Addiction is a growing problem worldwide, and the demand for addiction treatment centers is also increasing.
According to Grand View Research, the global substance abuse treatment market size was estimated at $10.25 billion in 2022 and is expected to reach a CAGR of 9.05% from 2023 to 2030.
Addiction treatment centers are searching for new ways to reach patients and improve their online presence to attract more patients.
This is where digital marketing comes in.
Digital marketing is a cost-effective way to reach a large number of potential patients and convert them into actual patients.
Ready to start getting patient calls and online bookings? Schedule a free strategy session with our team at Omnicore.
In this article, we will discuss the top digital marketing strategies that addiction treatment centers can use to get patients easily.
What is Addiction Treatment Digital Marketing?
Addiction treatment digital marketing refers to the use of various online marketing strategies to attract patients who are struggling with addiction.
Digital marketing helps addiction treatment centers improve their online presence and attract new patients.
The goal of addiction treatment digital marketing is to reach potential patients, educate them about addiction, and offer solutions to help them overcome their addiction.
5 Ways to Get More Patients for Your Addiction Treatment Center
By implementing any of these digital marketing strategies, you can kickstart your patient-acquisition journey:
1. Increase Bookings on Your Website
The website is the face of any business, and addiction treatment centers are no exception.
Addiction treatment centers should have a well-designed website that is easy to navigate and provides all the necessary information to potential patients.
A great example is the Hazelden Betty Ford website, an outpatient rehab in Chicago.
Source: Hazelden Betty Ford
To increase bookings on your addiction treatment center’s website, you can follow these steps:
- Ensure that your website is user-friendly and easy to navigate, with clear calls to action to book an appointment (via a phone call or form).
- Use engaging and informative content, including blog posts and articles, to attract potential patients to your website.
- Use retargeting ads to remind potential patients about your addiction treatment services after they have left your website.
Pros of Using a Website to Attract Patients:
- The website is available 24/7, and patients can book appointments at their convenience.
- A well-designed website can improve the credibility of the addiction treatment center.
- It is a cost-effective way to increase bookings.
Cons of Using a Website to Attract Patients:
- A poorly-designed website can harm the reputation of the addiction treatment center.
- It may take time and effort to optimize the website for bookings.
- Patients may prefer to call instead of booking online.
Let’s design or redesign your Rehab center website today to make it a patient-acquisition channel. Schedule a free strategy session with our team at Omnicore.
2. Leverage Local SEO to Attract Patients
Local SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is the process of optimizing a website to appear in local search results.
For example, when a potential patient searches for “substance abuse treatment center TX”, Carrolltonsprings.com ranks at the #1 position.
Imagine how many leads and new patients you’ll attract to your center if your website ranked at the #1 or #2 positions on Google.
Local SEO can help addiction treatment centers to attract patients in their local area.
To increase your chances of ranking your website locally at the top of the organic search results, here are things you must do:
- Create a Google My Business profile and optimize it with relevant information (Name, Address, Phone number or NAP) about your addiction treatment center.
- Ensure that your website is optimized for local search, including using relevant keywords (e.g., substance abuse center near me, best drug abuse treatment in TX) and including your location in your content and meta tags.
- Use local backlinks to improve your website's authority and credibility.
- Encourage patients to leave reviews of your addiction treatment center on Google My Business and other review sites.
Pros of Local SEO for Getting Patients:
- Local SEO can help addiction treatment centers attract patients who are searching for addiction treatment services in their local area.
- Local SEO is cost-effective compared to other advertising methods.
- It can improve the credibility of the addiction treatment center.
Cons of Local SEO for Attracting Patients:
- It may take time to see results from local SEO.
- Addiction treatment centers may need to invest in SEO services to get the best results.
- Local SEO requires ongoing effort to maintain rankings.
Example: Seacrest Recovery Center Ohio has a strong local SEO strategy that helps them to attract patients in their local area — especially when prospects are searching for:
Drug rehab centers in Columbus
Alcohol recovery center Ohio
As you can see, the center has optimized its website for local keywords and has also claimed its Google My Business listing.
3. Get Patients Through Google Search Ads
Google search ads are a form of pay-per-click (PPC) advertising that allows addiction treatment centers to show ads at the top of the Google search results page.
When you embrace Google Search advertising, you can generate leads and turn them into patients consistently.
The Bridges of San Diego, a rehab center is ranking at the top position for the keyword “Treatment center San Diego”.
Note: When you run Google search ads, use the Google keyword planner to find relevant keywords that people are searching in your area for the specific addiction treatments you provide.
These keyword could be similar to:
Best rehab center in Illinois
Substance abuse treatment TX
Drug rehab center near me
Alcohol recovery center near me
Here are simple steps you should follow to reach your goal:
- Use Google Ads to create targeted ads that will appear in search results for relevant keywords.
- Use engaging ad copy that highlights the benefits of your addiction treatment services.
- Use landing pages that are specifically designed to convert potential patients into actual patients.
- Continuously monitor and adjust your ad campaigns to optimize your return on investment (ROI).
Pros of Google Search Ads for Addiction Treatment Centers:
- Google search ads can help addiction treatment centers to reach potential patients who are actively searching for addiction treatment services.
- Addiction treatment centers can control their ad spend and only pay when someone clicks on their ad.
- It’s a cost-effective way to reach potential patients.
Cons of Google Search Ads for Addiction Treatment Centers:
- Addiction treatment centers may need to invest in professional help to create effective ads.
- It can be competitive to rank for certain keywords.
- Patients may not click on ads if they prefer organic search results.
Example: The Hope House Addiction Treatment Center ran a Google search ads campaign to reach potential patients who are searching for addiction treatment services in Arizona.
The traffic from Google was sent to the optimized landing page above to encourage potential patients to call the center.
Get started with your first Google ad campaign. Speak with a digital marketing specialist or Schedule a free strategy session with our team at Omnicore.
4. Find Influencers to Promote Your Addiction Treatment Center
Influencer marketing is a form of marketing that involves collaborating with influential people to promote a product or service.
Addiction treatment centers can use influencer marketing to reach a wider audience and attract more patients.
You may not acquire patients directly through influencer marketing, but you’ll surely create massive awareness for your treatments and center.
“85% of marketers agree that collaborating with influencers will lead to an improved brand awareness,” according to Cure Media.
Source: Cure Media
Do you want to find the right influencers? Here are easy steps to follow:
- Identify relevant influencers in your industry, such as addiction counselors, bloggers, Instagram influencers, YouTubers, or former patients.
- Reach out to influencers with personalized messages that highlight the benefits of your addiction treatment center.
- Provide influencers with exclusive content or offers that they can share with their audience.
- Continuously monitor and maintain relationships with influencers to maximize their impact.
Pros of Influencer Marketing for Addiction Treatment Centers:
- Influencer marketing can help addiction treatment centers to reach a new and wider audience.
- Influencers can help to improve the credibility of the addiction treatment center.
- It can be a cost-effective way to promote addiction treatment services.
Cons of Influencer Marketing for Addiction Treatment Centers:
- It may take time to find the right influencers to promote the addiction treatment center.
- Influencers may not be interested in promoting addiction treatment services.
- Influencer marketing requires ongoing effort to maintain relationships with influencers.
Example: The Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation has partnered with various influencers, including actors and musicians, to promote their addiction treatment services.
Source: Hazelden Betty Ford
Their influencer marketing strategy has helped them to reach a wider audience and improve their online presence.
5. Leverage Facebook Lead Advertising to Get Patients
Facebook lead advertising is a type of advertising that allows addiction treatment centers to collect contact information from potential patients directly through Facebook ads.
These ads typically have a 3-step process as seen above — plus a call-to-action (CTA) that prompts users to provide their contact information in exchange for a free resource or more information about addiction treatment services.
Addiction Treatment Centers can implement Facebook Lead advertising by following these easy tips:
i). Create a lead magnet: A lead magnet is a valuable resource, such as an e-book, whitepaper, webinar, or a video walkthrough of your center.
Any of these could be an incentive that you can offer to potential patients in exchange for their contact information.
The lead magnet should be relevant and informative to your target audience.
ii). Design an effective Facebook ad: The Facebook ad should be visually appealing and include a clear and compelling CTA.
The ad should highlight the benefits of your addiction treatment services and the value of the lead magnet.
Here’s a high-converting Facebook ad example from Turning Point Centers.
iii). Set up a landing page: The landing page should be specifically designed to convert potential patients into actual patients.
It should include the lead magnet and a form for users to provide their contact information.
iv). Target the right audience: Use Facebook’s targeting options to reach users who are most likely to be interested in addiction treatment services. Target based on demographics, interests, behaviors, and more.
v). Monitor and adjust your campaign: Continuously monitor and adjust your campaign to optimize your ROI. Test different ad designs, targeting options, and lead magnets to see what works best.
Pros of Facebook Lead Advertising:
- Collect contact information directly from potential patients.
- Target specific audiences based on demographics, interests, and behaviors.
- Cost-effective compared to traditional advertising methods.
- Ability to retarget users who have engaged with your ad but have not provided their contact information.
Cons of Facebook Lead Advertising:
- It requires ongoing monitoring and optimization to achieve the best results.
- It may not be as effective for addiction treatment centers that have a small target audience or a limited budget.
Example: The Beach House Treatment Center has successfully implemented Facebook lead advertising campaigns to attract more patients.
Their ad design features a clear and compelling CTA and highlights the benefits of their addiction treatment services.
And on a weekly basis, they have new patients and clients coming through the door to ask questions or book an appointment with the doctor.
Conclusion
Addiction treatment centers can use various digital marketing strategies to improve their online presence and attract more patients.
Addiction treatment centers should focus on increasing bookings on their website, leveraging local SEO to attract patients locally, using Google search ads to get patients through search, finding influencers to promote their addiction treatment center, and using video marketing for lead generation.
Do you need help with designing a digital marketing strategy that will bring in patients to your center nonstop? Schedule a free strategy session with our team at Omnicore.
Photo Credit: Unsplash
