3 Common Challenges in Rehab Center Marketing

In today’s competitive climate, there are so many rehab centers that marketing individual centers is essential. But the biggest challenge for a rehab center marketing team is also the simplest — how to do it.

Rehab centers should do as much as they can to leverage search engines, social media, mobile, and other digital marketing channels.

Read more about the three most common marketing challenges for rehab centers, along with some ideas to power through them.

Addiction Treatment Marketing Challenges

1. Set realistic expectations

Unfortunately, when you’re working with clients, it’s impossible to guarantee 100% long-term recovery. The industry averages a relapse rate of up to 60 percent, after all. So how can you highlight your facility’s services and differentiate itself from the competition?

One way is to talk about the services your facility provides. Focus on those not available at other facilities or those that have been shown to be more effective than similar services.

Also, talk about follow-up, post-recovery support groups, or any other services available to completed clients.

This will increase confidence in your program, while also acknowledging that recovery doesn’t end when treatment ends.

2. Attract to the right people

Some people dealing with substance and alcohol abuse are ready to get help. Some aren’t, but their friends and family are.

Your primary audience will always be those dealing with substance abuse, but their recovery affects the people around them as well. That means you can’t assume the same messages will work for both.

Rehab centers can address this by creating content for both audiences. Of course, some content and ads can attract those battling addiction. Other content can target friends and family who may be struggling to help a loved one with an addiction.

Consider increasing the number of referrals by creating content for healthcare professionals, too.

Therapists and medical doctors regularly deal with the physical and mental effects of addiction, so they may want to learn more about a facility that can provide the kinds of services their patients need.

Looking to learn more about how you can create the right type of content for your rehab center? Check out these SEO content creation tips to learn how you can develop an effective strategy for targeting your potential audience and navigating addiction treatment marketing challenges.

Free Marketing Guide

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3. Balance promotion and privacy

Most people aren’t shy about singing the praises of a great restaurant or their latest smartphone purchase.

However, they’re not quite as open about their alcohol or substance abuse issues.

Even if a recovering client had a great experience at your facility, they might not be willing to share it. Meanwhile, your facility isn’t allowed to talk about it. This makes it difficult to use success stories to market your facility.

Avoid case studies since they often include details that could reveal a client’s identity. Testimonials are acceptable, as long as the clients are offering them and you don’t use their names.

You could also overcome concerns about privacy by compiling statistics about your programs and past clients.

If you can point to a low relapse rate and a high rate of long-term sobriety among previous clients, your chances of attracting new clients will increase.

We Can Help You Market Your Rehab Center

Every business faces challenges when it comes to marketing. Rehab centers are no exception. In order to successfully market your center, you need to understand these addiction treatment marketing challenges and find a way to overcome them — or to turn to an experienced firm that understands the nuances of rehab center marketing.