As our world becomes more complex, people need more support to navigate life. Many realize they need professional assistance with their mental health, but don’t know where to turn. A robust mental healthcare marketing strategy isn’t just about promoting your services. It’s also about making sure you truly connect with those who need you most.
Mental Healthcare Marketing Strategies
Many mental healthcare marketing professionals rely on referrals and word of mouth for leads and new patient opportunities. But a successful digital marketing strategy takes more effort than that. Here are a few time-tested strategies to increase your presence and reach within your community.
1. Designing Your Mental Health Website
Before you start driving traffic to your website, make sure the information people need is actually available. Your landing page should give an immediate sense of the type of services you provide, the values you hold around mental health (including normalizing reaching out for help), and how a prospective client can connect with you to get started.
Make sure your practice’s website is optimized for mobile devices. Many website templates adjust automatically to load on phones. But you must have a member of your team check your website, including any apps for scheduling or contact forms, on a mobile device. Even if you have an app, 50% of smartphone users are more likely to use the mobile site than download the app.1
2. Blogging to Create Mental Health Marketing Content
Some people might not be ready to come in for services, but still want information about mental health and treatment options. Others are already engaged or are likely to engage with your practice but they want to know more about your treatment center’s history, style, or approach. In both instances, blogs help you connect with potential patients looking to educate themselves. Your blogs will give them a deeper understanding of your practice.
But consistency is key for content creation. Keyword research will help you understand what people in your region or in your area of expertise are most interested in learning. More than 400 million people read 20 billion pages of blog content each month, so you want to make sure your target audience can find you.2 Use this data to inform your choice of topics.
3. Engaging Social Media for Mental Healthcare Marketing
Social media allows you to have more frequent, less formal communication with prospective patients. Your social pages should be engaging community spaces where people interested in mental health can discuss topics, learn about events, and stay connected. Use these pages to share your latest blog posts and create a safe space for current and prospective patients to connect and share their stories.
4. Incorporating Search Engine Optimization
Over half of all web traffic comes from organic search.3 As soon as your website is up and running, make sure people can find it! Search engines like Google use complex algorithms to match searchers with information. To maximize your return on investment, you have to understand how they work.
Creating informative, relevant content with an understanding of the keywords, links, and images needed will dramatically improve your ranking on the SERP (search engine results page). Working with a professional marketing agency can help you reach more patients.
5. Building a Digital Mental Health Network
As you build your online presence, look around to see what your peers are doing. Are there doctors who will refer new patients? Are there new studies your community might care about?
Make sure you’re taking advantage of any potential partnerships or new developments in your service area. Most importantly, make sure patients know they have the opportunity to leave reviews so you have testimonials about your quality of care.
Adopting a New Mental Health Marketing Strategy
As new technologies emerge, and as our societal relationship with digital space continues to shift, staying on top of the latest concepts in digital marketing is essential. This can be tough on top of the regular pressures of being responsible for mental healthcare marketing at your treatment center. But ensuring both your existing and prospective patients can access the resources they need is crucial.
Want to learn more about how you can market your mental health services more effectively? Dreamscape Marketing can help. Contact us today at 888.307.7304 to discuss the mental healthcare marketing strategy that’s right for you.
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