Internet Marketing Myth #3: I Should See Immediate Results from My Investment in the Internet
Success through enhanced brand awareness and lead generation can only be achieved over time. In a recent article by Forbes entitled “How Long Does SEO Take To Start Working?” the author breaks down the first six months of what any digital marketing campaign looks like and what happens if you stop early, which is pretty much throwing your money away.
We have found that most facilities that we work with begin to see a return on their investment within three to six months, have broken even within nine months and have achieved a positive return on investment (ROI) within 12 months. For those that stick with it, the returns by year two have become exponential because significant leverage is garnered through:
- Link credibility
- Digital asset accumulation
- Content distribution
The time by which a positive ROI is achieved depends on the amount of money invested and the sub-sectors in which a company is seeking to compete (for example, addiction treatment versus detox or sober living).
In addition, seasonality, competition and time lags also have a significant effect on when an addiction treatment center may see a return on their investment. Due to the New Year’s resolution crowd, any campaign that targets January will have a greater return then one in April or May. Competitors are constantly changing their marketing strategy, opening, selling or buying new facilities as well as adding new programs, services and amenities that will impact an addiction treatment center’s return.
Finally, the time lag effects vary anywhere between 1–12 months. Depending on what and how it’s deployed, marketing money deployed today will have a lagged effect between 1–12 months.
Just like any investment in the financial markets, the only way to win is through dollar-cost averaging on a monthly basis over time, as opposed to trying to time the market and gamble. If you are unable or unwilling to commit to at least a 6–12 month marketing campaign with consistent spend, then marketing dollars may be best spent on other non-digital mediums.
Myths are things we invent to give us an easy explanation for subjects that are difficult or complex to figure out. Often, they tell us what we want to hear. Don’t be fooled.[ult_buttons btn_title=”Access the full ebook, ”Top 13 Myths in Addiction Treatment” here” btn_link=”url:%2Fresources%2Ftop-13-internet-marketing-myths-in-addiction-treatment%2F|||” btn_align=”ubtn-center” btn_size=”ubtn-large” btn_title_color=”#002b55″ btn_bg_color=”#f2f5f7″ btn_bg_color_hover=”#b7d23f” btn_title_color_hover=”#f2f5f7″ icon_size=”32″ btn_icon_pos=”ubtn-sep-icon-at-left” btn_border_style=”solid” btn_color_border=”#f2f5f7″ btn_color_border_hover=”#b7d23f” btn_border_size=”1″ btn_radius=”0″ btn_font_family=”font_family:Zilla Slab|font_call:Zilla+Slab|variant:italic” btn_font_style=”font-style:italic;” btn_font_size=”desktop:20px;” el_class=”button_drop-shadow”]