Unleashing the Power of MACRED: A Physical Therapist's Journey to Marketing Success
Agawam, Mass. - When she attended medical school to become a physical therapist with a specialty in Neurology, Dr. Katrina Banks didn’t expect she would need to learn about marketing. Fortunately, she’s able to get a crash course through the specialized Marketing and Cupcakes™ club, MACRED.
MACRED helps Banks learn different marketing tactics to support her physical therapy business, NOW PT (Neurologic Optimal Wellness Physical Therapy). Monthly meetings, led by Marketing and Cupcakes® thught leader Mychal Connolly, provide entrepreneurs, business owners and business professionals with digestible and actionable information.
“I need help with marketing to get my business out there and to help people understand exactly what I do and how I can help them. It’s been amazing journey being a MACRED member,” Banks said. “Mychal makes it very entertaining. There’s always something to learn and to implement.”
While each MACRED member receives one-on-one-guidance from Connolly, they also receive support from other club members representing a wide range of businesses and industries. Banks said the group shares ideas and brainstorm in the meetings, then help each other with wording for social media posts and other communications.
A recent MACRED discussion about personal branding forced Banks to rethink what she had been sharing on social media, and it inspired her to move forward with indirect projects she hasn’t promoted within her business.
Finding time to fit marketing into her busy schedule is a challenge, but MACRED offers another unexpected benefit. By working closely with Connolly and other members, Banks feels accountability to make sure she’s planning and making small steps forward in her marketing efforts.
Following a Passion
When her aunt was paralyzed by a stroke, Banks saw firsthand how the physical therapists helped her transition. Watching them improve her aunt’s quality of life, Banks knew physical therapy was her purpose.
NOW PT specializes in patients who have been impacted neurologically, such as by a stroke or Parkinson’s. Her priority is helping them regain previous function and “return to living their best life.” She treats patients at her new outpatient facility in Agawam with individualized one-on-one sessions.
“People need that attention,” Banks said. The one-on-one interaction allows her to intently listen to client’s concerns, retrain their brain, optimize their functional mobility, and helps them regain their independence.
Patients new to NOW PT quickly see how Banks provides individualized plans and care, making sessions both fun and functional.
“It’s life a breath of fresh air for people,” she said.
Opportunities to Stand Out
Banks is finding a way for patients to be their best self, similar to what Connolly does with MACRED, giving members individual attention and finding a way for them to be their best self.
“I don’t want to be a typical physical therapist. I want to stand out,” she said.
Finding ways to stand out can be a challenge, but Banks has found her own niche by showing potential customers what she’s doing in the clinic, how her clients have progressed in a few weeks, and sharing education on different diagnoses.
Beyond sharing this information on social media, she leads community workshops on a variety of health-related issues like cardiovascular health, long covid, diabetes and physical activity. The workshop sessions are free and are held at public locations like churches and senior centers.
“I just want people to understand their health and I want them to be well,” Banks said.
The focus on health fits with her new business model to accept only Medicare and cash, allowing her to spend more time individually with patients rather than needing to see a high number in a short time to meet private insurance needs.
“I’m more about quality, and helping patients progress to a better quality of life,” Banks said.
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