Tips on How to Market Mental Health Services

 

Mental health has become an integral part of the modern-day national conversation. More people are joining the discussion and showing interest in professional mental health services.

Despite the progress, stigma still surrounds the topic for many Americans. The result is increased difficulty in marketing mental health services online.

As a mental health service provider, increasing your audience can help position you as a leader in this important revolution. But how do you market your mental health services in a busy digital marketplace? Below are effective, expert-recommended ways to communicate your mental health services.

1. Build an Online Presence

Building a solid online presence–through a website and social media–allows you to connect with a large audience.

With one out of every six adults living with a mental health disorder, your odds of reaching your audience online are significantly higher. A Dooley and Fitzgerald study indicated that 77% of young people were likely to use the internet to seek support or information for a mental health disorder.

Start by designing and building a quality website. Additionally, optimize your website using SEO best practices. Ensure your website reflects your brand with a cohesive theme–including graphics, colors, and fonts–that isn’t overwhelming or triggering.

When people arrive at your site, they should be able to easily find the information they seek. Be sure to explain what you do and who you serve, and then make it easy for prospects to contact you via the website to request your services.

You can also supplement your website with a social media presence. Marketing your mental health services on social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, etc.) allows you to reach prospects informally and effectively.

Remember to update your profiles regularly to stay relevant. Only tackle the social media channels that your audience frequents and that you have the bandwidth to maintain a presence on.

 

2. Include Robust Web and Social Media Content

The stigma surrounding mental health services can be attributed to ignorance and lack of proper knowledge. Once you’ve built a robust online presence, you can add easy-to-find info about your mental health services. Create and share information to help eliminate the stigma. Make prospects aware of their need for improved mental health and mental health services by providing them with informative, relevant content.

Your website and social media content can address major mental health issues you’ve encountered in your practice. You can also add patient stories to offer your prospects some level of comfort and gain their trust. If you post content outside your website, ensure you link back to your site, where people can get further information and find your contact details. Make sure your content is readable and easy to understand since you’re appealing to multiple audiences.

3. Follow an SEO Strategy

Search Engine Optimization is a powerful tool to increase brand awareness, leads, and conversions. Building your website and creating content is half the battle–the other is optimization.

Proper SEO can help you get noticed by people seeking your services online. Consider SEO as free advertising for your mental health services. A proper SEO strategy needs to consider both on-page and off-page tactics.

On-page SEO includes aspects you can control, like:

• Featuring valuable content
• Keyword research and usage
• Internal links
• Titles
• Tags and meta descriptions.

Off-page SEO is about directing people to your site from other platforms via:

• Social media shares
• Links to your site pages from other sites.

A big part of SEO is keyword research and optimization. Consider partnering with an agency to research keywords in the mental health service industry and how people use them. By directly answering questions that internet users seek answers to, you’ll gain credibility and authority with those you aim to serve. Besides, proper keyword usage can help you rank higher on search engines.

4. Update Your Google Business Profile Listing

A Google Business Profile puts you in front of a wide audience. Create a Google Business Profile and fill it out as much as you can with your contact info, a short description, snippets, and photographs. A well-optimized Google Business Profile can dramatically increase your local visibility.

In 2019 alone, Google searches for “therapists near me” jumped up to 300%. A properly-optimized GBP listing can rank you high on these “near me” searches.

The more complete your GBP is, the more likely your mental health services will appear in searches. Ensure your address is filled in correctly, you’ve listed all your specialties, and you’ve added any relevant information likely to give your business a competitive edge.

5. Encourage Your Clients to Leave Reviews

Most people make decisions based on the words of previous clients. If you’ve interacted with previous patients, request or prompt them to leave honest reviews on either your GBP or other third-party independent review sites.

Encourage more clients to leave reviews if they are satisfied with your services. Doing so will help more people find you and make your mental health services more legitimate in the eyes of other prospects. Feeding the review machine provides invaluable social evidence.

6. Network With Other Industry Specialists

Networking with other professionals in your industry can help market your services. These professionals can refer patients seeking mental health services to you. Creating professional partnerships adds credibility to your mental health practice and service.

You can also join online platforms and forums where you can provide valuable insight to information seekers. Ensure you pose your services as an effective solution to their various mental health concerns.

7. Take Advantage of Email Marketing

Email continues to be a highly effective digital marketing tool. Use emails and newsletters to stay in touch with your past, current, and prospective clients. A clean and segmented email list can be the most reliable source of leads and prospects for your services.

8. Free Screening Days

Set a day or two every month and hold free screenings for mental health issues. You can do it in your office or a public setting, such as in malls or schools. Advertise these free screenings by placing ads in local publications, posting on social media, and submitting press releases to the local media.

9. Stay Consistent and Relevant

The mental health discussion takes different turns from time to time. You’ll appear more informed and trustworthy if you can keep up with industry trends and the latest insights. Maintain timely communication via your social media marketing, email marketing, and content marketing.

Bottom Line

As a mental health specialist, marketing your services may not be the best use of your valuable time. These tips can help you. Consider partnering with a digital marketing agency to help you improve your efforts and strategies. Contact us at HyFyve, a leading digital marketing agency, to discuss your growth plans.