Looking to attract clients for your NDIS services and NDIS business? The NDIS has created new opportunities for people with a disability to get the support they need, empowering people to choose the providers that suit them best.

That’s created a larger market for disability services and products, which has seen many new businesses launched, or existing businesses becoming Registered Providers in order to cater for people with a disability.

While there may be many participants seeking your skills or goods, there’s also a lot of competition—which means you need to invest in marketing and business development approaches to find and keep clients.

Your initial identification is your logo and your website. Starting with creating a distinctive logo and website that explains what you do is a great starting point. Check out the Australian Government’s guide to designing for accessibility and inclusivity.But how do you go further and generate a steady flow of customers?

Here are some tips for Registered Providers—both new and existing businesses—that are seeking to attract the attention of NDIS participants:

1. Understand how marketing supports NDIS business goals

Do have a business plan or strategy? Are you clear about who you want to offer your services to, what you will offer and at what price, where and how you will deliver, and what systems or technologies you’ll use to run your business? Being able to answer these questions will help you focus when it comes to marketing decisions; you can ask yourself ‘does this activity align to my business goals?’ For instance, if using Comm.care by Pnyx for your case management you can give participants and their carers access to their information within the platform—which could be a unique selling point for potential clients.

2. Make your website mobile & accessible

Most Australians own a smartphone and increasingly online searches occur via a mobile. If your website breaks when it’s viewed on a smaller screen, you’ll lose out. NDIS participants may be navigating your site, and may have different access requirements to other web users. For example, if you include photos of products, you should also consider adding detailed image descriptions for people with low vision. Check out the Australian Government’s guide to designing for accessibility and inclusivity.

3. Link your brand identity to the NDIS

Keep in mind that the NDIS is a term trademarked by the government, so you can’t use it in your business name, URL, or other materials. They also frown on you using the NDIS colour scheme in your marketing. However, you can —and should— download and use the ‘I heart NDIS’ or ‘I support NDIS’ logos and the ‘Registered Provider’ tagline on your website and other marketing material. This makes it clear that you’re involved in the scheme, which builds credibility immediately.

4. Don’t just join social media, be social

It’s tempting to sign up to every social media channel so you don’t miss out, but a better strategy is to focus on one or two channels and really engage deeply. That requires spending time on the site, chatting and sharing helpful information with participants and other providers, and sharing your own personal insights rather than promotional messages. Social media is a long-term strategy for building connections and trust.

5. Watch your language

If your main audience for marketing messages is people with a disability and their families/carers, it is important that the language you use in your ads, posts and website content demonstrates understanding and respect. Careless use of words or terms can hurt people and deter them from doing business with you. If you’re not certain you know how to talk to and about people with a disability, brush up by reading: PWD’s guide to reporting people with a disability; WayAhead’s guide to writing responsibly about mental health; and the NDIS media toolkit.

6. Network with other providers

Some providers in NDIS business work with participants to find and recommend services and products, and you want to be on their radar. Partner with LACs which helps understand and access the NDIS, create, implement and review their plan. Find out more about Local Area Coordinators. Network with NDIS Support coordinators and plan managers: Introduce yourself, share your website, the services you provide and your contact details.That’s why it’s important to build a network. Getting advice or tips from others with more experience is one of the many benefits of having a great network, and it goes beyond just receiving referred business. You could join Facebook groups for NDIS providers, and attend events and forums in your area.

7. Claim your Google listing

It pays to have all your details up-to-date on the world’s most widely used search engine. Your Google My Business listing appears when people search for your NDIS business or businesses like yours in the search bar or via maps. Leaving reviews via your Google listing can improve the relevance and appeal of your business when it appears in searches, so make sure people actively leave reviews.

8. Get more online links

Registering your NDIS business on relevant online directories may help more people find you. Examples include CareNavigator and Clickability. It’s not a set-and-forget marketing approach—you need to maintain your profile and monitor and reply to comments. The added benefit of directory listings is that when other websites link back to your business’ website, it improves the credibility of your website with search engine bots, which can improve your search rankings.

9. Ask for and showcase recommendations

One important reason many businesses don’t get reviews and referrals is that they forget to ask. If you have satisfied clients that love working with you, ask them to provide a review or testimonial, or ask if they have friends that could also benefit from your services. Display testimonials on your website or use them to create graphics you can share as posts on social media.

We hope these marketing tips help you build your NDIS business and grow your client base into the future. At Pnyx, we are dedicated to helping NDIS providers achieve success. We do that by helping them establish the business systems needed to underpin effective and efficient business operations.

Comm.care by Pnyx allows you to streamline your daily care management and reporting efforts, so you have the time and energy to focus on important tasks like attracting new clients and providing high quality care. Learn more about Comm.care.