How to Choose the Right Email Tool for Your PT Practice
The best email marketing tool depends on your specific situation:
Practice size matters. Solo PTs or small clinics can use simpler tools like MailerLite or Sequenzy. Multi-location practices need platforms like ActiveCampaign or HubSpot that handle complexity.
Technical comfort varies. If you or your staff are not technical, prioritize ease of use over features. A simple tool you actually use beats a powerful one gathering dust.
Budget is real. PT practices operate on tight margins. Calculate cost at your expected patient list size, not the starting price. A tool costing $10/month for 500 contacts might cost $200/month with years of patient records.
What Actually Works for PT Practices
After talking to many physical therapists about email marketing, here is what separates practices seeing results:
They automate the essentials. Every practice should have automated appointment reminders and home exercise support sequences. Practices automating these see better attendance and improved patient outcomes.
They keep it simple. Practices trying to build complex 10-email sequences rarely finish. Start with 3 sequences: appointment reminders, HEP support, and post-discharge follow-up. Add more later.
They track what matters. Open rates are nice, but patient retention and plan of care completion rates matter more. Track those monthly and adjust based on results.
Getting Started
Pick a tool from this list. Any of them will work better than not doing email marketing. Then:
- Import your patient list
- Set up appointment reminder emails
- Create a home exercise support sequence
- Send a monthly wellness newsletter
That is it. Start simple and expand later.