10 Free Marketing tactics every NDIS Service Provider can use
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At the core of things, nothing about marketing is rocket science, but GOOD marketing is about figuring out why people should care about what you do and then letting them know about what you do in a way that makes them want to listen.
Simples. Sort of.
Many businesses bemoan the fact that they don’t have huge advertising budgets to get their names out there to the wider world, but in reality, the average consumer is that much more wary of ads that are waved directly under their noses and instead chose to feel more in control of their choices, rather than being spoon-fed what Google serves up to them. Because of this, it’s really important to be conscious of your online business profile and how you present yourself within your NDIS networks. You don’t need to be everywhere, but make sure that your business can be found and that when people find you, they have something worthwhile to learn about you that is valuable to the people you want to work with.
Low-cost Marketing ideas for NDIS Service Providers
1. Leverage Social Media
Create and regularly update profiles on platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and even TikTok; just be aware of why you’re on each platform and who you’re speaking to on there.
Potential clients will do their research online and social media is a go-to for many. Social media has the potential to cut through initial anxieties about meeting a new service provider if you share your unique personality and how you go about your days.
You can share success stories, client testimonials and other related content to the services you provide.
Avoid purely sales-based content, i.e. Looking for a new Service Provider? Click here… and try to keep this content to about 10% of what you share online.
Great examples:
Ben McIntosh, Support Worker
2. Content Marketing
Maintain a blog on your website with articles about NDIS-related topics, tips, and success stories. This is also an area where you can differentiate your service offering to other providers by showing what you care about, i.e. disability advocacy, community activities and events, special interests and so forth.
This content can then be part of your wider social media content - but don’t overcommit or think that you need to produce new stuff daily/weekly/at a frequency beyond your capacity. In this situation, AI writing tools can be super helpful, but always make sure to put things in your voice with your insights and experience - AI can’t replace what you do or your experiences!
3. Networking and Partnerships
Take the time and effort to connect with other NDIS providers and related organisations in your local area to expand everyone’s referral network and to work collaboratively to share experiences, local insights and work towards seamless local service delivery.
Going to community and local government events as well as pure networking events will connect you with people looking to achieve similar goals, broaden your exposure for referrals and also develop your interpersonal skills.
4. Google Business Profile
If Google can’t find you and paint you in your best light (with your input), you might as well not be in business. If you haven’t already, create and optimise a Google My Business listing.
Once you’ve got some success stories under your belt, encourage your clients to leave positive reviews and be sure to interact with them there - even the less-than-positive ones - to show you’re transparently working towards the best outcomes for your clients.
Google Business Profile set up tutorial
5. Client Testimonials and Case Studies
Build in the ability for your clients to give you regular feedback while you’re delivering services and you’ll have a ready-made source of testimonials to use on your website and social media. Also make sure that you switch off the Testimonials page on your freshly-made website until you have real words to drop in there.
Lorum Ipsum and AI generated testimonials just don’t hit right when a potential client is looking for social proof that you’re a good provider. Save the online space until you have something authentic to share.
How to use feedback for business growth
6. Email Marketing
You, no doubt, have clients and potential client’s email addresses - you can build in a newsletter sign up on your website that can help ease new people into your inner circle and let them know a bit about you before they come on board.
While it’s super tempting to use emails as a selling tool, just like social media, it’s actually another way for clients to see under the bonnet. Newsletters can show what a regular week looks like for your business and it’s workers, what activities you’ve been taking part in, what’s happening in your local community, any awards or notable news that you’d like people to know about and generally, speaking to people like you’re sharing a cuppa with them.
7. Educational Workshops and Webinars
If you’re a subject matter expert or have great connections with knowledge that’s useful to the kinds of client’s you’d like to work with, webinars are an easy and valuable way to get people interested in what you do and also creates great content to share across all of your online platforms.
In person workshops or activities are also a great way to get current and potential clients together and could also be a great way to encourage pressure-free business networking. Think crafting, cooking, art or pottery, photography or anything that your clients or contacts would enjoy. Playing host to such activities and events does a lot to build trust and authority with new people and reinforces positive reviews with current clients and contacts.
Inspiration:
8. Local SEO Optimisation
It’s a bit of a throwback to old-school internet techniques, but Google still responds really well to localised content and if your website is on a platform that you can easily edit, creating pages that speak about the suburbs and local government areas that you provide services in, it’s an easy, free and effective way of boosting your organic search presence. Just include location-based keywords and create content that speaks about concerns and events in your local area.
9. Online Communities and Forums
Participate in online forums and social media groups related to NDIS - Hello Kinora! There’s no other space fully devoted to the improvement of the NDIS to the benefit of Participants AND Providers. You can offer helpful advice and engage with potential clients while also making contact with like-minded Providers and troubleshooting tricky NDIS questions in a supportive and close knit environment.
10. Free Resources and Guides
Create and offer free downloadable resources on your website; even better if they’re specific to the area of services you deliver, as they’ll help to develop your credibility with your potential clients. You can also collect email addresses in exchange for these resources to grow your email list and maintain contact with these new, potential clients and contacts.
Try these tactics to increase visibility, build credibility, and attract more clients without breaking the bank.
We’d love to hear your stories in the Providers Only community of Kinora.
