For those who are seeking treatment for their drug addiction, medical detoxification is an important first step. As a detox facility, you know that the services you provide are crucial in helping addicts achieve long-term sobriety. In marketing your detox facility, there are several key components that you must account for when creating a long-term marketing plan. The following are 5 important steps in marketing a detox facility.
Building a Website
The first and most obvious step in effectively marketing your detox facility is building a solid eye-catching website. Building an effective website that will consistently generate traffic needs to have the following components.
Use WordPress
WordPress is a free and powerful content management system that is versatile, easy to use as easy to update. In WordPress you can create weekly blogs, add photos, and with over 10,000 plug-ins you can engage in social media sharing, create photo slideshows and much more. Because WordPress sites can be updated frequently and helps structure your content, it is Google friendly and can rank highly on search engine inquires.
Use Photographs
Having quality high-definition photographs is another key component of a great website. Having a solid visual presence is equally as important as the content you have on a website. With the advent of DSLR cameras and the increased quality of smartphone cameras, it is easier than ever to produce professional-grade photographs for your website.
Utilize White Space
Always remember that less is more. Remember, your website’s aim is to provide knowledge, resources and support. By utilizing open space, your website is more inviting and welcoming and people who are seeking your services can take their time to see what you have to offer.
The Power of the Human Word
When marketing a detox facility, a powerful tool that helps draw traffic is through the testimonial. When you include the success stories of people who utilized your programs and services, people considering detox build a greater sense of trust and comfort with you.
Local Marketing
The biggest priority in marketing a detox facility is getting is highly ranked in local searches. If your website isn’t optimized properly for your local market, you are missing out on a large potential market that could use your services. If you want to tap into and consistently reach your local target market, you must optimize your website, so it can target the cities that you serve. In optimizing local marketing for your detox facility, start with the basics.
First things first—be sure you have the correct name, address and phone number of your facility. It may seem like a no-brainer, but inaccurate information found on a web search will cause potential clients to turn elsewhere for service. It is wise to get your detox facility listed in Google business directories such as Google My Business. Additionally, you may also want to list your business on similar online business directories such as Yahoo!, Bing Places for Business, Yelp and Facebook.
You must also provide quality content for potential clients to view once they find you. This content needs to be easily digestible, understood and relevant to their situation. Additionally, the content must be optimized for the cities and areas that you serve. Having smart local marketing strategies in place not will create consistent traffic to your detox facility.
The Importance of SEO
The concept of SEO—or search engine optimization—is perhaps the most important aspect of marketing a detox facility. When done right, you will create inbound traffic that specifically are searching for your services and assistance. To get potential client to your site and have them commit to your facility, your website must have solid SEO strategies in place.
First and foremost, you must create engaging content that clients can relate to, relevant to their situation and easily digestible. Secondly, the content you create must build a sense of caring and community. Believe it or not, Google knows how long people visit and stay on your website. If your content fails to create a sense of engagement, your site will show low user time which negatively impacts your SEO and ranking on search engines.
What are ways that you can best utilize SEO to bring consistent and long-term traffic to your detox center? The following will help you optimize your results:
Use the Title Tag to Your Advantage
The title tag is a line of text that Google indexes to get an understanding of what your page is about. You only have 70 characters to use in the title tag, so be clear, direct and concise.
Description Tags
Description tags give Google an understanding of what your blog or article is about. Ideally, you should keep your description tags at 160 characters. If possible, place the keyword or keywords you are writing about twice in the description tag.
Write, Write, Write!
It is important to keep your content fresh. You should be constantly writing new content weekly. Be sure articles are at least 500 words and be sure you utilize headers properly. Additionally, be sure your keyword is used in at least one of the headers.
Keyword Frequency
In any content you create, be sure you are using the desired keyword properly in your content. Use keywords where appropriate and where it feels natural. Additionally, use variations of the keyword at every opportunity. Ultimately, you want content that enhances the user’s experience and compels them to contact you.
Linking
You must also understand the importance of linking. Whether it is internal linking (a hyperlink that direct readers to another page on your site) or external linking (a hyperlink that direct readers to a reputable page on another website), linking must be done correctly. Linking must be done naturally and must go to related sources relevant to your content.
Relationships with Hospitals
A huge part of detox facility marketing goes on behind the scenes. If you want to grow your brand, you must establish partnerships with those agencies and facilities which can benefit from the services you provide. Hospitals are an excellent place to start growing these relationships. Hospitals see many people come through their doors addicted to drugs and looking for help. Along with an optimized website, having professional marketing materials at your disposal will show hospitals that you are legitimate and will provide the services needed to help addicts who desperately need to get clean.
Provide Top-Notch Services
Perhaps the most important step to take in marketing your detox facility is to provide quality care to your patients. While eye-catching websites and solid marketing strategies are important, they won’t mean anything if you aren’t providing the service and care patients deserve. If patients are not happy with their care, they will let people know. On the other hand, if you provide quality care that helps people get sober and with a compassionate touch, they will be likely to tell others about you. Word of mouth can be a powerful marketing tool. Treat your clients with respect and dignity and they will return the favor.
Call Stodzy Marketing Today
Solid detox marketing can make or break your facility. If your detox facility needs solid detox marketing strategies that will take you to the next level, contact Stodzy Marketing today. Our experienced team will work with you in creating a detox marketing strategy that fits your facility’s unique needs. We will tailor a program that will grow with you as your business grows. You can trust Stodzy to create the content, outreach and marketing strategies that will bring clients to you. Call us toll-free today and find out how we can help your detox facility grow.
