Online Presence For Physiotherapists

Over the past year, as PT Career Paths grew, I came face to face with my fear of being seen in the public eye. In my college days, I was never someone who would take up public speaking or who would want to be a class representative. I liked to keep things low-key, away from all the attention. As my blog is growing, I am starting to realize that having an online presence is essential. So, In this article, let’s explore the idea of an online presence for physiotherapists and why is it important.

Carving out a space for yourself online, somewhere where you can express yourself and share your work, is still one of the best possible investments you can make with your time.

Austin Kleon, Show your work

What is an online presence? 

Online presence means the content and activity that a person has on their name on the internet. In the simplest form, your social media accounts such as LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook are the means of your online presence. But, that is not what I am referring to today. I am talking about having an online presence in terms of a youtube channel, public Instagram handle, website, or a blog where you post things regularly.

You don’t have to be an expert to start something. Beginners can teach other beginners. When you start sharing things online, you attract people who care about the same things as you do. 

I understand not everyone is comfortable sharing content with the public. If you never ever want to post content online I highly recommend reading Austin Kleon’s book ‘Show your work’. This book inspired me to write this article to share what I learned. 

Why is it necessary to have an online presence for physiotherapist?

Professional Growth

As you build and grow something, it internally motivates you to learn new things. When you are creating content around any topic, you will be researching that topic thoroughly. This creates a deeper understanding. 

When I started PT Career Paths, I did not have it all figured out. As my readers started reaching out to me, I began figuring out answers with them. According to me, you do not need to know it all, you should just be willing to help others. You will find answers as you go.

Professionally, online platforms are an excellent way to showcase what you are passionate about. As you consistently develop content around your niche, you will slowly begin to establish yourself as an expert. If you do not want to be a content creator, the least you can do is to have an up-to-date LinkedIn profile. 

Physio Meghana Dave started a YouTube channel in 2017 and has grown to have over 1.5 lakh subscribers. She is now a founder of a start-up, HealthQ. She notes, “ I believe the online presence of physiotherapists is not just important, it’s necessary. I guess this world has moved on, people want to make informed decisions, and they would like to know about you better before they have any kind of business or interaction with you.”

“Your resume has no value because it does not give a sense of who you are. Hence the recruiter looks for your LinkedIn profile to understand and know you. The Internet gives you the opportunity to share and showcase different aspects of your personality which a resume can never do. Along with this, you can discover unique opportunities for yourself, which was never possible before the internet. Telerehab and online courses are some great examples of the same”

She further adds, “Everything that I do today, I have been able to do due to my presence on the internet. I get patients through the internet, I make Amazing collaborations with different people through the internet. The Internet to me should be a number one platform of presence for any physiotherapist if they want to grow in today’s time”

Personal growth 

I believe starting a new venture online, grows you personally. The one thing you want to make sure of is to be consistent with your content. It takes a lot of discipline to be consistent, especially after the initial excitement is over. Over the past few months, I have become more and more disciplined about my daily schedule. I plan my days ahead of time, and I try to be mindful of how I spend my time. 

Your creativity gets a boost when you start building something under your own name. I believe we all are creative in our own ways. When it comes to creativity there is no right or wrong way of doing things. There is just your way of doing things!

Once you start sharing information online, you will draw like-minded people to you. As you share what inspires you, and your journey, people will get inspired by you. Motivating others to take action will add a lot to your own self-esteem and confidence. 

Dr. Sara Ansari, PT who runs an Instagram handle, PT Anecdote, has a powerful story to share. She mentions, “Like many physiotherapists, I too hail from a sub-urban region where awareness of allied healthcare is scanty. I kept sharing each of my professional milestones on social media, which introduced many of my friends, family, and relatives to allied healthcare and the wonders of Physiotherapy. My journey encouraged many young girls in Uttar Pradesh. I am the first female PT in my city but not the last, next year my city will have four female physiotherapists – three of them came to discuss with me before they took admission. This is revolutionary. It motivates me emotionally and adds to my self-esteem.”

Career opportunity 

Dan Schawbel, a former contributor to Forbes magazine claimed that ‘your online presence will replace your resume in 10 years.’  He mentions ‘If you don’t have an online presence, you won’t appear to be relevant and you will be passed over for more savvy applicants that have visibility.’ 

Once you start putting yourself out there, you will be noticed by other professionals. You will get an opportunity to collaborate and network with people who share similar interests. Based on the work you have been publishing, someone may reach out to you based on your expertise. 

Another way you can grow your career is through an entrepreneurship journey. You can build a business around an online presence as a physiotherapist. However, it is vital that when starting out, your sole intention doesn’t revolve around money. 

Start a hobby blog/ youtube channel, and push yourself to be consistent. Building your online presence takes a lot of time! It is hard, especially in the early months and years. It is the time when you will likely be not making any money. The odds are you are not going to have a big following. But if you stick around in those days, chances are you will be noticed. You will know if you are truly passionate about writing a blog or starting a youtube channel even if you do not have any audience at the moment. 

Having an online presence on social media helped Dr. Sara Ansari, PT to land an unconventional physiotherapy job. She mentions, “The Most significant achievement is the job I am currently associated with – Phyt Health. I got a text from them asking if I would like to join them. This helped me land in AI-powered Physiotherapy without juggling a job on websites like indeed, Linkedin and Naukri.com. Being known is a blessing, and social media is the perfect platform for the same.”

Other areas of knowledge

When you start creating your online presence as a physiotherapist, you discover several other domains of knowledge. You can expand your knowledge in other areas such as online marketing, search engine optimization (SEO), content creation, and email marketing. 

There are multiple courses available online, free, and paid. The only thing you will need to have on your behalf is a willingness to learn. When you acquire other skills in addition to your clinical skills, several other opportunities open to you. 

If you are not interested in learning these things, it is okay. You will still come across different clinical domains of knowledge that you weren’t aware of before.

Take Sara Ansari of PT Anecdote for example. Sara Mentions, “When my first blog was published, I started getting offers to write for a few websites. I even met physiotherapists across the world who introduced me to CBT, Biopsychosocial aspects of pain, and lots more. I used these concepts to help my patients and shared my experience on my Instagram story and called it anecdotes.  In that particular year, I got many patients through social media which I redirected to my organization.”

Things to remember when building your online presence

If you want to grow, consistency is the key

I have experienced it firsthand! You must be consistent to gain the trust of your audience. So start off small and share something on a daily/ weekly/ monthly basis. For PT Career Paths, in the first year, my only goal was to be consistent! Guess what my goal is for the second year, staying consistent!

Hearts over eyes

You want to have a loyal audience that has trust in you. It doesn’t matter how many followers you have and how many people are reading your content. If you stay consistent and genuinely help people, numbers will take care of themselves. 

Stick to your niche

My niche is physiotherapy careers. You will never find me creating content on topics such as patellofemoral pain syndrome or rotator cuff rehab. Although both these topics appeal to my audience they don’t fit in my niche! Creating content in your niche is one of the best strategies to have a loyal audience. 

Roll with the punches

Putting yourself out there on the internet takes a lot of courage. While many will cheer you on your way, there will be some who may criticize. Take all the criticism positively, not personally. See if you can improve on certain things. Let go of the remarks that are just plain hurtful!

Don’t spam your audience

I learned early on that one of the common mistakes content creators do is to start selling stuff to their audience right away! Come from a place of genuinely wanting to people. Be willing to understand their problems and come up with solutions. 

So, if you are waiting for a sign from the universe to start your blog/ social media handle/ youtube channel, here is it! Don’t wait till you feel like doing it. The truth is, you are never going to think that you are ready, you just have to do it anyway. Take the plunge and start building your online presence as a physiotherapist!