You’re now a registered NDIS provider – congratulations! The next step is to find NDIS clients, so it’s time to put on your marketing hat. Even if it’s your first time running a care support business, this doesn’t have to be difficult.

Chances are you don't have a large marketing team - or any marketing team! Maybe you don't have a large marketing budget. Don't fret - it is possible to create effective marketing even without a marketing team or a large budget.

Here are 10 ways you can market your NDIS provider business that are low-cost or even free!

NDIS Provider Marketing 101

Marketing your provider services doesn’t just mean advertising. We’ll explore of ways to put yourself out there in the world, so that people can easily find you, engage with you, think of you, and want to work with you – again and again.

To start, these are the things you need to consider first:

Brand positioning – With many registered NDIS providers out there, what makes you and your services stand out from the crowd? What’s something others can’t provide, that you can? What do clients remember you for? Perhaps it’s your level of expertise, style of care, professionalism, location, competitive fees, or even personality.

Ideal client – Who, exactly, can you help? What primary disabilities do they have? What support do they need? Where do they live? How young/old are they? How much can they afford? The clearer you are on who this person is, the better your marketing efforts ‘speak to them’, the more your ideal clients will gravitate to you.

Create a compelling UVP A UVP or Unique Value Proposition helps differentiate you and your services in the crowded NDIS market. A UVP is more than just what you offer; it embodies your organisation’s spirit and ethos. It should directly address the specific needs and concerns of your clients and use language that resonates with participants and their families.

Ready to become your own Chief Marketing Officer? Learn more about how to master your sales and marketing to get more NDIS clients with Peak Provider's masterclasses.

10 Ways To Get NDIS Clients

1. Sign up to Clickability or MyCareSpace

The NDIA refers these resource to their participants, so you’ll want to be there.

Clickability is an online platform that matches NDIS participants with providers who meet their needs. Clickability has become a national platform that supports participants in finding rated-and-reviewed providers.

They also support NDIS providers in growing their business as their website sees over 30 000 users requesting provider support each month. Both registered and unregistered Providers can list their business for free on Clickability or they can pay a small monthly fee that gives them access to client leads.

MyCareSpace is a free platform that specifically connects people living with a disability (and their carers) to the support people they need. People can sift through support categories and locations, and there’s even a checkbox for “registered NDIS provider”. That could be you.

2. Get listed on local business directories

Choose the top 10 in your area, which can include Australia’s largest ones Yellow Pages, True Local, Yelp, Localsearch and Hotfrog.

Bonus tip: set a calendar reminder every 6 to 12 months to quickly check that your profile is up to date (name, address, phone number) and that your website URL and other links are working.

Not only is it professional and makes it easy for people to find you – external websites that link to your business’ website shows to search engine bots (like Google) that you’re credible, which then improves your online search rankings. This means that your position will be higher on the search engine results page.

3. Create a simple but great business website

NDIA-managed participants usually refer to the list of NDIS providers who are recommended by the NDIA, then compare the websites. With many options out there, it’s a process of elimination and first impressions certainly count. When your website looks attractive and professional, you will stand out and they’ll more likely want to work with you.

As a minimum, you’ll need an About section, a Services section, and a Contact section. You can even share your positive testimonials.

Also ask yourself: Is my information clear? Is the website easy to navigate? Does it load fast? Is the website mobile-friendly?

And can it be more disability-friendly? Depending on your audience, this can include elements like additional image/video descriptions, simple and large copy, clearly underlined links, spaciousness between information, and pleasant colour usage.

For detailed advice on building your website, read here.

4. Use the NDIS provider logo to legitimise your business

Place the ‘I heart NDIS’, ‘I support the NDIS’ and the ‘Registered provider’ tagline on your website and other marketing materials. These NDIS provider logos make it clear that you’re involved in the scheme, which immediately shows credibility. You can download these packs here.

5. Set up a Google Business Profile

A free Google Business Profile (previously called 'Google My Business') allows you to better connect with your ideal NDIS clients across Google Search and Google Maps. Setting up your profile ensures that your business is visible on Google Maps, you can help NDIS clients in your catchment area discover your services. Anyone searching “disability support services” on Google Maps will see your verified profile.

This is also a great way to gather reviews and testimonials for your business. Social proof from current or past participants is one way to establish trust with your prospective clients and give them an idea of what it would be like working with you.

Here is a step-by-step guide to setting up your Google Business Profile.

6. Consider creating business pages on Facebook and Instagram

These are also free. Once you have your website, you can link this to your Facebook Business Page and/or Instagram Business Page, and vice versa. Your ideal NDIS clients may be looking for people like yourself on these social media platforms.

It’s another great way to engage with your audience. It’s not all about pushing sales – have fun and get creative. You can share client success stories, snippets of your personal journey, raise interesting questions, provide insights, and so much more. Experiment with words, photos and videos.

Start slow if you need to (patience is key), show your wonderful personality, and try to be consistent with your frequency of posting.

7. Socialise online on other pages and groups

This is an important step to find NDIS self-managed participants. Again, this can be fun.

To do this, find and connect with people and groups within your industry on Facebook and Instagram. Instead of “sales-ey” or blatantly self-promotional posts, share genuinely valuable insights. You’re building your voice as a passionate, caring and trusted expert.

Here, it’s not about quick wins. The greatest relationships take time, and it’ll be worth it. You’ll feel a sense of connection, and when people are interested in you, they’ll no doubt reach out to you or find out more about you through your business pages.

Remember the old saying: the more you give, the more you get.

8. Meet NDIS Support Coordinators and NDIS Plan Managers

These are great people to network with, as you can hopefully join their list of preferred NDIS providers. This is also how you find plan-managed NDIS participants.

One way to do this is by sending a friendly introduction email. You can share a little bit about who you are (remember your brand positioning), what you’re offering, a couple of testimonials, your availability and your contact details. You can even prepare this information as a one-page PDF document or a printable leaflet that’s attached to the email.

Don’t be shy. These are humans behind the screen just like everyone else, and they most likely need you as much as you need them.

9. Attend NDIS events

Check out upcoming NDIS events within your area. Joining these are a great way to network with other NDIS providers, where you can exchange stories and learn from each other. You might even make a new friend.

10. Improve your online search rankings with SEO

By now, you understand the importance of good search rankings. This is especially the case for private NDIS clients (those who aren’t funded by the NDIS) who are browsing the Internet to look for providers like you.

It’s useful to know the difference between Organic Search (SEO; Search-Engine-Optimisation) and Paid Search.

Search engine optimisation (SEO) is a set of practices that improves websites’ visibility on Google and other search engines. This can be through ranking higher in results pages or by appearing in a Local Pack or People Also Ask section.

And you can also opt for Paid Search, which allows you to pay for a prominent spot in search results. You can learn more about Google Ads and advertise on Google Search here.

For tips to help you get more NDIS participants by using strategic SEO optimisation, this article is a great place to start for SEO-beginnners.

Automate Admin Tasks So You Can Focus on Growing Your NDIS Business

Marketing, for NDIS businesses, is critical to success. However, it can be hard to find time for marketing and sales tasks when you’re constantly doing rostering, invoicing and accounting.

ShiftCare’s NDIS software automates your admin work so you can focus on what really matters: finding more clients so you can grow your disability support provider business. See how Being Mentors saved countless hours managing their 200 staff team using ShiftCare.

Are you ready to save time with your scheduling? Try ShiftCare for free to see how much time you can save.