The whole idea of in-house marketing for drug rehab centers is appealing for many facilities—in theory. Like every theory, however, real-world testing can reveal that in-house marketing isn’t everything it promises.
Many operators assume that an internal marketing department gives them more control over the message and more control over costs. Typically, they imagine that they have become such experts on the unique aspects of their businesses that no “outside” marketer will be able to understand what they do. An internal marketing department can completely control the message, and control is the operative word.
Control is a big part of the equation for an internal marketing department. And it’s this need for control that can undermine it. An internal marketing department with an overriding desire for control often renders itself out of date, ineffective, insufficiently staffed, inadequately skilled and easily surpassed by its competitors.
How does all of this happen when many addiction treatment facilities have only the best of intentions by keeping their marketing in-house. How can a seemingly good idea go so wrong? Let’s find out.
Every Day in Marketing is the First Day of Work
To better understand why in-house marketing for drug rehab centers can fail, perhaps it’s best to look at how an outside marketing company works with you. For a digital marketing company such as Dreamscape Marketing, every day we work with you, it’s like the first day of work. You know how it is… you’re never quite as careful and attentive as you are on the first day of a new job.
We certainly know the feeling. We’re extremely careful and mindful about our relationship with marketing clients, and we’re always on our toes to make sure things go right. This mindset never changes… whether it’s today, tomorrow, next month or next year. We know that you, as the client, can unceremoniously drop us at any time. That keeps us sharp and ensures that we’re fighting to do the best possible creative job for you at all times. An in-house marketing department, on the other hand, will always struggle to maintain its edge creatively.
In-House Marketing for Drug Rehab Centers: The Burdens are Greater Than You Think
In-house marketing for drug rehab centers can face many challenges. For example, an addiction treatment center can face a number of unnecessary expenses in their marketing departments. One obvious way to reduce expenses would be to outsource some marketing functions, including content writing. As your addiction treatment center determines its marketing writing requirements, it’s good to consider the following reasons for outsourcing some, or most, of your marketing writing:
In-house marketing writers are a serious expense
In-house marketing for drug rehab centers requires hiring one or more writers. These are people you’re investing in. Every person hired has to get up to speed about how your center operates. Every new writer has to know what you’re trying to accomplish in your marketing materials. That can take a great deal of time. For example, you may hire a good writer but he or she could have little experience with marketing and advertising writing. As a result, it can take time for this individual to deliver the tone that’s needed for proper brand management.
Beyond the time it takes to train a writer (or writers), there are also the many expenses that all full-time employees incur. These expenses to the company include (but aren’t limited to) paid holidays, paid time off, jury duty, bereavement, and unemployment insurance. It’s readily apparent that each person behind a desk at your facility represents a significant investment and many expenses. And these are expenses that in-house marketing for drug rehab centers must absorb.
On the other hand, when you outsource your marketing writing, the expenses go away. This also means that in those months when marketing writing needs are minimal, there isn’t a writer sitting in a cubicle with little or nothing to do. Conversely, if marketing writing needs ramp up suddenly for a few months of the year, the effects can be total chaos for a marketing department with limited resources.
Fortunately, the extra work can easily be handled by an outside vendor, no matter how high the volume. Such an arrangement takes enormous pressure off of a marketing department’s limited internal resources. Deadlines that would be impossible to meet with on-staff writers are easily accomplished by outsourcing your writing needs to content experts from a reputable digital marketing firm.
Writers’ fatigue is real, and it compromises your goals
If you constantly need high volumes of marketing content, it’s easy for on-staff writers to become burned out. This is especially true if the material matter doesn’t vary greatly from one month to the next. Under these conditions, having only one or two people writing all of your marketing material can often lead to stale writing, regardless of how good your writers may be.
By working with outside writers from a marketing firm, you gain a remarkable benefit. You’re able to leverage the experience of a wide range of talented individuals. These people can create content that is new and brings unique perspectives to your marketing writing. As far as managing those writers, that’s someone else’s job now. You get to benefit from the output of dynamic and industry-trained writers without the nuisance of managing them.
Is In-House Marketing For Drug Rehab Centers Right For You?
In-house marketing for drug rehab centers can seem like the perfect way to control costs. Some departments choose to keep all marketing functions in-house. Other facilities recognize the benefits of seeking the help of outside experts at reputable digital marketing agencies.
Third-party marketing firms can accomplish what in-house marketing for drug rehab centers often struggle to do. Namely, they can achieve more demanding objectives. Outside marketers can also objectively service multiple clients at any given time. In addition, they typically have a better sense of the most effective tactics at any given moment. By helping you realize your goals, they basically make you look good. And, of course, by realizing your goals, your facility can step up to the next level of success. Let Dreamscape Marketing take on the burden of marketing strategies, call 888.307.7304 today.
Want to read more about the challenges of in-house marketing for drug rehab centers? Download Dreamscape Marketing’s complimentary new whitepaper “The Organization of a Marketing Agency, and Why You Can’t Build One Internally.”