Treating anxiety and depression with psilocybin is a major mental health breakthrough. Scientists have known about the therapeutic potential of these substances since the 1960s, but the stigma surrounding psychedelics has prevented widespread use.
In a recent study from Johns Hopkins University,1 researchers found that psilocybin effectively reduced anxiety and depression in patients. In the study, 24 patients were given psilocybin, followed by psychotherapy. The individuals who received psilocybin reported a decrease in anxiety and depression in just over six months.
Now, the medical community readily acknowledges the mental health benefits of psilocybin, and legalization is coming soon. You have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to establish your behavioral healthcare center as a leading provider of this new therapy!
This knowledge alone won’t prepare you for the “shroom boom,” though. To fully seize the chance to become a top provider of psychedelic therapy, you need to have a plan—a dedicated psilocybin digital marketing plan.
Building Your Psychedelic Digital Marketing Strategy
To help you get started building your psychedelic digital marketing strategy, here are some steps you can take to dominate your market.
1. Optimize Your Website
Your website is your main hub for sharing high-level information about the value of psilocybin treatment. If you haven’t already, start updating and optimizing your website now so when your future psychedelic therapy patients start looking for information and local providers your behavioral healthcare center will be the first one they find.
Add new information about psilocybin treatment, including relevant news articles or podcasts, as you find them. Remember, users form an opinion about your site in just 50 milliseconds,2 so the more helpful and engaging your content, the more likely they’ll stay on your site and convert.
2. Start a Blog
Start a blog. Add a blog to your website, and write helpful articles about psilocybin treatment. Make sure your content includes relevant keywords—commonly searched words and phrases in Google, Facebook, and YouTube—to help more potential patients see your content.
Seventy percent of people prefer reading blog posts over ads,3 which makes articles a highly effective form of psychedelic digital marketing. Don’t forget to include visuals to increase your article views by 94%!
3. Leverage Social Media
What do you do with your newly optimized website and blog? Promote them with social media, of course! Social media is a great tool for getting the word out about this new treatment protocol because more than 70% of Americans use social media at least once a month.4 Take a look at these ideas for promoting your treatment center on social media:
- You should already have a Facebook Page, but your ideal client might not be on Facebook. Add an Instagram or TikTok page, and start posting!
- Write your own and share others’ articles, podcasts, and whitepapers on psilocybin treatment.
- Use original pictures and videos whenever possible and appropriate. Interview your staff about psilocybin treatments. Their goal will be to educate, not market.
- Inspirational quotes, images, and videos about the positivity of the upcoming legalization are also great ways to connect with and catch the eye of potential clients.
4. Psilocybin Digital Marketing Campaigns
Since psilocybin isn’t yet legal, generating awareness and collecting referrals to create a “waitlist” should be the goal of your campaigns. Customers acquired through referral marketing have a 37% higher retention rate,5 so this type of campaign is a good investment. A few ways to kickstart the referral process are:
- Advertising your psilocybin treatment services to professionals in the mental health field via email blasts, social media, and articles about psilocybin treatment.
- Offering free information about psilocybin treatment to professionals in the field. Include a short “interview” with one of your staff members who has worked with psilocybin.
- Partnering with other organizations. Find other mental health providers who are interested in psilocybin treatment. Coordinate your knowledge of psychedelic therapies with them, and work together to offer psilocybin treatment to more people.
With a good referral network established and a firm online presence, you’ll be dominating your market on day one of legalization!
Interested in learning more about how you can get ready to incorporate messaging and education around psilocybin therapy in your behavioral healthcare center’s marketing plan? Dreamscape Marketing can help you establish a foothold in this emerging digital real estate space in preparation for legalization. Call us at 888.307.7304 to schedule your strategy session!
For a list of references, please contact us.