Common Physical Therapy Branding Mistakes

David Straight August 27, 2021 physical therapy branding

If you are just starting your practice, here are some physical therapy branding mistakes that could torpedo your company’s image.

The value of a strong brand cannot be overstated when it comes to growing your business. We call adhesive bandages Band-Aids and cotton swabs Q-tips because those companies excel at creating memorable, trusted brands that consumers can rely on.

There’s no recipe for creating a brand so strong that the name of your practice becomes common vernacular, but developing a strong, consistent brand is within the reach of every clinic owner.

DO IT RIGHT – AVOID THESE MISTAKES

This is why it’s frustrating to see practices hurt their branding through easily avoidable mistakes. Practice owners often deprioritize branding in the early stages of their company, but that’s a dangerous mistake. If a potential patient interacts with your brand and it doesn’t resonate with them, it’s going to be hard to convert them into a patient or win them back as a repeat client.

By avoiding these common errors, you can create a brand that people will support and interact with.

AVOID BLAND PHYSICAL THERAPY PRACTICE BRANDING

Branding is deliberate differentiation…Debbie Millman

In other words, don’t create your brand by copying somebody else’s. The best brands stand out. Think about the iconic Nike swoosh, one of the greatest logos in business history. There was nothing like it at the time, and there’s little like it today.

A Quick Example

If you do a search for physical therapy logos, you’ll see so many of them have what we call a “stylized human” that is moving. We just signed a new client recently who rebranded his company by creating a new logo. His comment on logo design was, “The first thing we were NOT going to do is have a one of those moving people (i.e. a stylized human) in our logo.” Take-home message – search for the competition in your area. Look at their logos. How can you make yours different?

DON’T WRITE SLOPPY WEBSITE COPY

Branding is far more than just a cool logo and a flashy website. The words you use to convey your values — and the value you offer customers — are crucial. Bad grammar, weird word choice, and other linguistic faux pas can make you look silly. Make sure you have professional editors look over your copy to ensure it relays your intended message.

AVOID PLATFORM INCONSISTENCY

Have you ever logged onto a mobile version of a website and wondered if you were in the wrong place? When that happens, it’s because a company hasn’t made the effort to mirror their branding across all platforms. It’s one thing to have an irreverent online presence — look to MoonPie’s Twitter feed for an example — it’s another to have such disparate branding that you leave customers confused.

A great brand synergizes all aspects of their brand. Share your values, convey clear messages, and provide a professional image. Once you’ve done that, you’re on the road to building a brand that people want to support.

ONE LAST THOUGHT – TELL A GREAT STORY

Next month, I’ll review the power of telling a great story and give you a simple template that you can use to differentiate your physical therapy clinic from the droves of others in your community.