It can be difficult to navigate the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) as a new Plan Manager, and sometimes established Plan Managers could also use a refresher. In this article, we outline a few simple steps to ensure that you’re giving your business the best shot at success.
1. Create your pitch
Before you begin, it's essential to clearly identify who you’re targeting and what you want to say to them. Plan Management is essentially the same service, but marketing your business correctly could make all the difference in being successful. Spend some time thinking about the following questions so you have a clear understanding of what you're offering moving forward:
- Location - do you prefer to limit your clients to your local geographic area? Or will you accept participants nationally?
- Your Difference - What do you do that others don't? Try to understand their needs, interests, and pain points and address them. For Plan Managers, this could be fast payments, great communication, or additional services offered. A recent inquiry into Plan Management by the QSC (Aug, 2023) found the top three complaint topics were communication, complaints handling, and invoicing delays.
- Participant Profile - Did you know in the recent NDIS Review Paper on the role of pricing and payment approaches (Jun 1, 2023), Plan Managed Participants are more prevalent in the 35-64 age brackets, averaging closer to 70%.
- Essential information - Details such as location, services offered, qualifications, service agreement, and contact information. The more information you make available about your business and processes, the easier it is for participants to compare between yourself and other providers.
2. Keep your design simple and accessible
Your brand identity is how your business is perceived by your audience. It includes your business name, logo, tagline, the colours you use, and how you describe your services. Keep it simple and easy to read to ensure people of all abilities can understand your brand. Consider adding subtitles and audio descriptions to any videos, choose a font that is easy to read and large enough size, and ensure contrasting colours between text and background. There are some great resources available online to assist. Check out the Global Accessibility Awareness Day website resources to get started.
If you're using Planability Plan Management Software, your brand logo and colours are incorporated into the dashboard and notifications to ensure consistency and brand recognition for your Participants, their carers, and support coordinators. You can also Contact Us to request a copy of our Planability Benefits Communications Pack, which comes in multiple formats, including Easy Read.
3. Your digital presence
A website is an essential tool as it gives your business credibility and allows you to tell your story. Your website should be user-friendly, easy to navigate, and visually appealing. Most of all, it should contain all of the information you uncovered in step 1. But don't stop there. Consider also creating a business page on Google, as well as social media sites and provider directories. Start to collect reviews and testimonials from your customers and have these visible for potential visitors. The more places your business is visible, the easier it will be for Participants to find you.
4. Step into social media
Platforms like Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn can be powerful marketing tools for small businesses. By creating and sharing engaging content, you can increase brand awareness and attract new customers. There are so many NDIS-specific Facebook communities (too many to count) for all types of services and locations, giving you more of an opportunity to engage with specific audiences, answer questions, and promote your business. Make sure you check the group admin rules to ensure you're complying with their advertising rules. There's lots more to unpack in this topic, so stay tuned for Social Media in more detail in another article.
5. Network with others
Attending industry or community events is an excellent way to network with other Plan Managers, providers or participants and stay up to date on the NDIS industry. Most importantly, they give you the ability to converse directly with your audience and can help spread the word about you and your business. Consider all of the different types of events - expo's, conferences, networking events, and even NDIS regional tours. Connect with your local LAC's and Support Coordinators to let them know about your business, and leave them some information and details for referrals. There's also Disability Intermediaries Australia - an industry group specifically for Plan Managers and Support Coordinators.
6. Think outside the box
Marketing is creative, and some of the most effective ideas can come from trying something new. Look at examples from other industries for inspiration and imagine how they can be applied to your business. Here's a few to get you started:
- Offer a free 30min consultation for potential new Participants.
- Create a blog to provide NDIS information for confused Participants and their Carers trying to navigate the scheme.
- Offer free downloadable resources that are branded with your company details, such as a Reasonable and Necessary checklist, Review checklist, support planners or budget calculators.
- Host free information webinars and promote them via Social Media to attract attendees.
- Sponsor a local sports team or charity organisation.
- Create a Podcast that provides useful information for Participants or interesting industry topics.
- Collaborate with other providers for any of these activities and promote them together on social media to increase both of your audiences.
7. Start with a Marketing Plan
Creating a simple Marketing Plan for your business is a great tool for getting everyone on the same page and working towards the same goals. Start by taking the time to do a review of what activities you're currently doing, and tracking whether they're working. This will give you a better understanding of what to try next.
If you're looking for templates, ideas, and supporting materials for small businesses, try the Business Victoria tools and resources.
These tips and ideas for marketing a Plan Management business are some of the basics to get you started. The results will come from providing the correct information in a way that can be easily understood and found by potential customers.