Best Social Media Platform for Cash-Based Practices
If you're a cash-based physical therapy practice owner trying to figure out social media, chances are you've felt that lovely combo of confusion and frustration. You're putting in effort—posting on Instagram, throwing something up on Facebook, maybe even dabbling in YouTube—and… nothing. No consults. No new clients. Just crickets.
So the big question is: what platform should you actually be using?
During this post, we’re going to break down the three main platforms that everyone is on these days (minus TikTok). We’re going to talk about what works, what doesn’t and how to choose the right digital marketing platform that fits you and your business goals.
You Don’t Need to Be Everywhere
When it comes to your social media marketing strategy, oftentimes I see practice owners bogged down with feeling like they need to be on every platform. Let’s get one thing straight: you do not need to be on every platform.
I know it may feel like you need to be posting everywhere, sending tons of emails, so on and so forth. But the reality is that’s just not true. When it comes to marketing your branding online, the best thing you can do is pick a platform you’re going to stick with and get started.
Consistency is key in the digital marketing world, not how many platforms you’re on regularly. If anything, your digital marketing strategies should be tailored to your practice’s goals, vibe, and target audience. This is why we’re going to dive into the big three as I like to call them and give you the opportunity to feel confident when it comes to how to advertise your business in the online space.
Instagram: Fast Engagement, Moderate Effort
For those just getting started, I typically recommend Instagram. Instagram marketing is great especially because most people are familiar with it and used it before. It’s pretty easy to get up and running and one of the fastest ways to get started with connecting with potential clients.
Why Instagram Works
Each social media platform has its pros and cons, so I think it’s important that we break those down. For starters, when it comes to Instagram, it is a great platform for building trust and visibility with your audience. If you’ve been following us for very long you know that I preach the importance of establishing “know, like, and trust.” Instagram allows you to do just that.
Learn more about the importance of building “know, like, and trust” at the blog post here.
On this platform, you’re able to show your face, share client wins, provide educational content, and get consults booked straight through direct messaging. It’s also just a great platform overall when you’re building a business from the ground up. It gives you the opportunity to have conversations, build a community, and position yourself as the expert in your niche.
Most people already know this, but Instagram also provides a variety of methods for putting out content. You can post Reels, Carousels, Stories, Lives—and you can make it as complex or as simple as you want. This gives you a wide array of ways to reach your audience and meet them right where they’re at.
If you’re considering Instagram as the social media platform for your practice, I encourage you to check out the blog post here.
But Here’s the Catch
On the flip side of things, it’s important to talk about the cons of Instagram marketing. Unfortunately your Instagram content is going to have a short shelf-life. This means that most of the time when you post, that post is only really seen by individuals for the first 24-48 hours after it’s gone live. After this, it gets buried by the Instagram algorithm and there’s a pretty slim chance anyone is going to see it again.
This is why consistent Instagram social media posts are so important and one of the keys to any type of content marketing. If you’re truly hoping to utilize Instagram as a tool to push traffic to your website or book new clients, it’s imperative that you’re posting at least a few times per week to make sure your content is getting seen. The more you post, the higher your engagement rates, and the more likely the Instagram algorithm will promote your content.
Another thing to take into consideration is the time that it takes to figure out what type of content your audience wants to see. If the goal is to turn content into high conversion rates, then it is going to take time and several pieces of content before you can collect enough data to feel confident that the specific content you create is going to convert. With that being said, it’s worth paying attention to because once you figure this aspect out, Instagram can be a revolving door for you booking new clients.
Facebook: Still Useful, But Not What It Used to Be
When I first started my practice, I’ll admit, Facebook was my golden ticket. One of the first things I did was create a Facebook group for aspiring or current cash based practice owners looking for a community of individuals like them. I hosted events, held live video calls, and really fostered relationships with my audience.
Unfortunately, fast forward 5+ years and Facebook marketing is just not what it used to be. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think it’s a platform we should write off completely. For practices looking to build a local community especially, it may be a great tool. But in my experience, when it comes to creating organic content with the intention of drawing in new clients, it’s maybe not the best option for a new practice owner.
Why You Might Still Use Facebook
To this day Facebook is a great place for what I would call niche-type groups. Groups for local moms, sports leagues, neighborhoods, etc. are still thriving pretty well on the Facebook platform. If you’re a practice owner where your target audience or ideal client hangs out in one of these groups, it could benefit you to show up, offer value, and start conversations.
Another possible pro to the Facebook platform is the opportunity to run target ads. If you’re someone who is at a point in their practice ownership who is ready to start running paid ads, Facebook could be a great place to start and a solid tool to start reaching new people. And from a personal perspective, I much prefer Facebook ads over Google ads for my practice.
Why I Don’t Love It Anymore
Like I mentioned before, engagement with organic content has really dropped off over the past few years. You really have to be active—posting, commenting, replying—to get any traction, if any at all. The content doesn’t stick around long either, and unless you’re spending a ton of time engaging, it can feel like a time suck. And if it’s one thing most practice owners don’t have, it’s time.
If you’re someone who really enjoys interacting in Facebook groups and you’re confident that’s where your target audience lives, then Facebook might be worth considering. Otherwise, Instagram or YouTube marketing are probably going to be a better route and give you a better return on your investment of time.
YouTube: The Long Game That Pays Off
Last but not least, my favorite social media channel: YouTube.
I also started using YouTube pretty early on when first starting my practice. This platform is game-changing if you’re looking to build long-term visibility and truly grow your authority as an expert in your niche. It’s also really helpful if you’re hoping to show up on Google when potential clients are searching for services because of its search engine optimization (SEO) ties. Not to mention, if you’re hoping to offer telehealth services, digital course, or online program, YouTube could be a great option for you.
Why YouTube Is So Powerful
The number one reason that I recommend YouTube to new practice owners, as well as why YouTube is so powerful is because the content sticks around. Unlike Instagram where content is only living for 24-48 hours, YouTube content lives for years. To this day, myself and other practice owners we’ve managed content marketing for continue to get new views on videos published two years ago.
Most YouTube users are going to the platform to look for answers, meaning they’re already in problem-solving mode. So if your video happens to pop up when someone is searching for a solution to a specific problem, there’s a pretty solid chance that your content is going to convert. Small side note: This also happens to be why I encourage every practice owner to pick a niche and create content specifically providing solutions to their audience’s main pain points. This helps you build trust fast. Your audience sees your face, hears your voices, and starts to feel like they know you before ever deciding to book a consultation. Not only does this up your chances of booking consultations, but it also helps make the sale a bit easier.
To find out if you’re a good salesperson, check out the blog post here.
The Tradeoff
Just like any form of digital marketing, YouTube also takes time. Results aren’t going to come instantly and it’s going to take consistent video content to see a return on your investment.
The YouTube platform also requires the user to learn about various aspects of its strategy including creating SEO focused titles, tags, appealing thumbnails, and learning how to edit videos for ease of viewing. But with all that to say, it’s absolutely worth it if you’re willing to stick it out and put in the time. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend that a new practice owner start with YouTube right off the bat, especially if already overwhelmed, but it's an amazing platform to layer on once you’ve started to build consistency somewhere else (instagram for example).
How to Keep Up With Consistent Content
I know that most practice owners are typically overwhelmed by the thought of starting to create content, especially if trying to create across multiple platforms like YouTube, Instagram, email, podcast episode, etc. The answer to this pain point is content repurposing. No it’s not fancy and no it’s not new, but content repurposing allows you to take a single piece of content and turn it into multiple content types to be published on various platforms. See the example below:
One 20-minute YouTube video turns into:
A podcast episode (we just pull the audio)
A blog post (like this one!)
Multiple Instagram Reels or posts
A biweekly email newsletter
The secret to my content success is that I’m not constantly reinventing the wheel. I’m using a single piece of video content to repurpose over various platforms in a different format without having to start from scratch every time. If you’re able to build a system like this into your business ownership routine, content creating not only gets a lot easier, but also becomes a lot more effective.
So What Platform Should You Choose?
So what platform should you choose when it comes to Instagram vs. Facebook vs. YouTube?
Here’s a quick summary to help make your decision easy:
If you want fast engagement and quick consults: Instagram is your move.
If you have a strong local community and active Facebook groups: Facebook could still work.
If you’re thinking long-term and want to build online visibility: YouTube is the play.
At the end of the day, the right social platform is the one you’ll stay consistent with content creation and also feels somewhat enjoyable for you. Start with one, stick with it, and grow from there.
But, all that to say, if social media and digital marketing still feel overwhelming, my team and I would love to help. The DPT to CEO program is built specifically for practice owners like you who are ready to go from stuck and overwhelmed to confident and fully booked. If that’s where you want to go this year, we’re here for it.
Listen to this episode on my podcast!
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