Why Most Allied Health Marketing is a Money Pit
If you run a physio clinic in Indooroopilly, a podiatry practice in Chermside, or a psychology suite in the CBD, you’ve likely felt the frustration of spending money on marketing that simply doesn't work.
I’ve sat down with dozens of Brisbane practice owners who are exhausted. They’re great at what they do—fixing backs, helping kids with speech, or managing chronic pain—but when it comes to getting new people through the door, they feel like they’re gambling.
Most of what you hear about "digital marketing" for health practices is, quite frankly, rubbish. You’re told to "post every day on Instagram" or "build brand awareness." But brand awareness doesn't pay the commercial rent. Bookings do.
In this guide, we’re going to look at the cold, hard data of where allied health businesses go wrong. We’ll look at the mistakes that cost you thousands of dollars and, more importantly, the missed opportunities that are costing you tens of thousands in lost lifetime patient value.
Mistake 1: Treating All New Enquiries the Same
One of the biggest leaks in a clinic's bucket is the failure to understand the "Cost Per Lead" versus the "Cost Per Booking."
I’ve seen clinics spend $2,000 a month on Google ads and get 40 phone calls. On paper, that looks great—$50 a call. But when we dig into the data, we find that the front desk only booked 5 of those people. Suddenly, that new patient cost you $400. If an initial consult is $120, you’ve just lost $280 on that person before they’ve even sat in your waiting room.
The Data on Reception Performance
We tracked a multi-site physio group across Brisbane's northern suburbs. They thought their marketing was failing because their calendars weren't full. When we actually listened to the call recordings, the issue wasn't the marketing—it was the front desk.40% of calls went to voicemail during business hours. 30% of callers asked about price and were given a number, then the call ended without an invite to book. Result: They were throwing away $3,000 a month in ad spend because the "last mile" of the journey was broken.
If you want to get more patients through the door, you have to realise that marketing only gets the phone to ring. Your business processes have to turn that ring into a dollar.
Mistake 2: The "Pretty Website" Trap
Most web designers in Brisbane will try to sell you a "beautiful, modern website." They’ll talk about "aesthetic" and "minimalism."
Here’s the truth: Your patients don't care if your website wins a design award. They care if you can fix their problem, if you’re nearby, and if they can book right now.
Why Your Site is Losing You Money
I’ve analysed hundreds of clinic websites. Most of them fail because they are designed like an online brochure rather than a sales tool.1. The "Book Now" button is hidden: If a person has to click more than twice to find your calendar or phone number, you’ve lost them. 2. It’s too slow on phones: Most of your patients are looking for you while they’re on the bus, at work, or sitting on the couch. If your site takes more than 3 seconds to load on a mobile, they’ll hit the back button and click your competitor. Google likes fast sites, but more importantly, impatient humans like fast sites. 3. You talk about yourself, not them: "We opened in 2012 and have 4 staff." Nobody cares. Instead, try: "Get back to running without knee pain in 4 weeks."
Stop paying for fancy animations. Spend that money on making sure your site works perfectly on a cheap Android phone and has a massive "Call Us" button at the top.
Mistake 3: Ignoring Local Search (The "Map Pack")
When someone in Carindale has a toothache or a sore neck, they type "physio near me" into Google. They don't look at the 10 blue links at the bottom. They look at the map.
If you aren't in the top 3 results on that map, you basically don't exist for 70% of local searchers.
The Math of Reviews
Data shows that a business with 50 reviews and a 4.8-star rating will get 3x more clicks than a business with 10 reviews and a 5.0 rating. Why? Because the 50 reviews show "social proof."Most clinics leave their reviews to chance. They hope happy patients will go home and remember to leave a review. They won't. You need a system.
We worked with an occupational therapist in Milton who had 4 reviews after three years in business. By implementing a simple text-message system after the second appointment, they got 32 reviews in two months. Their phone started ringing 40% more often without spending an extra cent on ads.
Mistake 4: Chasing Social Media "Likes" Instead of Bookings
This is a pet peeve of mine. I see clinic owners spending hours every week making Reels or posting photos of their lunch on Instagram.
Unless you are a celebrity doctor with a national supplement brand, social media is rarely a primary driver for allied health.
The Reality Check
How many people do you know who scroll Instagram, see a picture of a podiatrist's clinic, and think, "You know what? I should go get my orthotics checked today"?Almost zero.
Social media is for "interruption marketing." People are there to be entertained. Health services are "intent-based." People look for you when they are in pain or have a specific need.
If you have limited time and money, stop chasing likes and start focusing on where people are actually looking for help. One well-written Google ad is worth more than 50 Instagram posts for a local clinic.
Mistake 5: Failing to Reactivate Past Patients
It is 5 to 10 times more expensive to get a new patient than it is to get an old one to come back.
Most Brisbane clinics have a database of 2,000+ people just sitting there gathering digital dust. These are people who already know you, like you, and have paid you money.
The "Lost Patient" Goldmine
If you haven't seen someone in 6 months, they aren't "your patient" anymore; they are just someone who used to see you.A simple, professional email or text message saying, "It’s been a while since your last check-up, here’s an easy link to book a maintenance session," can fill a quiet week in 24 hours.
I’ve seen this work brilliantly for dental and physio practices. Instead of spending $100 to acquire a new lead on Google, they spend $0.10 on a text message to a past patient. The profit margins on those appointments are massive because the acquisition cost is near zero.
Mistake 6: Not Tracking the "Lifetime Value"
Most clinic owners look at their bank account at the end of the month to see if they made money. That’s not enough to grow.
You need to know your numbers. Specifically, what is one patient worth to you over a year?
Scenario A: A patient comes in for a one-off $90 neck crack and never returns. Scenario B: A patient comes in, you move them onto a 6-week management plan, and then they come back for a "tune-up" every 3 months.
Scenario B is worth $1,500+ over a year. If you know a patient is worth $1,500, are you willing to spend $100 to get them? Of course. But if you think a patient is only worth $90, you’ll think a $100 ad cost is a failure.
You need to build a waitlist and a retention system that ensures Scenario B happens more often than Scenario A.
Mistake 7: Trying to Be the "Cheap" Option
In a service-based business like allied health, being the cheapest is a race to the bottom. There will always be someone willing to go broke faster than you.
When you compete on price, you attract "price shoppers." These are the worst patients. They are the most likely to cancel, the most likely to complain, and the least likely to follow your treatment plan.
Position for Value, Not Price
Instead of saying "Cheapest Physio in Logan," your marketing should say "The Most Thorough Assessment in Logan."People don't want the cheapest brain surgeon, and they don't want the cheapest person fixing their chronic back pain either. They want the person who is going to solve their problem so they can get back to playing with their grandkids or playing Sunday footy.
What Should You Do First?
If you’re feeling overwhelmed, don't try to fix everything at once. Here is the order I tell my mates to follow if they’re running a clinic:
1. Fix your Google Business Profile: Get more reviews. It’s free and it works. 2. Check your phone manners: Make sure whoever answers your phone is actually asking for the booking. 3. Speed up your website: Make sure that "Book Now" button is huge on a mobile screen. 4. Email your old list: Send a "we miss you" note today.
How Much Should This Cost?
Marketing isn't an expense; it’s an investment. If you put $1 in and get $5 out in billings, you should do that all day long.
For a local Brisbane clinic, you can start seeing results with as little as $500–$1,000 a month in ad spend, provided your "bucket" isn't leaking (i.e., your website and reception are working).
You should expect to see the phone start ringing within 30 days of a good campaign launching. If a "marketing expert" tells you it takes 6 months to see any* results, they are usually just buying time because they don't know how to drive immediate leads.
The Bottom Line
Stop overcomplicating it. You don't need a viral TikTok. You don't need a 50-page SEO strategy. You need a website that works on a phone, a Google listing that people trust, and a front desk that knows how to turn a caller into a patient.
At Local Marketing Group, we specialise in cutting through the fluff. We don't care about "impressions" or "engagement." We care about how many bookings you have on Monday morning.
If you're tired of guessing and want a marketing partner who talks about profit instead of algorithms, let's have a chat. We’ve helped clinics all over South East Queensland stop wasting money and start growing.
Ready to fill your calendar? Contact us today and let's look at your numbers.