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Physical Therapy and the Use of Push and Pull Advertising

A woman is holding a dumbbell with the words "prescription pr" which highlights the use of Physical Therapy.

Physical Therapy and the Use of Push and Pull Advertising

Advertising is an art in itself and when colliding with successful businesses there are things to know, avoid and remember. The difference between push and pull advertising is one of them. There are ways to get around the madness and use the right form of advertising when it comes to promoting your practice.

Push advertising basically involves forcing information about your practice to the audience in a way that is obvious and in their face. This traditional, yet not so successful way of advertising, is often used in much larger companies. Coca-Cola, Walmart and Sears are examples of companies that have the energy and resources to engage in push advertising or otherwise called, brand advertising. In small, physical therapy practices, this freedom is limited because the measurement of success is much smaller than that of a large company. Push advertising for your practice would include advertising in a local newspaper and telling patients or about your practice and its features. In return, you would hope that your audience will be interested in what you have to offer and visit you for physical therapy. However, this form of advertising does not work for most patients.

Since push advertising is not the best way to go here, let”s talk about the benefits of pull advertising. This involves the encouragement of your audience to take initiative and find out more about your practice and what it can offer them. This may include coupons or other special offers that would get them interested and generate more calls or visits to your practice. This form of advertising generates high quality, compliant patients who are likely to refer their friends and family.

Incentives that would be appealing to potential clients would be an invite to attend a low back pain seminar, a coupon for a free massage, a complimentary evaluation, or a referral form for your patients to write down contact information of their family and friends, and in return, receive a $20 Starbucks gift card. This creates better communication and trust between clients because they are being welcomed in a way that is comforting and promising.

The most important difference between push and pull advertising is the quality of your patients. In push advertising, you are throwing your information out there in hopes that clients will be interested and contact you. With pull advertising, you are putting useful energy and resources together for clients that have already shown interest in your practice. The secret for successful marketing in this case, is to focus on pre-qualifying potential clients while avoiding an audience that would unlikely seek and benefit from your service. Dedicating your time, communication and resources to the right clients will make your practice more successful when it comes to gaining loyal patients and referring their family and friends.



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