Digital marketing is a necessity if you want to stay competitive within the field of rehab. The different marketing channels and tools available seem almost tailor-made for industries like rehab, from geo-targeting, to re-marketing, to click-to-call, and so much more.
The endless potential of digital marketing can be a bad thing too, however. Where do you start? Is there a proper “order” to digital marketing? The information is all out there, but there’s so much of it that your head will quickly start to spin.
This is where digital marketing agencies come in. They’re well-versed in online marketing and can help improve the bottom line of your business.
However, just like any industry, there are good and bad digital marketing agencies. Because digital marketing in general has so many different facets, it’s often difficult to distinguish between effective agencies and price-gouging, fly-by-night operations.
This page will outline the differences between good and bad digital marketing agencies so that you know how to find the perfect fit for you and your rehab center.
This is the first question you need to answer, and it helps narrow down what kind of agencies you’ll be contacting.
If you’re already familiar with digital marketing channels, decide which one or ones you want to focus on. If you’re just in the market for SEO or PPC, then it might benefit you to search for agencies specializing in that channel.
If you’re looking for a comprehensive digital marketing strategy, it’s better to start by looking at “full service” agencies that have channel-specific teams ready to address anything you may need.
If you’re not very familiar with digital marketing, focus on what you want to improve rather than specific online marketing strategies. For example, do you simply want increased brand visibility? Are you having trouble retaining leads? It’s important to know exactly what you hope to get out of digital marketing before you get in contact with potential agencies to partner with.
You should always, without a doubt, request a free information session or project quote from prospective agencies. Explain that you’re interested in expanding your current marketing strategy to include online channels, and see how they respond.
The ones willing to sit down and explain how digital marketing works, what their specific process is, and how it would benefit your rehab center, tend to be the agencies that will actually deliver.
If you get repeatedly stonewalled by marketing buzzwords, ambiguous pricing, constant upselling, and a general lack of concrete information, you better steer clear.
Just to reiterate the above point, an unclear pricing model is an especially huge red flag. If you choose an agency that refuses to or “can’t” provide clear-cut pricing models, you can bet you’ll run into issues down the road.
This is absolutely key. For specialized industries like rehab, proof of past results within the industry is the biggest indicator of a qualified digital marketing agency. Ask for the contact information of specific rehab/addiction treatment centers, preferably in your general area, and follow up with each one.
Online marketing strategies rooted in a deep knowledge of how an industry functions from top to bottom will always be more successful than generic, one-size-fits-all solutions.
If an agency refuses to provide references or tries to defer the question, save yourself some time and walk away.
Generally speaking, promises, guarantees, and absolutes have no place in digital marketing. Any agency worth its salt knows that digital marketing is a dynamic process, and success is a constantly moving target. What works well today may be irrelevant and useless a month from now.
If an agency claims “insider knowledge” of search engine algorithms or guarantees a permanent place at the top of the search engine results, cut them loose and move on to the next one.
Finding the right digital marketing agency can be an involved process. When you do find the perfect agency for you and your business, though, you’ll be wondering why you didn’t start sooner. No other marketing channels in the world can be as effective and explosive as digital avenues.
We’re obviously a bit biased, but we believe we’re the perfect full-service agency for rehab centers that want to get serious about their digital marketing. We’ve lead highly successful campaigns for rehab and addiction center clients across the country, and know the industry inside and out.
At WebFX, our expert team of Internet marketers has years of experience crafting custom marketing solutions for rehab centers of all shapes and sizes. We’d love to help you achieve the same success.
Feel free to contact us for more information, or a free quote!