the author first
discusses the current state of most outpatient physical therapy clinics which suffer from what she
terms “churn” or poor customer retention and some of its negative effects. She then presents and
describes a model for patient relationship management which aims to improve the experience for
new patients, optimize engagements for current patients to help retain them and then use such
patients to help drive further referrals. She provides specific numbers and research that shows the
positive benefits of customer retention. She also provides specific strategies to boost customer
retention. Relevance: this paper provides a theoretical framework as well as supportive evidence
for a marketing strategy focused on customer retention and brand loyalty which are two key
tactics which are incorporated in the marketing plan for the physical therapy clinic in this paper.