As a physical therapist, your expertise is best spent where it counts: delivering quality care to clients. Every hour you spend treating clients is billable—meaning your time is both valuable and directly tied to your clinic’s revenue. But before you can treat clients, they need to find you. Whether they hear about your practice from a doctor, a friend, or a flyer, your marketing efforts are the engine that drives client acquisition and practice growth.

No matter the size, stage, or structure of your physical therapy practice, investing in a solid marketing plan is key to increasing client growth, retention, and overall revenue. We’ve created this mini marketing guide to help physical therapists develop strategies that attract new clients and scale sustainably.

Let’s make a marketing plan: who, what, when and how

Before diving into tactics, it’s important to build a marketing foundation. An organized strategy will help you stay focused, save time, and spend your marketing budget wisely. We will do this by defining your who, what, when, and how. 

WHO: Define your ideal client‍

Start by identifying the audience you want to attract. Your marketing strategy should be tailored to your ideal client profile—the more specific, the better. Consider the following demographics and traits:

• Age
• Gender 
• Occupation
• Socioeconomic status
• Marital status
• Common diagnoses treated
• Hobbies or sporting activities
• Places they frequent (gym, community centers, etc.)

Understanding your target population will help you create relevant messages, choose effective advertising channels, and deliver a personalized client experience.

WHAT: Clarify your brand and services

What sets your physical therapy practice apart? Defining your brand helps communicate the unique value you offer. Think about:

• Your brand personality
• Visual elements (colors, logo, font)
• Core services and specialties
• Your clinic's mission & values

These brand components should be reflected across all your marketing materials to present a harmonious profile of you and your practice. 

WHEN: Set a marketing timeline and budget

Before diving into specific strategies, it’s important to understand where you want your marketing efforts to take you. Are you looking to grow your client base, increase referrals, or launch a new service? Defining clear goals will shape your entire marketing approach and help you measure success over time.

Common marketing expenses for PT practices include:

• Website development and hosting
• Business cards and brochures
• Local advertisements
• Swag (t-shirts, water bottles, tote bags, etc.)

Once you know your goals and potential expenses, build a marketing timeline. Break your plan into short-term and long-term priorities, and set realistic deadlines to keep yourself accountable. This will help you stay focused and avoid getting overwhelmed.

Pro Tip → According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, small businesses with under $5M in revenue should allocate 7–8% of gross revenue to marketing, with new practices often needing to spend more initially to generate awareness and referrals. 

HOW: Choose your marketing channels

Once your budget is set, you can determine the best channels for promoting your practice. Whether you're doing digital marketing or sticking to traditional methods, your tactics should align with your audience, budget, and brand identity. In the next section, we will take an in-depth look at how to choose the right marketing channels to promote your physical therapy practice. 

H2: 6 physical therapy marketing strategies 

Now that you have decided the Who, What, and When of your marketing plan, let’s explore How you will market your practice. 

1. Create a website for your physical therapy practice 

Your website is your practice’s digital storefront. It should be professional, easy to navigate, and optimized for mobile devices. A strong site builds credibility and gives prospective clients a place to:

• Learn about your services
• Read client testimonials
• Schedule appointments
• Contact you

Pro Tip → 81% of clients read reviews before choosing a clinician—even after receiving a referral. Encourage happy clients to leave positive reviews, and be sure to respond professionally to any negative reviews you receive. 

2. Leverage email marketing to nurture contacts

Email marketing is one of the most effective (and affordable) ways to stay top-of-mind with clients and potential clients. Compared to social media, email campaigns generate 40x more engagement and convert leads 3x faster.

Use email newsletters to:

• Promote services or special offers
• Educate clients with helpful resources
• Share success stories
• Remind clients to book their next appointments

Don’t forget to include a clear call-to-action, or CTA, in each email to drive action, such as purchasing their next package, scheduling an appointment, joining a program, or reaching out to you directly. 

3. Utilize social media platforms to drive new client acquisition 

Social media marketing is a powerful way for physical therapy practices to connect with relevant communities, attract new clients, and build trust through consistent, engaging content. Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, and TikTok offer opportunities to connect with different demographics, making it easier to reach your target audience where they already spend time online.

Ideas for social media content:

• Rehab exercise demos
• Staff spotlights
• Client testimonials (with permission)
• Live Q&As or educational webinars
• Clinic updates or local event involvement

To stay consistent, create a content calendar and schedule posts in advance. Use hashtags and location tags to increase visibility, and don’t forget to engage—reply to comments and messages to build relationships with potential clients. While you will primarily be establishing trust and positioning yourself  as an expert in the field, you can include modest CTAs for potential customers. This could include joining your practice newsletter, hosting free injury screenings, or promoting seasonal offers to drive appointment bookings directly from your social pages. 

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4. Focus on SEO to drive organic traffic to your website

A well-optimized website helps clients find your practice online—and take action. Make sure your site clearly explains who you are, what you offer, and how to book a visit.

Simple ways to boost SEO and client conversions:

• Use keywords relevant to your niche
• Keep your Google Business Profile up to date
• Make your site mobile-friendly and fast to load
• Add client education blogs and FAQs to improve search visibility
• Include CTAs throughout the site that make it easy for clients to take action

Pro Tip →  You can pay to have your website appear at the top of search results, but ranking highly for SEO is free. However it does require ongoing effort. Regularly updating your site with fresh content and relevant keywords will help you rank higher and attract more qualified local traffic.

5. Host community events or workshops

Hosting in-person or virtual events gives you a chance to showcase your expertise, build relationships, and directly engage with potential clients. These events can be educational, like injury prevention workshops, or interactive, like “Meet the Team” sessions.

Ideas for community engagement:

• Host free workshops on common injuries or physical health tips
• Offer live demonstrations of rehabilitation exercises
• Participate in local health fairs or charity events
• Create a “Client Appreciation Day” with giveaways and free consultations

Promote your events through social media, your website, and email newsletters. The more people hear about your events, the more likely they’ll consider your services for their needs.

6. Build referral partnerships 

Partnering with other healthcare professionals can be a steady source of new clients for your physical therapy practice. Physicians, surgeons, chiropractors, athletic trainers, and even massage therapists can all refer patients who benefit from PT services. Start by building genuine, collaborative relationships with local providers.

Ways to strengthen referral connections:

• Drop off welcome kits that include your business cards, brochures, and specialties
• Invite providers to tour your clinic (if you have a physical location) or meet your staff
• Send progress updates for shared clients (with client permission) 
• Thank providers for referrals and look for ways to refer back

Providers are more likely to refer when they know and trust you. A quick check-in call or handwritten thank-you note goes a long way in keeping your practice top of mind. Click here to learn more about building your referral network. 

Healthie’s EHR and platform for physical therapy practices

Healthie is a cloud-based EHR and telehealth platform that’s quick to implement and fully HIPAA-compliant, offering the flexibility to meet the unique needs of your physical therapy practice. The platform allows you to incorporate your branding, including custom emails and logos, helping you build brand awareness directly within the system. Healthie is also highly customizable, with the ability to create communications, programs, and workflows tailored to your specific brand and clientele. 

Here’s what you gain when working with physical therapy clients via Healthie:

• Insurance Billing – Easily manage claims and track reimbursements
• Favorite ICD-10 & CPT Codes – Access and use the most relevant codes for therapy services
• Anatomical Charting – Visual charting of injuries and progress
• Client Engagement – Automate appointment reminders and follow-ups
• Payment Processing – Simplify collections with secure online payments
• And much more – Explore telehealth, customizable reporting, and more.

Healthie is ideal for solo practitioners or multi-provider groups, with flexible membership plans to meet your needs. Let us help you launch and grow your practice!