The 5 Best Strategies for Marketing an Addiction Rehab Facility

Posted by Craig Maloney | October 23, 2017 | Filed under: Industry Articles, Treatment Center Marketing

Digital marketing tips are a dime a dozen, yet it’s important to realize that they aren’t all created equal. For one thing, different industries have different marketing challenges. What works for retail may not work as well for, say, an attorney’s office or a cosmetic surgery center. And drug and alcohol rehab facilities are truly unique in the challenges and opportunities they pose.

The value proposition for a drug and alcohol rehab is lifelong freedom from addiction—no small thing! At the same time, the cost of entry can be quite high, and it’s vital to be careful with the language used to describe addiction. On top of that, addressing the right audience can be tricky; addiction recovery centers must market themselves to those who are struggling with addiction, but also to friends and family members.

All of that to say, some specialized, industry-specific strategy is needed for rehab marketing. Here are five proven, data-backed strategies for long-term success.

Word of Mouth Marketing

Frankly, there’s no substitute for strong word of mouth. When it comes to something as intensely personal as rehab, trust is imperative, and potential clients are going to cherish specific recommendations from family and friends. Generating those referrals is arguably the best way to bring in new business.

When you think about word of mouth buzz, don’t just think in terms of those person-to-person recommendations. Also think about things like online review sites, which can be invaluable information sources to customers or clients who don’t know anyone who’s been to rehab. Star ratings on Google or Yelp can really make or break consumer trust.

Make that part of your strategy. Monitor review sites, and respond to the reviews you get. Encourage your satisfied customers to leave you their feedback; ask them directly, and let them know how much their review means to you.

Social Media Marketing

Social media is valuable, but only when it’s used wisely. For rehabs, this can be tricky, as you want your social media presence to be authoritative and not frivolous. Again, this is essentially a very specialized healthcare field we’re talking about. Even on Facebook and Twitter, a certain seriousness is needed.

Posting helpful and informative articles about addiction, mental health, and the rehab process can be a great way to build trust. Show off not only your knowledge, but your eagerness to help. Also remember that targeted ads—and Facebook Ads, in particular—can be great tools for engaging potential leads.

Email Marketing

Addiction is a lifelong struggle, and even those who have been through a rehab program will still have struggles. That’s why it’s good to keep in touch with them, and to remind them that you’re always around to help. Something like a regular email newsletter just makes sense—both from a clinical perspective as well as a marketing perspective. Invest in a good email marketing platform today!

Content Marketing

This goes back to our earlier comments about authority, thought leadership, and building trust. By positioning yourself as a true expert in the field—by showing that your rehab is both clinically sound but also empathetic to its clients—you can earn the trust of those who are looking for long-term recovery.

So how do you do that? Blogs, videos, and infographics are just some of the content marketing tools your rehab might consider. And remember that the point is to give away valuable information; how-to guides, informative articles about addiction, and tips on sustaining long-term recovery can all be of help. Don’t forget to appeal to family members, too; some good topics might be how to help a loved one through recovery, how to intervene, and how to spot the warning signs of addiction.

SEO

Through content marketing, you’re already halfway there to a robust, organic SEO campaign. Optimize each piece of content and focus on earning long-lasting rankings within Google and Bing. This is not something you’ll be able to do overnight, but we see organic SEO as key to rehab marketing.

Pull it All Together

None of these strategies will work as well in isolation. Ideally, you’ll unite them into one comprehensive and holistic digital marketing campaign. To do that, you’ll need high-level expertise—and that’s what EverythingOnline delivers.

We have unique experience getting results on behalf of drug and alcohol rehabs, and would love to talk with you more about developing a treatment center digital marketing strategy. Start that conversation by reaching out to us today.