Drug Rehab Centers Must Focus on Marketing to Stay Competitive

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A Rapidly Growing Market Calls for Better Marketing

Rehab centers are in high demand with as much as 10 percent of Americans reporting that they’re in recovery from addiction or substance abuse, according to the New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS).

“This research marks a vitally important step for those who are struggling with addiction by offering clear evidence to support what many know experientially – that millions of Americans have found a path to recovery,” Arlene González-Sánchez, OASAS Commissioner, stated in the study publication. “It is my hope that this new evidence will strengthen and inspire individuals and those that provide treatment and recovery services to help the broader community understand that treatment does work and recovery is possible.”

González-Sanchez’s statement underscores the need for addiction treatment centers, and many entrepreneurs have risen to this call. There are more than 14,500 specialized drug and alcohol treatment centers in the United States, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

This industry is growing rapidly, too. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the job outlook for substance abuse counselors is growing at a rate of 23 percent, significantly faster than average. By 2026, the market will have made room for 60,300 new counselors in drug treatment facilities.

What do all these statistics mean for owners of drug rehab centers? The industry is highly competitive, and organizations must find a way to stand out to survive. For most institutions, the solution is found in marketing.

If you have a strong marketing strategy, you’ll never worry about filling beds and paying your staff. There’s no shortage of people who need your services; your job is to make sure your services are visible to them. Doing so will not only protect your organization, but also help thousands of people take back their lives.

Use a Full-Funnel Marketing Approach

According to the Drug Rehab Agency, a marketing firm that specializes in helping drug rehabilitation centers become visible, a full-funnel marketing approach is the only way to successfully market your business.

“The issue is that most centers are still stuck two years ago, before all of the changes in our industry. Many centers are now out of business because they relied on a single stream of intakes,” an article on their blog explains.

This method of focusing on just one marketing stream at a time has led many addiction treatment centers out of business.

“In order to survive, and frankly thrive, in 2018 and beyond, treatment centers need to own their brand and marketing channels. This will require these centers to engage in more marketing efforts for themselves, rather than paying a company to send them phone calls. Or, relying on JUST a single channel approach to gaining intakes.”

Your marketing will flourish by taking a marketing approach that targets the right candidates, uses effective advertising, engages paid search, employs SEO, retargets content, brands your website, utilizes banner ads, creates video content, posts on social pages, and connects with consumers interested in your services.

According to the Drug Rehab Agency, those who use a full-funnel marketing approach see a 62 percent increase in conversions, 56 percent increase in calls per day, and a 77 percent increase in website traffic. This enables your organization to connect with and help a lot more people.

Try New Things

Your full-funnel marketing campaign will involve a great deal of trial and error, but you must always be willing to try new things. Diversifying your marketing approach will lead you to more effective strategies, even if you have to make a few mistakes along the way.

Consider multiple streams of marketing and compare and contrast their effectiveness. Use measurable data points to determine the ROI of each strategy and define what really works for your brand.

It’s also important to adapt as the market changes. Marketing tactics must evolve with new social platforms and an ever-changing digital landscape. Learn to roll with the punches and work on your strategy constantly to stay competitive.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kristina Knight-1
Kristina Knight, Journalist , BA
Content Writer & Editor
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Kristina Knight is a freelance writer with more than 15 years of experience writing on varied topics. Kristina’s focus for the past 10 years has been the small business, online marketing, and banking sectors, however, she keeps things interesting by writing about her experiences as an adoptive mom, parenting, and education issues. Kristina’s work has appeared with BizReport.com, NBC News, Soaps.com, DisasterNewsNetwork, and many more publications.