How would you characterize your addiction treatment program? Do you run a restorative, rejuvenating center or are you a rigorous facilitator of behavioral change? Regardless of how you describe your center’s identity, your branding should accurately reflect who you are and what your prospective patients can expect from your program. 

Your brand is a critical piece of your marketing strategy and a powerful tool for injecting personality and substance into your addiction treatment center. Prospective patients want to find a program aligned with their treatment goals. The way you communicate in your branding plays an important role in their decision-making process. 

Getting your brand right is no small matter. Every aspect of your marketing strategy should consistently tell the same story. No matter what your story is, there’s one rule every addiction treatment center must heed: keep industry speak out of your marketing!

Why Industry Speak Should Stay Out of Addiction Treatment Branding

Using technical jargon and “shop talk” can hold healthcare brands back. This is especially true for substance use disorder treatment brands. Impenetrable jargon can be a barrier between those seeking care and the services they need. Prospective patients and their families may be turned off by a wall of clinical or institutional-sounding terms on your website or social media pages. 

Here are a few more reasons to keep industry speak out of your branding.

1. Avoid Confusing Patients and Caregivers

One of the most important reasons to keep industry talk out of patient-facing content is the risk of confusing prospective patients. Clear communication avoids misunderstandings or even establishing false expectations. Stick to a human-to-human voice, rather than patient-to-practitioner.

When you’re creating assets for your drug rehab center, keep in mind the average person’s expertise and understanding of substance use disorders is limited. Ask yourself what a lay person is likely to know and build out your messaging from there. Are most internet users familiar with terms like impulse-control disorder, opioid substitution replacement therapy, or neurotransmitters? Probably not. 

If you’re unsure if a term is too technical, try it out with someone in your target market. The reactions of real users will help you hone in on what industry speak to avoid when creating your brand’s language. Another good rule of thumb is avoiding words you would use with your colleagues but not your friends.

2. Meet Your Leads Where They Are

Unfortunately, those with substance use disorder can face a high degree of stigma. They can find it difficult to believe they need treatment. Even those who want help may let societal factors and fear hold them back from getting the care they deserve.

According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, nearly 12% of people with a substance use disorder fail to seek care out of concern for the judgments of their neighbors, acquaintances, and even friends.¹

Prospective patients are vulnerable and probably even a little scared. Your branding has the power to quell their fears by talking to them as a person first and a patient second. Your brand identity—whatever it is—should always put human-to-human connection at the forefront.

But learning what to say and how to say it isn’t easy. If you need help, the National Institute on Drug Use has excellent resources for using rhetoric and addressing your target audience compassionately.²

3. Connect with the Patients Who Need You

If a prospective patient is comparing two addiction treatment centers, and one uses industry speak while the other doesn’t, guess which center they’ll most likely choose?

Avoiding industry speak in your branding helps patients understand what to expect from your center. Keeping jargon to a minimum shows patients and their loved ones you’re interested in getting to know them individually, not just adding another number to your records. This powerful message sets your center apart.

Need an overhaul to eliminate industry speak from your branding? Dreamscape Marketing can help. Call us at 888.307.7304 to schedule a discovery call.

 

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