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No matter if you’ve been operating a mental health practice for a few years or over a decade, growth and expansion not only offer you the chance to develop your brand, you’ll also be able to reach out and help more people. And this is probably the reason why you started your mental health practice in the first place, right?
Once you’ve reached the point where you’re recognized in the community as a trustworthy mental health care provider, developing a well-planned mental health marketing strategy can help you to further establish your brand, enhance brand awareness, and attract more clients. And this is where partnering with a marketing company can be a huge asset toward facilitating your growth as a franchise.
Growing your practice into a nationwide franchise contains a lot of moving parts. Correspondingly, there is a lot to consider if you’re already growing into a national brand. And here, we’ll take a look at how a mental health marketing agency can help you with the process of nationwide expansion.
While an obvious benefit of growing your mental health franchise is to generate more revenue, there are also numerous advantages that you can capitalize on as well. And while there are both pros and cons to nationwide growth, you’ll likely find that the good often outweighs the bad.
A few benefits to consider when thinking about expanding your reach include:
Your practice is able to help more clients in need of mental health care
You can help strengthen communities across the country by providing access to much-needed mental health services
You could sell your business one day for a sizeable profit
Your practice becomes an investment that can be used as collateral for larger purchases such as new buildings, facilities, and equipment
Your income will always continue to grow
You’ll expand your reach and improve national brand recognition
The truth is, even a solo practice can become a franchise and expand at the national level. For example, Ellie Mental Health began as a solo practice and is still expanding into locations all across the United States with the help of Beacon Media + Marketing and its partners.
A Closer Look at Ellie
Founded in 2015 by Erin Pash and Kyle Keller in Minnesota, Ellie began as a small start-up clinic and has since grown into multiple locations across Minnesota and the United States. Based on the principle of destigmatizing mental health, Ellie has developed innovative ways to bring mental health care into communities across the nation – and this was all made possible by focused messaging and stellar marketing efforts.
One thing that sets Ellie apart from others in the mental health space is that their franchise has been built on the idea of positively impacting the lives of those within the community. This includes a core philosophy and a true desire to create meaningful connections between therapists and clients while continuing to innovate and further develop mental health services. And the franchise system allows anyone wanting to become a part of the Ellie family to do so with ease, while joining a compassionate mental health company with an amazing work culture.
When a mental health practitioner decides to team up with Ellie, the perks of this relationship begin immediately. And these include:
Immediate marketing of your chosen location
Assistance with hiring clinic directors and therapists
Access to comprehensive training courses
Brand development
Access to integrated health records and billing systems
Ellie’s success story couldn’t have been possible without the desire to make an impact in the community or the help of strategic marketing efforts designed to bring that message into communities across the country. In addition to marketing that targets multiple audiences, including new clients, franchise owners, and mental health recruitment. And this is the power that Beacon Media + Marketing offers – focused marketing with purpose and intention.
What to Consider When You’re in the Process of Expansion
If you’re already established in the community as a reputable mental health practice, the good news is that the hard part is over – almost. But when it comes to expansion, even though you’ll already have established a successful working relationship within your community, you’ll then need to focus on enhancing brand awareness in other communities.
You’ll also need to take a hard look at where and how you want to expand. And this often follows a few steps that may include:
Searching for new locations
Establishing your brand in a new community
Securing financing
Hiring
Training
Building or facility modifications
Local marketing efforts
The great part about the expansion process when partnering with a marketing company is that most of the steps you’ll need to go through can be handled through focused marketing efforts. And this includes local marketing efforts, establishing yourself within the community, reputation and social media management, and recruitment.
How a Marketing Agency Can Help with Nationwide Expansion
No matter how long you’ve been providing services in the mental health space, you probably have a core philosophy, a message, and a story to tell. And when you partner with a marketing agency experienced in the expansion process within the mental health space, you’ll be able to deliver your message and grow your business the right way – without you coming across as boastful or being “all talk.”
Through partnering with a marketing agency, you’ll be able to target the local regions where you envision your practice expanding, beef up your social platform engagement, ramp up mental health recruitment efforts, and get your name noticed where it really counts.
Competent marketing agencies employ an experienced professional team that may include web designers, content writers, social media experts, paid ads experts, and a host of other talented and creative people who want to see your business succeed. And with a team like this at your side, you can rest easy and focus on your own priorities – like helping others reach their mental health goals and strengthening the community you’re choosing to be a part of.
Expand Your Mental Health Franchise With Beacon Media + Marketing
With a team of professionals at the ready, here at Beacon we’re in business to help mental health businesses succeed, grow, and thrive. And just as we’ve been able to watch Ellie grow from a solo clinic in Minnesota into nationwide expansion, we’re willing to do the same for you.
Our team of creatives is poised to offer you the tools to get the attention and engagement you need to succeed at the nationwide level. And we accomplish this by honing your message and delivering it in an expressive way that speaks to who you are as a business – setting you apart from your competitors.
At Beacon, we’re dedicated to working for causes that we believe in and helping others realize their dreams while strengthening communities in the process. Our professionals create your entire marketing strategy based on your goals and work tirelessly to get you the results that you’ll need to succeed at the national level.
When you partner with Beacon Media + Marketing, you’ll leave the hard work to us. And we’d love nothing more than to watch you grow and thrive.
Written by Sabrina Martinez 12/27/22, updated and revised by Sara Jokela 2/20/25.
Reviews have become an essential element of marketing a business – and a great way to engage with your past clients while also showing potential clients how you’ve helped others. But getting a client review for marketing a mental health practice can be tricky when it comes to being ethically compliant with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).
Analyzing review content from online platforms like Yelp can help understand patient perceptions and improve services by identifying key themes and correlating them with facility characteristics and overall patient ratings.
Google reviews can significantly impact your search engine rankings – and whether or not someone will choose your practice over one of your competitors. But how exactly do you get a client review for your mental health practice? What are some of the ways that you can entice a client to review your business without directly asking for them? And can you actually respond to these reviews?
Here, we’ll outline a few ways to get client reviews for your mental health practice while remaining ethical and HIPAA compliant – and how to showcase these reviews to help you land new clients.
Client reviews play a pivotal role in the mental health industry, offering a window into the quality of care and services provided by mental health professionals. These reviews are not just testimonials; they are valuable insights that can guide potential clients in making informed decisions about their mental health care. When clients share their experiences, they contribute to the development and enhancement of mental health services, helping providers understand what works well and what needs improvement.
In the realm of mental health, where trust and credibility are paramount, client reviews can significantly impact a provider’s reputation. Positive reviews can build confidence and trust among potential clients, reassuring them that they are making the right choice in seeking help. On the other hand, constructive feedback from reviews can highlight areas for improvement, driving the continuous development of mental health services. By understanding the importance of client reviews, mental health providers can leverage this feedback to enhance their services and better meet the needs of their clients.
Can You Ask a Mental Health Client to Leave a Review?
In a nutshell, no. You cannot ask a client to leave a review because it violates specific ethical codes according to the following organizations:
The National Association of Social Workers
The American Psychological Association
The number of newly reviewed facilities and the volume of reviews can significantly impact the perception of mental health services.
Additionally, the organizations listed above also don’t approve endorsements or testimonials of current patients. And this is because patients may be easily influenced to leave a good review simply because they may feel pressured to do so. For example, a patient may feel that he or she won’t get the care they need if they leave less than a glowing review, and this places the patient in a difficult situation.
Further, if a client does leave a public review and they state any personal medical information, you cannot acknowledge their visit, symptoms, or treatment in your response as this would be a violation of HIPAA compliance. And any response that violates HIPAA compliance may result in large fines or other consequences.
How to Get Client Reviews for Your Mental Health Practice
As mentioned, soliciting client reviews is unethical and can easily land you in hot water for violating HIPAA compliance. However, you can make it easy for a client to leave a review. And this is also important because the easier it is for a client to leave a review, the more likely it will be for you to earn positive reviews and highlight your online reputation.
A few ways to offer a client an easy method for leaving a review are:
Have a dedicated testimonial page where any client can leave a review, including simplified instructions to do so
Have a list of links to leave reviews on other sites such as Yelp, HealthGrades, etc.
Share a link to Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business)
Have handouts or a sign in your lobby with a QR code linking to your GMB
Google loves reviews. And providing simple instructions or a link to leave reviews on your website is completely acceptable by HIPAA standards. In addition, you can also share a link to your Google Business Profile where a client can quickly and easily complete a review.
The key element to remember when it comes to current clients is that you cannot solicit or ask them to leave a review. Doing so violates ethical codes, and also places the client in a vulnerable position where they may be subject to undue influence and feel pressured into writing a review for your services.
Is Solicitation of Reviews Allowed for Former Clients?
Ethical standards are clear when it comes to current clients. However, there is a gray area regarding former clients. While former client reviews are accepted by some professional codes of ethics, some do not allow this practice, and others may find this practice questionable. And this is typically because a former client may come back for your services, and asking them for a review may then be in violation of HIPAA standards.
The thing to remember is that the rules regarding leaving testimonials and reviews are always changing. Essentially, asking former clients for a review is more often allowed whereas directly soliciting reviews from current clients is considered an ethical violation. However, in order to stay in compliance with HIPAA, you may choose to forego asking current or former clients for reviews altogether, and simply make the process of leaving a review easy and available.
Whom Can You Ask for a Review?
Nearly every ethical code allows you to have testimonials from colleagues, coworkers, vendors, academic professionals, and friends. And these reviews, though not directly from a client, also offer you the potential for generating greater brand awareness, and they offer a professional review of your work in the mental health space.
Highlighting your business reviews and testimonials from professional sources actually offers you a greater advantage because these are legitimate testimonials that can be verified. And Google loves to verify credible sources.
Leveraging Reviews for Marketing
In the competitive landscape of mental health services, reviews can be a powerful marketing tool. Positive reviews not only boost visibility but also enhance credibility and trust among potential clients. When people see that others have had positive experiences, they are more likely to choose your services over others. This word-of-mouth effect can be incredibly influential in attracting new clients.
To leverage reviews effectively, mental health providers should focus on creating an environment where clients feel comfortable sharing their experiences. While direct solicitation is not ethical, providers can encourage reviews by making the process easy and accessible. For instance, having a dedicated testimonial page or sharing links to review sites can gently prompt clients to leave feedback.
Responding to reviews is equally important. Acknowledging positive reviews shows appreciation and reinforces the positive experience. Addressing negative reviews with empathy and a willingness to improve can turn a potentially damaging situation into an opportunity for growth. Additionally, incorporating reviews into marketing materials, such as on your website or in promotional content, can further enhance your brand’s credibility and attract new clients.
Review Platforms and Tools
Choosing the right review platforms and tools is crucial for effectively managing and showcasing client feedback. Popular platforms like Google Reviews, Yelp, and Healthgrades each offer unique features and benefits that can help mental health providers reach a wider audience.
Google Reviews, for instance, are highly visible in search results and can significantly impact your online presence. Yelp is known for its community-driven approach, where detailed reviews and ratings can provide in-depth insights into client experiences. Healthgrades focuses specifically on healthcare providers, offering a platform where clients can rate and review their mental health care experiences.
Each platform has its own set of features and limitations. Google Reviews are great for visibility, but they may not provide as detailed feedback as Yelp. Healthgrades offers a specialized focus on healthcare, but it may not have the same reach as more general platforms. Mental health providers should consider their specific needs and goals when choosing which platforms to focus on. By selecting the right tools, providers can effectively manage their online reputation and make the most of client reviews.
Highlighting Your Reviews
Believe it or not, there is an art to showcasing your reviews. Basically, if done poorly, you or your business may seem too boastful. But the key is to highlight these reviews while also being able to leverage their SEO value.
Highlighting reviews that promote the health and well-being of students can be particularly impactful, as it underscores ongoing efforts and initiatives aimed at enhancing mental health support within the campus community.
Thankfully, you have a few different options for formatting your reviews. And four of the most popular methods are:
Featured Reviews with Attribution – having a featured review with a link to the client’s website or to the original online review site is a great way to show attribution – and to make Google happy
Review Badges – a customer review badge or widget invites anyone who wishes to leave a review the opportunity to do so on a dedicated review site such as Yelp, Angie’s List, or Google Business Profile
Testimonials – customer or colleague reviews in quotations are often the most popular format, and usually have a dedicated page, or may be listed at the footer of a high-traffic page on your website
Review Aggregate Tools – Automated tools such as “Review Stream” enable you to gather your reviews from all over the Internet and post the most recent/relevant reviews to your website
Choosing the right review format largely depends on your website layout. And this is where partnering with a marketing company for website design can eliminate the guesswork on your end and leave you with a beautiful website with highlighted reviews that get you noticed.
Responding to Client Reviews
Responding to reviews not only shows your former clients that you care about their experience, it also shows potential clients – or anyone searching for a mental health practice – that you’re paying attention to what’s going on in your patient’s lives, and that you’re holding yourself accountable and taking your client’s perspective into consideration.
Reviews can highlight the effectiveness of individual therapy and other nonpharmacologic treatment modalities, which are positively correlated with review ratings. This includes a range of supportive therapies and practices that enhance patient care.
Perhaps the worst thing you can do is be unresponsive on a review site. This basically shows the online community that you’re not engaging or holding yourself accountable – and this can quickly ruin your online reputation.
However, when you respond to a review, you have to be particularly careful with what you say. As mentioned, if a former client divulges any of their personal medical information, even if this is a set of common symptoms, you cannot acknowledge this in your response. For example, if a client writes, “I was having anxiety and becoming depressed…” You can only acknowledge this review by stating, “Thank you for your comments.” Or something similar.
Additionally, when you come across a negative review, it is important to be apologetic and acknowledge the person leaving the review. Though you still cannot acknowledge any review that states identifiable medical information, simply offering an apology and being polite goes a long way toward keeping your reputation professional.
Managing Reviews
Managing reviews is a critical aspect of maintaining a positive online reputation and ensuring high-quality mental health services. Effective review management involves not only responding to reviews but also using the feedback to drive continuous improvement.
When responding to reviews, it’s important to be professional and empathetic. Positive reviews should be acknowledged with gratitude, reinforcing the positive experience. Negative reviews, on the other hand, should be addressed with a willingness to understand and resolve any issues. This approach not only shows that you value client feedback but also demonstrates your commitment to providing excellent mental health care.
Addressing negative reviews can be challenging, but it’s an opportunity to learn and grow. By taking the feedback seriously and making necessary improvements, you can turn a negative experience into a positive outcome. Additionally, using reviews to identify trends and areas for improvement can help you enhance your services and better meet the needs of your clients.
In summary, managing reviews effectively is essential for maintaining a positive reputation and providing high-quality mental health services. By responding to reviews with empathy and using the feedback to drive improvement, mental health providers can build trust and credibility, attract new clients, and continuously enhance their services.
The Power of Reviews
In today’s interconnected world, brand awareness regarding your mental health practice is extremely important. Today, many people research a business before they ever step foot in the door, even if they’re given a referral by someone they know personally. And this is why having a marketing company at your side to help you manage your online reputation -including review responses – can be a huge asset.
Mental health practices face numerous challenges, especially in maintaining a positive reputation. Positive reviews can help overcome these difficulties by building trust and credibility.
A competent marketing company will know how to highlight your reviews and incorporate these into your overall marketing strategy. And this will enable you to leverage positive reviews and get more clients in the door.
Your reputation as a mental health provider can be enhanced with positive reviews. But as discussed, the trick is to remain ethically compliant while offering your clients the ability to leave a review. As such, ensuring that you’re following protocols is imperative. Just remember to make it as easy as possible for any client to leave a review if they choose.
We all expect a little bit of trust in the places that we choose to do business with. After all, trust is the foundation for authentic and positive relationship building. And the same holds true when people search for information.
Basically, in the same way that you’d likely be disappointed if you went to a hot dog stand only to find out that they only had chicken sandwiches, people are also getting frustrated when they search for specific terms and can’t find the answers they’re looking for. This is where Google E-A-T comes in. Because in the digital era, people want to know real facts and be confident that the content they read is trustworthy.
Without trust, it’s nearly impossible to grow your client base or your business. And as the world’s most prominent search engine with more than 8.5 billion searches per day, Google understands that users expect reliability when they use their service. So, if you’re serious about growing your business in 2023, understanding Google E-A-T is a great place to start.
The days of keyword stuffing have been over for a while. Even though some businesses still employ these shady practices, Google continues to penalize them in many ways. But today, especially with the proliferation of misinformation, the need for a greater level of authenticity and trustworthiness is more important than ever.
E-A-T, stands for Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. First mentioned in 2014, E-A-T is part of a relatively recent update to Google’s algorithm that has become an integral part of Google’s search quality evaluator guidelines. At its most basic level, E-A-T gives Google a clearer picture in determining whether a specific piece of content is valuable to readers.
In the evaluation of search quality, E-A-T prompts quality evaluators to determine:
A content creator’s specific expertise
The overall authoritativeness of the content creator, the content, and the website where the content lives
The overall trustworthiness of the creator, the content, and the website where the content lives
By determining these three factors of E-A-T, they will help to indicate if a piece of content is high-quality, valuable, and helpful for users and readers.
How Can Google E-A-T Impact the Ranking of Content?
If you think about it, would you rather get your information for marketing trends in 2023 from a site with authority such as Forbes, or from a private blog belonging to an unnamed person with no listed credentials? Basically, if you don’t even know who wrote the article, the value is going to be pretty low. And as a business that produces content, this makes it critical for you to have a healthy element of expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness that both Google and your readers can place their confidence in.
Google understands that people want their service to be reliable. Otherwise, users will likely begin using another search engine. And obviously, this is the last thing that Google wants to happen. As such, without strong, authoritative content, the possibility of having your content ranked lower – or not even ranking at all – becomes much higher.
How Can You Improve Your E-A-T?
As mentioned, Google – and readers – want to know that what they’re reading comes from a reliable and trustworthy source. And this is where the power of creativity can be leveraged to improve your overall E-A-T.
Additionally, people love to see both a face and a name when they’re looking for answers. Instead of writing dry content without mentioning the author at all, implementing new practices that can highlight your E-A-T should be prioritized. And here are a few ways to do so:
Interview real company experts and list their credentials within the content
Offer content written, or ghost-written, by the CEO, CMO, or a director of operations
Link out to the content creator’s LinkedIn profile
Link to a bio of the content creator, or display an image of the creator along with his or her credentials at the bottom of the piece
Essentially, when creating content for your specific audience and looking to improve your E-A-T, you really need to begin with the foundational elements of marketing and ask a few simple questions:
What do your clients care about?
What questions are they asking?
What information do your target clients want from you – before they reach out?
Your authority comes from understanding the answers to these questions, and your transparency – from actually showcasing and proving what you do. And this is done by giving examples in your content of how your company operates, identifying your process, showing how you get results for your clients, and highlighting specific case studies. Basically, don’t tell your audience what you can do, show them – and be able to back it up with proof.
In addition, your reputation and connections also play a major role. As such, other companies you’re aligning with and your community connections are also equally important to showcase. And this goes back to the basic principle of it being far more effective to have other people talking about you versus you talking about yourself.
How Can a Marketing Company Help to Elevate your E-A-T
A well-planned marketing strategy should play a key role when attempting to improve or enhance your overall expertise. But when attempting to increase your expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness, you really need to dig in and understand a marketing company’s process before you decide to work with them.
Here are a few key questions to consider before working with a marketing company:
Are they deeply researching the content that will be placed on your site?
Are they interviewing the founders of the company and asking relevant questions?
Are they outsourcing their content to AI?
Are they outsourcing content production to experts in a specific field, or are they relying on content mills?
In considering these questions, you want to be sure that your voice is being highlighted, and that you’re not just producing content for content’s sake.
In addition, you also want to be fully aware of the process a marketing company employs when they develop content for you and ensure that they’re not taking industry shortcuts. And this is because Google will eventually penalize you for engaging in shady content practices, and your trustworthiness will correspondingly diminish as a result.
A marketing company can also enhance your brand awareness through the best utilization of imagery and web design. And at the end of the day, UX is a visual expression of a company on a website. For example, as over 80 percent of communication is non-verbal, the same holds true online. Essentially, it’s not all about the written words within the content, it’s how you present those words that make the greatest impact.
How can healthcare organizations get help with SEO for their websites?
Healthcare organizations seeking assistance with SEO for their websites have various avenues to explore. By following these strategies, healthcare entities can enhance their online presence and improve their ranking on search engine results pages (SERPs):
1. Seek professionals with expertise in healthcare SEO: Collaborate with experienced SEO specialists who possess in-depth knowledge of the healthcare industry. Look for professionals who understand the unique challenges and requirements of optimizing healthcare websites.
2. Optimize content with E-A-T in mind: E-A-T (Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) is an essential aspect in healthcare SEO. Ensure that your website content is created or curated by individuals or organizations with credible medical expertise or accreditation. Present author credentials prominently to showcase their qualifications.
3. Focus on accurate and high-quality content: Developing valuable content is crucial for healthcare SEO. Craft informative and reliable articles, blog posts, and resources that address relevant medical topics and provide meaningful insights. Invest in creating engaging, well-written, and professionally styled content that resonates with your target audience.
4. Regularly update content for accuracy and relevance: To maintain E-A-T and sustain website rankings, regularly review and update your healthcare content. Ensure that information remains accurate, and reflect the latest medical advancements, guidelines, and research. Regular updates not only improve user experience but also signal to search engines that your website offers fresh and reliable information.
5. Consider linking to authoritative sources: Establishing credibility through relevant outbound links is essential. Include links to reputable and authoritative medical websites, healthcare organizations, academic journals, and trusted sources. This practice helps support your claims, enhances user experience, and signals to search engines that your website relies on trustworthy sources.
6. Avoid linking to low-quality websites: Prevent damaging your website’s reputation by avoiding associations with poor-quality or untrustworthy websites. Conduct due diligence in evaluating potential links, ensuring they come from reliable and credible sources. These proactive measures help maintain the credibility and authority of your healthcare website.
7. Collaborate with an SEO agency specializing in healthcare: Consider partnering with a reputable SEO agency that specializes in healthcare. They can offer customized strategies, technical expertise, and ongoing support to optimize your website for improved visibility, organic traffic, and higher rankings on SERPs.
By implementing these SEO strategies and seeking professional guidance, healthcare organizations can enhance their online presence, reach a wider audience, and effectively connect with patients and stakeholders.
Why is meeting Google’s guidelines important for maintaining a high-quality score and rankings?
Meeting Google’s guidelines is crucial for maintaining a high-quality score and rankings due to the significant impact it has on user experience and the potential consequences of misinformation. Google sets exceptionally high standards, particularly for healthcare websites, emphasizing the importance of expertise, authority, and trustworthiness (E-A-T). This is because information related to health and medical fields can directly impact a person’s happiness, health, financial stability, or safety.
Google’s Page Quality rating standards for Your Money or Your Life (YMYL) pages, including health sites, are particularly stringent. Low-quality YMYL pages have the potential to create negative outcomes for users, which is why Google places a strong emphasis on ensuring the content on these pages is of the highest quality. While manual ratings may not have a direct impact on rankings, algorithm updates are frequently based on these guidelines.
Non-compliance with Google’s guidelines can result in a low-quality score for a website, potentially leading to a decline in rankings. This, in turn, can significantly impact visibility in search results, reducing organic traffic and potential user engagement. Therefore, aligning with Google’s guidelines and producing content that demonstrates expertise, authority, and trustworthiness is essential for maintaining a high-quality score and achieving favorable rankings on the search engine.
What negative factors can impact a healthcare website’s reputation and rankings?
Negative factors that can impact a healthcare website’s reputation and rankings are as follows:
1. Poor-quality and unreliable content: Healthcare websites must ensure that their content is accurate, reliable, and up to date. Inaccurate information or low-quality content can decrease trust and credibility, leading to a negative impact on reputation and rankings.
2. Lack of expertise and accreditation: It is crucial for healthcare websites to have content developed by experts with appropriate medical expertise or accreditation. Websites should clearly display the credentials of authors or organizations to establish trust and authority.
3. Failure to adhere to E-A-T guidelines: Healthcare websites need to comply with Google’s Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness (E-A-T) guidelines. Failing to meet these standards can result in a negative impact on reputation and rankings.
4. Misleading or unclear information: Websites should provide clear and accurate information about the healthcare topics they cover. Misleading or unclear information can lead to a loss of credibility and trust, affecting the website’s reputation and rankings.
5. Negative online reputation: Having a negative online reputation, including negative sentiment or links from low-quality websites, can harm a healthcare website’s rankings. It is crucial for websites to actively manage their online reputation and cultivate positive recommendations and citations from reputable sources.
6. Poor user experience: User experience plays a significant role in website rankings. If a healthcare website has usability issues, slow loading times, or a lack of mobile optimization, it can negatively impact user satisfaction, leading to decreased rankings and reputation.
In summary, healthcare websites must focus on providing high-quality, accurate, and trustworthy content from recognized experts, adhere to E-A-T guidelines, cultivate a positive online reputation, and prioritize a seamless user experience to avoid negative impacts on their reputation and rankings.
How does a positive online reputation impact the quality rating of a healthcare website?
A positive online reputation plays a significant role in determining the quality rating of a healthcare website. According to Google, when assessing the reputation of a website, it is crucial to consider expert opinions and recommendations from reputable sources. This includes links or citations from professional societies and leading healthcare websites, as they serve as strong evidence of a positive reputation.
Google instructs evaluators to explore various sources online to gauge a website’s reputation. This includes looking for reviews, news articles, and credible information available on the internet. If a healthcare website has a positive online reputation, it is likely to be considered high-quality by Google’s evaluators.
On the other hand, a negative online reputation can have adverse effects on the quality rating of a healthcare website. If there is negative sentiment surrounding the website’s brand or business, Google may view it as a low-quality site. Additionally, if the website has numerous inbound links from low-quality sites categorized as “bad neighborhoods” (such as those related to pornography or gambling), its reputation will almost certainly suffer.
In summary, a positive online reputation greatly impacts the quality rating of a healthcare website. Expert opinions, recommendations, and credibility from reputable sources play a crucial role in establishing a positive reputation. On the contrary, a negative online reputation or association with low-quality sites can significantly lower the website’s overall rating.
How can healthcare organizations determine the amount of content needed on their website?
Determining the appropriate amount of healthcare content for a website is crucial for healthcare organizations. To do so, it is important to follow the guidelines set out in the Search Quality Evaluator Guidelines (SQEG). According to these guidelines, the E-A-T (Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) of a page is a key factor in determining its quality. Hence, healthcare organizations should focus on satisfying Google E-A-T requirements in their content.
To start, it is recommended to carefully consider the purpose of each page before creating the content. This strategic approach to content creation is an essential part of an effective content strategy. It requires a dedicated team of marketing strategists and content creators who possess the necessary expertise and knowledge in the healthcare field.
While there is no precise answer to how much healthcare content is needed on a website, following technical SEO best practices can provide some guidance. Google emphasizes the significance of providing high-quality information that is factually accurate, clearly written, and comprehensive for health websites.
In summary, healthcare organizations must prioritize the E-A-T of their content to ensure its quality. By taking into account the purpose of each page, following technical SEO recommendations, and providing accurate, well-written, and comprehensive information, healthcare organizations can determine and deliver an appropriate amount of content on their websites.
Work With the Content Marketing Experts at Beacon Media + Marketing
At Beacon Media + Marketing, we’ve placed ourselves beyond the conventional practices and paths that often lead to industry shortcuts. And with our talented team of creative professionals, we can enhance your E-A-T and showcase the expertise and authority that your clients are looking for.
With mental health gaining awareness and being destigmatized, it’s never been easier to scale a psychotherapy practice. However, if you box mental health marketing into more traditional practices or even try and copy conventional health marketing, your results will fall flat.
Some businesses have cracked the code for marketing within this unique industry, and we want you to be next. We’re ready to help you take advantage of the increasing openness and acceptance surrounding mental health. Here are 7 expert tips to market your psychotherapy practice (with real examples!).
Don’t get us wrong. We absolutely value mental health and understand how critical psychotherapy is to a person’s well-being. And while it has made tons of headway even in the last decade, many people don’t place mental health on the same level as physical health or conditions.
Mental health is often placed on the back burner when life gets in the way – if it was remembered in the first place. Our point here is that you must meet your target audience where they are in their perceptions first – then you can change minds (literally) after clients get their foot in the door.
2) Find Your Niche
One thing you already understand about mental health is that it’s never a surface-level issue. Therefore, people will get the most benefit when their unique struggles are addressed with full understanding and expertise. Translation: if a potential client can find the exact info or help needed in a first-page, generic article on Google, you need to dive deeper.
The Center for Grief and Trauma has marketed their psychotherapy practice successfully by going all-in on a specific niche. You could consider doing the same to really see marketing growth! And before you ask – no, you won’t run out of potential clients or pigeonhole yourself out of business by niching down.
However, we understand how it might feel that way at first. If this is one of your main concerns, then it might be helpful to consider a tried-and-true example: your favorite restaurant!
We’re willing to bet that your first-choice restaurant specializes in a certain cuisine. So, consider this. Does a top-tier Indian restaurant worry about missing out on the people who are looking for a $5 burrito? Does the local vegan spot stress about going out of business because of the BBQ restaurant next door? No, because they have confidence in their niche, and work on being the best at serving their ideal customers. So, where can you provide the most value in your psychotherapy practice? Chances are, you can dive deeper than “mental health.”
3) Show Your Expertise
Anyone can make claims – whether it’s in marketing or education. The Lukin Center for Psychotherapy backs up their educational resources and mental health services using scientific evidence, research, and proven practices.
They claim the tagline “Driven by science, led by compassion” as a brilliant summarization of their value. Not only is it highly ethical for psychotherapeutic and psychiatric practices to offer research-validated treatment, but it also boosts their credibility with potential clients. As with any health service, reputation is crucial.
And while you don’t want to overwhelm your leads with too much information in your marketing, you don’t have to hold back when it comes to content or other resources. The most important thing is to make it accessible and welcoming to people.
Don’t worry about your expertise going over your audience’s heads. Trust us, they can handle it. But in any case, you will appear as an authority in your space – who is expected to be more knowledgeable than the average joe!
4) Own Your Local Market
Yes, we know you’ve probably tip-toed (or even taken the plunge) into local SEO. But what we’re talking about here goes much deeper than that. If you’re located in a particularly unique area, connect with the culture of your city or town.
Based in Manhattan, NYC Therapeutic Wellness has capitalized and made the most of the New York City market. Even with the rise of virtual and online therapy options, many people still prefer to seek in-person counseling. If that is your primary service offering, be sure to invest in your practice’s location, interior environment, and targeted location-based advertising.
There is always an inherent trust factor when reaching your local community, so don’t throw that away as you grow and scale your psychotherapeutic practice.
5) Be Inclusive and Welcoming
Mental health doesn’t need to be so sterile. When you realize your practice is connecting with real people with lives, personalities, cultural differences, goals, unique senses of humor… you can create an incredibly safe space that validates people for being human.
This is an incredible advantage that psychotherapy practices have over traditional health, wellness, and medicine. You get to reach people on an individualized, personal basis – not just checking them in and out of isolated treatments.
Ellie Mental Health is an amazing example of being inclusive and welcoming in their practices. The feeling is echoed throughout Ellie’s branding, messaging, and in-person locations. Just check out this statement from their website’s homepage:
“Seeing your therapist at Ellie is like stopping by a friend’s house (if your friend was a badass therapist). We have comfy couches, stylish art, and hot tea. We like to call ourselves professional secret keepers.”
How inviting does that sound?
6) Be Accessible & Convenient (Without Sacrificing Diversity)
We all love convenience and an easy choice. Drawing people to your psychotherapy practice is no different. But here’s where you need to be careful: Never choose accessibility over your ability to offer high-quality, individualized treatment.
Dana Group Associates is a behavioral health organization that has therapy appointments available fast and provides medication management prescribed by in-house psychiatrists. However, despite this ease of access, Dana Group still connects clients with the right fit from a diverse team of providers. Here are just some of the behavioral health areas they focus on:
ADHD
Adjustment issues
Aging
Anxiety
Bipolar disorders
Chronic Illness
Cultural Identity
Depression
Family issues
Grief & Trauma
LGBTIQ+
Stress
7) Don’t Use a 10-foot Pole to Touch on Psychotherapy
The last tip is something we don’t think many practices realize they’re doing: approaching mental health with kid gloves.
Mental health and wellness, as well as psychotherapy, are dynamic, complex, and rarely clean or simple. However, some marketing approaches water down messaging in an attempt not to scare people away. And while this is with the best intentions, we encourage you to dive deeper and start a conversation that explores mental health honestly.
This builds a solid, empathetic relationship with your audience that lets them know they’re not alone. So, don’t be afraid to share personal stories, explore stigmas, stats, or trends (no matter how chilling), or bring awareness to real causes. Because someone out there is dealing with it – and you could be the first step for them to feel better.
Partner with Beacon to Bring New Clients to Your Psychotherapy Practice
If you’re looking for a strategic partner to grow your psychotherapy practice fast, Beacon Media + Marketing is here to help. We offer mental health marketing services to scale your business – including content marketing, paid advertising, website design, branding, and more. Whatever you need, Beacon can take you to the next level for new clients and a profitable practice!
Written by Sabrina Martinez, Content Lead, updated and revised by Sara Jokela 05/07/2025.
No, it’s not as simple as just creating a masculine-style color palette to draw people in.
It can be frustrating to find that just because something is critical, it doesn’t make it easy to market. You likely know this all too well when trying to market your health services to men.
There are many alarming statistics that reveal men seek healthcare at much lower rates than women – even in the presence of a health problem. And the impact of this is significant. From chronic health conditions to mental illness, not seeking medical care can contribute to a shorter lifespan, serious mental health outcomes (such as suicide or addiction), and a serious diagnosis that could have been mitigated with early treatment.
Internet access plays a crucial role in reaching men through digital marketing strategies, ensuring your campaigns are visible and accessible online.
While many practices may focus on marketing to their primary customer, which more often than not is women, there are many benefits of marketing your services to men (even if they make up a smaller percentage of your client base). First off, men’s health is important, and a compelling campaign geared toward men can be the very spark that compels someone to take that first step and get the care they need. Also, if a man is actively looking for a health provider, they are unlikely to choose your practice if they feel excluded by your marketing. A men’s health marketing campaign can make your practice stand out as a safe and welcome space for men seeking care for health issues they might feel embarrassed or hesitant about.
This might be surprising, but rationale alone doesn’t get people through your practice doors. You can have the most data-driven arguments or health stats, but that’s often not what brings in new patients. Instead, you’ll need to focus on emotions for successful marketing and take time to truly understand your target audience, including their pain points, their reservations, and their needs.
You might assume that since you are trying to market to men that emotions might be a less important factor. However, it’s essential you consider a key emotion in your campaigns in order to break the stigma and negative perceptions surrounding men’s health.
Not sure how to craft a compelling marketing campaign for men? Here are five examples of stellar men’s health services marketing strategies to model.
Men’s health is a critical yet often overlooked aspect of healthcare. Despite the importance of regular check-ups and early intervention, men are statistically less likely to seek medical help compared to women. This reluctance can lead to severe health outcomes, including chronic diseases, mental health issues, and even a shorter lifespan. Understanding the unique challenges men face in accessing healthcare is the first step in creating effective marketing campaigns that resonate with this audience. Incorporating robust network architecture and efficient data sharing through a metro area network can enhance healthcare communication, making it easier for men to access the information and services they need. By addressing these challenges head-on, we can encourage more men to take proactive steps towards their health and well-being.
At the end of the day, we’re all human. Of course, we know that’s true. On some level, everyone understands that we can all relate to each other in some way. But in this case, grouping people together isn’t the best marketing strategy. If you really want to build rapport with your audience, show you empathize with their unique struggles.
Man Therapy, a site for men’s mental health resources, does this perfectly. The tagline of their website homepage isn’t shy about who they’re targeting. It states: “It’s okay to cry, even when it’s not about sports.” From there, social proof and connection are created by featuring video testimonials from real men, and an easy-to-navigate filtering system for finding mental health resources based on topics. These filters include:
Anger
Grief
Trauma
Anxiety
Depression & Suicide
Relationships & Sex
Notice anything different about these topics as it relates to men? Trick question. There aren’t any differences – everyone (regardless of gender or sex) deals with these issues. But Man Therapy has created a space that is safe and welcoming for men, allowing education and awareness to follow. How can you generate an atmosphere like that in your men’s health marketing?
Men’s Health: Leverage Popular Media + Publications for Internet Connectivity
Key Emotion: Community
We can never stress this enough: When creating any marketing strategy, go where your target audience already is. By leveraging a popular media publication that has already created a safe, normalized space for men’s health, you reach a more receptive audience, faster.
Being featured on these sites with a guest post, review, or other collaborative effort can really help spread the word about your health services for men. You can also take a more direct route, and partner with the publication to advertise on the Men’s Health website.
If men’s activewear company, Rhone, can partner with Men’s Health for this piece, “Men Don’t Talk Enough About Mental Health”, imagine the opportunity you have as a practice that directly provides men’s health services. There’s also a bonus to creating a marketing campaign in this way – it provides outside credibility and a reputation boost against your competitors.
Hims: Make It Hard to Say No with Data Transfer Speed
Key Emotion: Ease
Changing the norm means you have a challenge: making the alternative easy.
Hims is a telehealth and medication management platform aimed at providing easy, online access to men’s healthcare. Hims also offers features like online edit diagrams, making it easy for users to manage their healthcare information and appointments from anywhere. They provide virtual medical visits with licensed experts and send your prescriptions to your door. Complete with a bold “Find My Treatment” button on the homepage, Hims services are literally a click away!
This makes it extremely convenient for someone to change their habits in a positive direction. It’s simple psychology. By increasing accessibility to men’s health services – from skincare to erectile dysfunction to anxiety and depression – it is much likelier they will be utilized.
Now, this example is not to say that you should switch your practice to telehealth options. Instead, look at the big picture. How can you provide health services in a way that makes it harder to say “no” to treatment? It takes a lot to break down the stigma surrounding men’s health – don’t add an extra barrier to that.
No-Shave November + Movember: Amplify A Cause in the Metropolitan Area
Key Emotion: Empathy + Altruism
How many times have you gained personal awareness while supporting someone else? Whether it’s a family member or friend or co-worker – when people stop to help others, they often understand more for themselves too.
No-Shave November and Movember are non-profit organizations that create challenges to spread awareness and raise support for cancer patients, men’s physical and mental health, and suicide prevention. The challenges – like no shaving for 30 days or running/walking 60 miles in a month – are great for generating attention and going viral. This, in turn, not only creates the opportunity for health education but for starting a conversation while amplifying a real cause.
In what ways can your marketing campaign help others while spreading a positive message?
Here’s a hard truth: destigmatizing men’s health and care isn’t something that’s going to be laid out for you. Ensuring the privacy of sensitive data is crucial in creating a safe and accepting environment for men seeking mental health services. Do you want to see change? Your practice needs to be a part of the solution. Fortunately, it’s not as difficult to normalize positive things as people think. Just take a look at Ellie, who’s changing the culture of mental health with clinics across the country! They’ve written a fantastic post, “Why We Need to Talk About the Male Mental Health Stigma” that we’ll pull from here.
How do they suggest destigmatizing men’s mental health?
Make getting help the norm. Mental health struggles are nothing to be ashamed of, and everyone deserves to feel better. Frame men’s health services (like therapy) in a way that allows vulnerability, comfort, and care without judgment.
Encourage sharing personal stories. Part of destigmatizing men’s health is proving that no one is alone. Highlight real issues, journeys through struggles, and how other people have gotten better – and that they can, too.
Educate and bust myths. Stigmas only continue to grow when they’re fueled by misinformation. While you should always validate feelings and emotional needs, laying out the facts has its place too. Educate men on recognizing signs, symptoms, and struggles within themselves and others, as well as evidence-based solutions for getting better.
Pass it on. Challenge today’s men to be the generation that makes prioritizing health not just the norm, but admirable. Encourage boys to express mental, emotional, and physical needs, and create a healthy expectation that those needs will (and should) be met. When men do this consistently, they will pass it on to young sons, brothers, and future fathers – ending the stigma once and for all.
Men’s Health Service Infrastructure
A well-structured men’s health service infrastructure is essential for providing high-quality care to patients. At the heart of this infrastructure is a robust computer network that enables secure and efficient communication between healthcare providers. One of the most effective ways to achieve this is through a metropolitan area network (MAN), which connects multiple local area networks (LANs) within a metropolitan area. This setup provides high-speed connectivity and internet access, ensuring that healthcare providers can share resources and collaborate seamlessly.
A metropolitan area network (MAN) can cover an entire city, enabling healthcare providers to access medical records and consult with specialists in real-time. This level of connectivity is crucial for improving patient outcomes, as it allows for timely and informed decision-making. Additionally, a MAN can support telemedicine services, providing a secure and reliable connection for patients to consult with healthcare providers remotely.
The infrastructure of a MAN includes various network devices such as routers, switches, and servers, all interconnected by fiber optic cables or telephone lines. These components work together to ensure that data flows smoothly and securely across the network. A network engineer plays a vital role in designing and maintaining this infrastructure, ensuring that it remains secure, reliable, and efficient.
By connecting multiple buildings, including office buildings, hospitals, and clinics, a MAN enhances the efficiency and effectiveness of healthcare providers. This interconnected network allows for better coordination and resource sharing, ultimately leading to improved patient care. In the context of men’s health services, a well-structured MAN can make a significant difference in the quality and accessibility of care provided.
Privacy and Data Security in Men’s Health Services
Privacy and data security are critical concerns in men’s health services, as sensitive patient information must be protected from unauthorized access. One effective way to secure data transmission between healthcare providers and patients is through a virtual private network (VPN). A VPN ensures that sensitive information is encrypted and protected, providing a secure communication channel.
A metropolitan area network (MAN) can be designed with robust security features to safeguard patient data. These features include firewalls, intrusion detection systems, and encryption protocols, all of which work together to prevent unauthorized access and data breaches. Compliance with regulations such as HIPAA is essential, as these regulations mandate the protection of patient health information.
The role of a network provider is crucial in ensuring that the MAN infrastructure is secure and compliant with regulations. This includes managing wireless technology to prevent unauthorized access and using network diagrams to visualize the infrastructure and identify potential security vulnerabilities. Regular security audits and risk assessments are necessary to maintain the integrity of the network and ensure ongoing compliance.
Healthcare providers must also be trained on data security best practices, such as using strong passwords and secure communication protocols. A data center can be used to store and manage patient data, providing a secure and reliable repository for sensitive information. By prioritizing privacy and data security, men’s health services can protect patient information and build trust with their patients, ultimately leading to better health outcomes.
Health Outcomes
The consequences of men not seeking healthcare are far-reaching. Chronic conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, and hypertension are more prevalent among men who avoid regular medical check-ups. Mental health issues, including depression and anxiety, often go untreated, leading to severe outcomes like addiction or suicide. The impact of these health issues extends beyond the individual, affecting families, workplaces, and communities. Just as data rates in network channels determine the efficiency of data transmission, the timely seeking of healthcare can significantly improve health outcomes. By highlighting these health outcomes in your marketing campaigns, you can create a sense of urgency and motivate men to prioritize their health. Remember, the goal is to make them feel understood and supported, not judged or pressured.
Evaluation and Measurement
To ensure your men’s health marketing campaigns are effective, it’s essential to evaluate and measure their impact. Start by setting clear, measurable goals, such as increasing the number of male patients or improving engagement with your content. Use tools like Google Analytics to track website traffic and social media insights to monitor engagement. Additionally, consider using network diagrams to visualize data flow and understand the role of computer networks in connecting various devices and facilitating resource sharing. Surveys and feedback forms can provide valuable insights into how your audience perceives your campaigns. Regularly review these metrics to identify what’s working and what needs improvement. By continuously evaluating and refining your strategies, you can create more impactful campaigns that resonate with your target audience.
Improvement Strategies
Improving your men’s health marketing campaigns involves a combination of creativity, empathy, and data-driven insights. Just as a robust network architecture with reliable backbone connections is essential for efficient communication in Metropolitan Area Networks (MANs), ensuring network resilience is crucial for maintaining continuous and effective marketing efforts. A well-structured marketing strategy is crucial for reaching your audience effectively. Start by conducting thorough market research to understand the specific needs and preferences of your target audience. Use this information to create personalized and relatable content that addresses their pain points. Leverage multiple channels, including social media, email marketing, and partnerships with popular media publications, to reach a broader audience. Consider incorporating telehealth options or other convenient services to make it easier for men to access healthcare. Finally, don’t be afraid to experiment with different approaches and learn from your successes and failures.
Best Practices
When it comes to marketing men’s health services, certain best practices can help you create more effective campaigns. Highlight the role of network devices in facilitating secure communication and emphasize the increased security that comes with adopting advanced network solutions, including wired connections. First, focus on building trust and rapport with your audience by showing empathy and understanding. Use clear, straightforward messaging that highlights the benefits of seeking healthcare. Leverage popular media and publications to reach a wider audience and build credibility. Make it easy for men to access your services by offering convenient options like online appointments or home delivery of prescriptions. Finally, continuously evaluate and refine your strategies based on feedback and performance metrics. By following these best practices, you can create compelling campaigns that encourage men to take charge of their health.
Start a New Men’s Health Marketing Campaign With Beacon Network Resources
The takeaway from all of this? Marketing health services to men isn’t just about presenting an opportunity for getting help. In order to be successful, you must actively change the culture and reduce the barriers that keep men’s health de-prioritized. So, will you take on the challenge of reaching a more difficult audience in your practice?
Think of it like starting a campaign in a single building and then expanding its reach over time, even if it’s not owned by a single organization. This involves establishing connections across multiple buildings, creating a cohesive network that supports efficient operations.
Do you dare to create campaigns that defy the norms in men’s health? If so, consider Beacon Media + Marketing your dedicated marketing partner in growing your practice and reaching men with compelling, barrier-free marketing. Beacon specializes in marketing for healthcare businesses, especially
We’re ready to square up to the men’s healthcare stigma right along with you and craft messaging and visuals that get the right message across, whether that’s through expertly crafted blogs, effective paid advertising, impactful social media posts, or stellar websites and branding.
Wait! Stop writing that next blog post (or at least take a long, thoughtful pause). Although mental health blogging can be a great way to boost your SEO rankings and reach people online, every skilled marketer will tell you that the key to successfully growing your business and making in impact is having a wide range of effective tools in your toolbox. And today we want to talk to you about how you can leverage your voice to provide valuable mental health education and insight and grow your practice with podcasting.
Creating a mental health podcast as a part of your overall mental health marketing plan is the perfect, casual way to reach new audiences. The team at Podcast Hosting found there are more than 2,000,000 podcasts and over 48 million episodes as of October 2022.
Moreover, nearly a quarter of Americans listen to a podcast weekly! What would engagement like that do to boost your content marketing strategy? Well, if you can read this, speak, and have a halfway decent microphone – there’s nothing stopping you from finding out.
We’ve compiled five mental health podcasts we think you can draw inspiration from. Grab a pen and paper and be sure to take notes!
Lesson: Take a fresh approach to mental health topics
If you’re in the mental health space long enough, you start to hear the same recycled topics – cognitive behavioral therapy, intrusive thoughts, breathing exercises, mindfulness, journaling…
So, why not stand out by integrating mental health content with an everyday, down-to-earth issue?
Why we like it: The Mental Health and Wealth Show takes a practical approach to an adjacent topic that influences mental health – finance. How can you calm your anxiety about future finance goals? How can you stop feelings of overwhelm and burnout from debt or a low-paying job? How do you slow emotion-fueled impulse purchases or heal financial trauma?
Melanie interviews various guests to dig deeper into these topics – encouraging discussion, but with the obvious disclaimer: the content is not to be taken as mental health or financial advice!
Takeaway: This podcast uses a unique intersection between two topics to create engaging, helpful mental health content.
Ever feel like the expert advice content you turn to can quickly become…preachy? Well, the mental health space is no different. Sometimes your audience won’t want another lecture or “pro tip.” Mental Illness Happy Hour has a surprisingly unique angle compared to other mental health podcasts: empathy.
Why we like it: This podcast isn’t here to explain mental health or provide directly educational content. Instead, each guest is someone sharing their personal story with mental illness – in a raw, honest, and therefore, more mature content form. The lessons are left up to the listener to decide for themselves. We especially like this podcast because it feels less like a discussion and more like chatting with a good friend about their struggles and recovery.
Takeaway: Not all content needs to be informative. What kind of conversation can you start by just talking?
Let’s face it – the way you think about mental health is going to be completely different from your parents’ or even your kids’ perspectives.
And that’s okay. It’s just a reminder to tailor your podcast content to your target audience.
Why we like it: While Millennial Mental Health Channel is for everyone, it will inherently attract a specific age range. This podcast is hosted by a psychiatrist and therapist duo, allowing for two different yet essential perspectives on mental health. And because Justin & Eddie are millennials themselves, it makes for relatable, authentic content.
Take some time to figure out who you best connect with. Don’t aim for an audience you won’t be able to tune into (see what we did there?)! Of course, your niche doesn’t have to be generational. Maybe you can create the greatest impact discussing mental health regarding veterans and PTSD or for high performers who struggle with burnout, stress, and anxiety.
Takeaway: Considering how large the audience on the internet is, general mental health tips won’t get very far with engagement. What’s your specific expertise? Home in on that to reach people in your space.
Sometimes the best mental health marketing strategies can still feel like another chore on a to-do list. Do you really have the time to start an entire podcast – no matter how effective it is? Cue the HealthyGamerGG “podcast.” Dr. Alok Kanojia is a Harvard-trained psychiatrist that has become especially popular for mental health content in the gaming community.
Why we like it: This podcast proves you don’t have to create a dedicated, traditional podcast to capitalize on the marketing potential it brings. The HealthyGamerGG community originates on the streaming platform Twitch and has over 1M subscribers on Youtube – encompassing lectures, chatting streams, interviews, and viewer call-ins.
However, that doesn’t stop them from repurposing the content audio in a “podcast” version with a 5-star rating on Spotify.
Takeaway: You don’t have to go all-in right away. If you have a current content marketing strategy that works, maximize it in a podcast. The best part is, if you want to create a traditional podcast later on, everything is set up — and you may have already grown a sizable audience of listeners!
Lesson: Never start from scratch. Take notes, then make it your own.
Finally, we wanted to recommend a baseline podcast you can model after! This mental health podcast is led by mental health experts that are witty, relatable, and informative. If you want to get to know your target audience in a genuine, conversational way, the Last Session of the Day is the podcast to check out.
Why we like it: This classic style captures the base of a quality mental health podcast. It features two therapists who chat through current mental health topics and issues while offering their expert perspective. Last Session of The Day follows our go-to keys for content marketing: it’s personable, valuable, and informative without selling. The shorter-length episodes also show you can make bite-sized content that is still effective!
Takeaway: If you want to get a good idea of a foundation for starting your own podcast, Last Session of The Day is a great framework.
In 2018, Entrepreneur said podcasting was “the next marketing frontier.” We have to agree with a slight twist in 2022: podcasts are the next mental health marketing frontier.
Each of our recommendations prove it with their own unique approach, and we hope you will, too! From the medium’s ability to connect with your audience deeply, as well as how easy the barrier to entry is – here’s the next content marketing strategy on your to-do list: Start a podcast!
If you’re ready to get your expertise out there and grow your practice through valuable, engaging content (whether that be a podcast, blog, social media content, email campaign, or video), Beacon Media + Marketing is your go-to digital marketing agency for mental health. We keep on top of the latest trends in mental health marketing and can’t wait to help you grow your presence and make an impact in the communities you serve.
Marketing your behavioral health business is a complicated and tricky field to navigate. You have to learn how to reach your target audience and make a connection with them. And if you’re using digital marketing, you have seconds to catch the attention of your potential clients.
If you’re not personally meeting these clients, it can be difficult to build a connection with them. And for a behavioral health clinic, gaining your clients’ trust is critical for your work’s effectiveness. The people you treat must build a solid foundation of trust with you to open up about their struggles.
The marketing you invest in can build that relationship even before your sessions start. With effective marketing tools, you can show that you’re trustworthy and make it easy as possible for someone to take the next step and schedule an appointment.
Beacon Media + Marketing has a podcast called The Beacon Way that discusses marketing tips for businesses. We talk about how important it is to build connections with your clients and how to do so in an accessible way.
Here’s a brief guide sharing five concepts of removing barriers in your digital marketing and how to increase conversions for your behavioral health clinic.
Are you interested in the work Beacon Media + Marketing has done for mental health practices? Learn how we can help you!
1. The Importance of a Niche
Many businesses make the mistake of marketing themselves as a place that can fix every problem their client has. However, in reality, that’s an unlikely expectation. Even for behavioral health clinics, many clinicians aren’t certified and trained to deal with every behavioral health issue.
Establishing your niche is an important healthy barrier to set with your potential clients. This means that you should be identifying the best clients for your services to allow you to provide the best quality care. Saying that you can work with any client– even ones that aren’t a great fit for your services– will likely lead to a poor outcome.
Onboarding and offboarding clients can be timely and costly, so ensuring that you’re marketing your services to people who will benefit from your treatments is crucial. When you can be honest about how your services can or can’t help someone, it builds a deep level of trust that will entice them to seek your services. People can sense when you’re marketing in a way that is more about gaining as many clients as possible rather than providing a great service to those in need.
Some people seek specific services such as addiction recovery and will look for behavioral health clinics with that niche. So when you market your practice as an addiction center, people will think of you first for their needs.
2. Not Using Unfamiliar Lingo
The words you use on your behavioral health website and for your marketing are crucial for building a relationship with your potential client. It would be best if you considered not using lingo that isn’t accessible to people unfamiliar with the behavioral health industry.
Breaking down complex topics to make them accessible to people is crucial. Don’t assume they can comprehend topics on your level. Similar to your sessions, you should use relatable language that your clients can process.
Paying attention to the language and thinking about things from the POV of your ideal client will help break down any barriers. If you have complex topics on your website pages, paid ads, or organic content, that can make potential clients feel intimidated and unwilling to learn more from you.
The podcast explores the idea of letting the customer choose your services. Like your sessions, you want them to work through the problem themselves and then come to the answer. They won’t seek your services if you tell someone what they’re feeling and do not give them the freedom to see if that’s the truth.
Your clients want to know that they’ve done the research and are comfortable making the right choice. Using words that make sense to them and letting them choose your services is the way to build a relationship with them and turn them into clients.
3. The Payoff of Comprehensible Visuals
Using visuals that are easy to comprehend is a great way to connect with your clients. Using online tools such as videos, infographics, or social media graphics can be a great way to catch the attention of your clients and provide valuable information.
People are drawn to visuals that are interesting and catch their attention. Many people will stay on a video for a few seconds to see if it’s something they’re interested in before scrolling past it or investing more time in it.
Videos and graphics can be a great way to catch someone’s attention and provide them with the information they’re interested in. It can also help build trust with your potential clients. When they see statistics used in infographics backed by sources, it builds a level of trust.
You can provide behavioral health education through these visuals that get people interested in the topic and possibly seeking services. However, you can also use it to be personable and show that you’re a person that can be trusted. They’ll learn more about you and feel more inclined to speak with you about their behavioral health struggles.
Many people may think that it’s obvious to provide a way of contacting your behavioral health clinic. However, some businesses overlook this small detail, which can be detrimental to your business.
Providing all forms of contact on all platforms allows people to get in touch with you quickly. Your contact information should be easy to find with no complicated forms. You can provide your email, phone number, address, and website contact forms. They should be available to access on your social media, website, and Google My Business.
A tool can also include a chatbot on your website to help direct people to book an appointment with you. You should also add plenty of website CTAs that entice someone to contact you.
5. Transparency Is Key
Being transparent is one of the most important factors for breaking through the digital barrier and connecting with your clients. Make your process and services clear from the get-go.
Be transparent about whatever services you offer, who are your providers, what modalities you provide, if you take insurance, etc. These are important questions that your clients will be asking, so if you can honestly answer them, you’ll begin to build a great relationship with them.
Don’t make clients have to dig deep into research or a call to find the answers. Having the information upfront and easy to find allows clients to make a decision more quickly and confidently.
Part of your behavioral health clinic is ensuring that people are comfortable enough to open up to you. Being transparent from the start will avoid any confusion in the long run and ensure that your clients don’t get upset for lying to them.
How Can Beacon Media + Marketing Help Your Behavioral Health Clinic?
Outsourcing your marketing can be a great investment for your behavioral health clinic. It allows you to take the time and focus on treating your patients rather than growing your client base. Our professional team can help with many marketing services, including website design and development, social media marketing, paid ads, content marketing, and more.
Beacon Media + Marketing can help you achieve your marketing goals to convert clients through our many services. We want to help your behavioral health clinic thrive and for you to focus on what you’re passionate about. Let us help you break through barriers and connect with clients in need.
Knowing the effectiveness of your marketing can sometimes be hard to tell. Although numbers that come back from reporting can be an indicator of the effectiveness of your strategy, that isn’t always a clear indication of the whole picture.
Many people use marketing tools such as Google or Facebook advertising and use the numbers that come from that as a benchmark for their marketing success. However, other valuable tools should be used for an effective marketing strategy. Companies within the healthcare industry that pair their paid marketing tools with organic content can often see the value of full marketing investment.
But how can you see if your marketing is working? Besides the number of client conversions, you may not see the long-term effects that marketing can have on sustainable growth. Here’s a guide on how to measure your healthcare marketing ROI and what to do if it’s not meeting your goals.
How to Measure Your Mental & Behavioral Health Marketing ROI
Marketing ROI (MROI) is a way of measuring the return on investment for your healthcare marketing. It’s a way to see if your spending is paying off. In the care of healthcare, it typically correlates between how much money you’re spending and how many client conversions you’re getting.
Measuring your MROI is a great way to do a few things:
Justify how much you’re spending on marketing.
Decide what to spend your money on.
Compare your marketing efficiency to competitors.
Hold yourself accountable for choosing the right marketing strategy.
To measure you’re marketing ROI, there is a straightforward formula that you can use. It looks like this:
Using this formula, you can see if your marketing investment is paying off. You want to have as high a positive number as possible. Although it is a straightforward formula, some challenges come along with measuring it correctly.
One of the challenges of calculating your MROI is that you often can see the short-term payoff. However, long-term investments can often be challenging to measure. This is where most businesses have to use the trial-and-error strategy to see which long-term marketing investments are worth it for their company. If a strategy works for one business, that doesn’t mean it will work for another.
Understand the Long-Term Investment of Marketing
Marketing takes time, so you might not see a huge ROI immediately. You can sometimes see the number of client conversions increasing but may not notice if an investment is worth it for a while.
Healthcare practices often deal with the long-term investment of their marketing. Many potential clients will take their time deciding if they’d like to seek your services. They may be considering other clinics and unsure which services they’d like to receive.
It can sometimes take months to decide that they want to see you for their healthcare. In other words, you may not see the ROI on your marketing for some time. Clients may not switch their healthcare right away, or if you provide a specific service, they may not seek your practice until they’re in a situation with that medical condition.
Marketing Strategies With Long-Term Benefits
Some marketing strategies have long-term benefits that may not be seen immediately. Some content that will stay for a long time and can be reworked as the healthcare industry learns more include blogs or videos.
Healthcare Videos
Videos are one of the most consumed media online, and many people watch healthcare videos to learn more out of curiosity or because they have that medical condition. The videos can include a wide range of topics or styles that can be a creative way to spread more awareness about healthcare. You can use the videos for various marketing tools, including social media content, YouTube videos, advertising, and more.
Healthcare Content Marketing
Blogs can be a great way to invest in long-term marketing. Blogging allows you to answer people’s questions regarding the healthcare services you provide. It can help people learn more and help your website rank higher on search engines, and spread brand awareness. You’ll also have a library of information on your website that allows people to search through it when they need more information about the healthcare condition and treatment.
One of the most important things you must do for a better ROI is identify your marketing goals. For example, one company might have a goal to generate marketing content that brings in more patients or build brand awareness. They may start providing content to draw in revenue through podcasts, vlogs, or speaking engagements. Or they may want to grow their business by hiring more providers and opening new locations.
Identifying your marketing goals can help you see what you need to do to get there. If your goal is to convert more clients, you may want to invest in Google advertising. Knowing what you want to do with your marketing can help you and your digital marketing agency find a marketing strategy to accomplish your goals.
Knowing the direction that you’d like to take your marketing will help you measure your marketing ROI. You can match your goals with the numbers you’re getting from the marketing formula and see if it reflects the direction you want to be going.
What to do If Your Marketing ROI Isn’t Where You Want it
Although you often need to take time to see an investment pay off, there are times when you can see that your marketing ROI is not what you want it to be. If that’s the case, then it’s time to adjust your marketing strategy.
1. Spend More to Make More
You often need to spend more money to make more, and if you’re unwilling to spend more on your marketing, you may hurt your ROI. For example, you might see a much higher ROI with a higher ad spend that gets you seen by more potential clients than if you stick with a low amount that gets low visibility. Your marketing company should be able to provide you with data to show you the ideal amount of marketing spending to help increase your chance of reaching your goals.
2. Identify Weak Spots
Another thing to do is consider your overall marketing strategy and identify your weak spots. For example, you’re unlikely to convert even if you have amazing ads if they lead to a clunky website or unengaging landing page. You want to ensure that you don’t have an outdated brand that doesn’t represent your business, or it will turn potential clients away.
3. Consider Missed Opportunities
You should also look for missed opportunities, such as writing blogs or trying Google ads. Your marketing can benefit greatly from marketing methods such as video content or photos.
4. Evaluate Your Marketing Agency
Something you should also consider is evaluating your marketing agency. Do you have major pain points with your current marketing agency? Do you struggle to get a response from your marketing team, have confusing invoices, or do not get information on how your marketing campaigns perform? These red flags can show that it’s time to find another healthcare marketing agency that cares about your business’s livelihood as much as you do.
How Can Beacon Media + Marketing Help You?
Outsourcing your marketing can be a great way to benefit without needing to put time and effort into it yourself. Healthcare marketing can be tricky to navigate for anyone, but our team at Beacon Media + Marketing is dedicated to staying informed on the latest marketing trends so your business can thrive. Our experts can help you with your marketing and ensure that you have high-quality marketing that leads to client conversions.
Beacon Media + Marketing can help your healthcare practice grow and meet your marketing goals. Our team can help you with multiple services such as blogging, social media, paid ads, website design and development, videos, and more. You can focus on serving the community while we find a way to connect you with your new clients.
Originally published by Sabrina Martinez, Content Manager. Updated and revised by Sara Jokela 11/26/24
Women’s health is a particular niche of healthcare that needs special marketing strategies. Females are often the primary decision makers in their families when it comes to mental health, and women often do their due diligence in researching the best providers and treatments available for their healthcare needs.
Having a marketing campaign that really identifies with women – including their pain points, passions, and scheduling needs – can make a big impact. And being creative in your marketing for women’s health can be the main factor that sets you apart. Relying on stereotypes or overly feminine branding can hurt your marketing success in the long run – so you need a strategy that thinks outside the box and meets women where they are.
Women’s health marketing intersects with various health systems, emphasizing the importance of targeting women’s health within these systems. This includes a wide variety of health services, such as gynecology, prenatal and postnatal care, women’s mental health, autoimmune care, breast or ovarian cancer treatment, hormone therapy, and more.
This guide will go over what practice owners should know about marketing for women’s health and how these tools will convert clients.
Before getting into the nitty gritty of your marketing plan, you need to really know who your target audience is. Knowing this will help you curate your content to their likes and needs, and understand their healthcare decisions. It helps convert the clients that you’re trying to get.
Although you know that women are your general target audience, you need to consider more details about their life and why they would seek your treatments. Most women play a significant role in healthcare decision-making for themselves and their families. When coming up with ideas about your target audience, you should consider the difficulties they’re experiencing, the way they might perceive their situation, the solutions they’ve sought in the past, and their healthcare goals. Doing this helps you better target the people you’d like to become your clients and create content that speaks to the persona you assemble.
Some people think that staying broad in their marketing will attract more people. However, when you become more specific about the people you’d like as clients and integrate that into your content, it will actually convert more clients. People can feel better connected if something is tailored specifically to them, so create multiple personas that encapsulate your target audience.
Understanding the different personas of women you’d like to treat will create inclusive marketing that doesn’t stereotype or make women feel left out. For example, women seeking prenatal care can have many different journeys. Your content should be considerate of unplanned pregnancies, same-sex couples, older women getting pregnant, or single parent pregnancies. When you consider the different possibilities, it allows them to be included in the typical marketing towards married, younger moms with a planned pregnancy.
When you know whom you’d like to treat, creating content that reflects that becomes easier. It will help you convert those clients when you do ads or organic content for that specific audience.
Develop Detailed Personas for Women’s Health Marketing
Developing detailed personas for women’s health marketing is crucial to understanding the needs, preferences, and behaviors of your target audience. A persona is a semi-fictional representation of your ideal customer, based on market research and data analysis. By creating personas, you can tailor your marketing efforts to effectively reach and engage with your target audience.
To develop detailed personas for women’s health marketing, consider the following steps:
Refine personas: Continuously refine your personas as you gather more data and insights from your marketing efforts. This ensures that your marketing remains relevant and effective.
Conduct market research: Gather data on your target audience through surveys, focus groups, and online analytics. This will help you understand their needs and preferences.
Identify demographics: Determine the age, income, education level, occupation, and other demographic characteristics of your target audience. This helps in creating a clear picture of who you are targeting.
Analyze behaviors: Understand the behaviors, preferences, and pain points of your target audience, including their health concerns, values, and motivations. Women tend to engage with healthcare resources through various methods, such as phone calls for appointment scheduling and online searches for health information. This insight is crucial for crafting relevant marketing messages.
Create personas: Based on your research, create 2-3 personas that represent your ideal customers, including their demographics, behaviors, and goals. These personas will guide your marketing strategies.
Our client Brooklyn Birthing Center experienced a 94% increase in conversions with a targeted marketing plan. Read the full case study here.
2. Don’t Limit Your Creativity
When creating your brand, logo, or content, don’t be afraid to be creative. Your healthcare brand should be unique to you and your practice. Collaborating with health professionals, such as nutritionists and mental health counselors, can also enhance your brand’s credibility and service offerings. The brand should reflect what your practice does and its values.
The branding and logo are essential for attracting the right audience. Healthcare marketers play a critical role in creating unique and effective branding strategies for women’s health. If you’re targeting women, you could consider colors that reflect a safe feeling – if that’s the feeling you’re trying to capture. Or you could go with something more bold and daring. Don’t feel like you have to stick with traditionally feminine design elements just because your main audience is women – some research shows a majority of women appreciate more gender-neutral marketing.
A great example of a creative women health marketing campaign is the Any Mountain Project. Beacon Media + Marketing worked with Any Mountain to help raise awareness and earn donations toward ovarian cancer treatment. Any Mountain brought together hip hop, dance, and a team of gynecologic oncology leaders to reach women in a unique way.
One of the most important things that will help revolutionize the women’s health industry is providing valuable educational content. It’s important to learn about our bodies, and practices that provide blogs will help those in need.
Many women will do their research online to find solutions that will benefit their health and their families. Creating blogs that answer SEO keyword questions will ensure that it provides valuable information and brings you brand awareness.
Utilizing social media platforms also gives you another outlet for providing information. You can create videos that answer common questions regarding women’s health or go into specific details that bring awareness to unique health tips. The videos posted on social media platforms have a large reach and will gain the trust of clients when you should you’re educated in women’s health.
Collaborating with other healthcare professionals can enhance the quality and reach of your educational content. By partnering with various specialists, you can provide comprehensive information that attracts new clients and underscores a commitment to holistic health.
Providing education is an excellent tool for practice owners looking to reach a target audience and provide the much-needed information.
4. Highlight Your Services
A great idea to keep in mind is that you should highlight your services and clinic information. When creating posts, ads, or blogging content, you should highlight your services. Since women’s health is a broad spectrum of healthcare, telling people what you can help them with is crucial for gaining clients. Women’s health providers need to highlight their unique services to stand out in the competitive healthcare industry.
You can do specialized organic posts that highlight particular services that you provide or answer questions in blogs regarding specific women’s health topics.
It’s also helpful to provide and highlight your office information, including your hours, address, and contact information. It’s important to give people as many opportunities to schedule an appointment with you.
Consider if your target audience is women who have children that may be concerned about the time involved with getting care. If there are flexible care options, you should highlight them, so you’re more appealing to people in unique situations.
When offering unique, convenient services, you should highlight that since it will help you stand apart from your competitors. This can include specific treatments or even offering telemedicine.
5. Utilize Targeted Advertising on Social Media Platforms
Utilizing targeted advertising on social media is an effective way to reach your target audience and drive engagement for women’s health marketing. Social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter offer robust targeting options that allow you to reach specific demographics, interests, and behaviors. Participating in local health fairs can complement your social media advertising efforts by demonstrating your commitment to community health.
To utilize targeted advertising on social media, consider the following steps:
Choose the right platform: Select the social media platform that aligns with your target audience’s preferences and behaviors. For instance, Instagram might be ideal for younger women, while Facebook could be better for an older demographic.
Define your target audience: Use the platform’s targeting options to define your target audience based on demographics, interests, and behaviors. This ensures your ads reach the right people.
Create engaging ads: Develop ads that resonate with your target audience, including eye-catching visuals, clear messaging, and compelling calls-to-action. This will help capture their attention and drive engagement.
Set a budget: Determine your budget for targeted advertising and set a bid strategy that aligns with your goals. This helps in managing your ad spend effectively.
Monitor and optimize: Continuously monitor your ad performance and optimize your targeting, ad creative, and budget to improve results. This ensures your campaigns remain effective and cost-efficient.
6. Cultivate a Supportive Community
Cultivating a supportive community is essential for women’s health marketing, as it allows you to build trust, establish credibility, and foster loyalty with your target audience. A supportive community can be created through various channels, including social media, online forums, and in-person events.
To cultivate a supportive community, consider the following steps:
Identify your community: Determine the demographics, interests, and behaviors of your target audience and create a community that aligns with their needs. Understanding the responsibilities women have, including caring for aging parents, can help in building a relevant and engaged community.
Create engaging content: Develop content that resonates with your community, including educational resources, personal stories, and expert advice. This keeps your community informed and engaged.
Foster interaction: Encourage interaction within your community through comments, discussions, and Q&A sessions. This helps in building a sense of belonging and engagement.
Provide support: Offer support and resources to your community, including access to healthcare professionals, support groups, and online resources. This builds trust and loyalty.
Monitor and evaluate: Continuously monitor and evaluate your community’s engagement and feedback to improve your content and support. This ensures your community remains active and satisfied.
7. Enhancing the Client Experience
Providing exceptional client experiences is crucial for women’s health businesses to build trust and loyalty with their target audience. Women’s health providers can enhance the client experience by offering personalized services, innovative treatments, and empathetic care. Understanding the needs and preferences of the target audience is essential to deliver tailored services that meet their expectations.
8. Measuring Success and Growth
Measuring success and growth is essential for women’s health marketing, as it allows you to evaluate the effectiveness of your marketing efforts and make data-driven decisions. To measure success and growth, consider the following metrics:
Website traffic: Monitor website traffic to evaluate the effectiveness of your online marketing efforts. Increased traffic indicates higher interest and engagement.
Social media engagement: Monitor social media engagement, including likes, shares, and comments, to evaluate the effectiveness of your social media marketing efforts. High engagement rates suggest that your content resonates with your audience.
Lead generation: Monitor lead generation, including form submissions and phone calls, to evaluate the effectiveness of your marketing efforts. More leads indicate successful outreach and interest.
Conversion rates: Monitor conversion rates, including appointment scheduling and sales, to evaluate the effectiveness of your marketing efforts. Higher conversion rates show that your marketing is effectively driving action.
Customer satisfaction: Monitor customer satisfaction, including surveys and feedback, to evaluate the effectiveness of your customer service. Positive feedback and high satisfaction rates indicate successful service delivery
How Can Beacon Media + Marketing Help Your Women’s Health Practice?
Digital Marketing is a huge landscape that can be hard to do all by yourself. Utilizing targeted advertising on social media channels is an effective way to reach your target audience and drive engagement for women’s health marketing. You may not know where to start or how to do marketing effectively.
Beacon Media + Marketing is an agency that can help with your women’s health marketing needs. We know how difficult and time-consuming marketing can be. And as a practice owner, you much rather spend that time treating your patients.
We’re here to help you have effective marketing done by experts in the field. Our agency comprises professionals that deliver high-quality content for several marketing services. You never have to worry that one section of your marketing is better than the other. We want you to get the best content possible.
At Beacon Media + Marketing, we offer many marketing services to help your women’s health practice thrive. You can benefit from services such as website design and development, social media marketing, blogging content, paid advertising, brand and logo development, and more. If you’re ready to take your women’s health practice to the next level, we can help you convert clients and get you thriving.
Originallywritten by Sabrina Martinez, Content Manager, revised by Jennifer Gracey 6/23/23, updated and revised by Sara Jokela 11/27/24.
When marketing your mental health practice, creating a cohesive marketing strategy is a multifaceted undertaking. Given the recent global events such as the pandemic and economic downturns, many individuals face significant mental health challenges and pressures, making it crucial for brands to acknowledge the need for a mental health break in their compassionate marketing efforts.
For mental health focused brands whose primary marketing goal is get new clients or expand the practice, pay-per-click (PPC) advertising is often the quickest and most effective way to see serious growth.
Perhaps the two best known PPC advertising outlets are Google and Facebook. As one may anticipate, Google is all about paid search advertisements, while Facebook is all things paid social. In this article, we’re shining our spotlight on Facebook Ads.
Facebook Ads Gets Results
At Beacon Media + Marketing, by strategically utilizing Facebook Ads marketing, we’ve achieved remarkable results for our mental health clients. Targeting specific patient populations that matter most to the mental health practice is crucial for achieving these outcomes. Two such cases in point:
Alli, a brand new business offering a unique service in the mental health industry, received more than 40,000 impressions in the first month after launch.
The Center for Grief and Trauma had to grow its team and relocate to a larger office location after starting with us for Facebook advertising.
Take Advantage of the Free Ad Manager Tool
One of the best things about digital marketing is the numerous tools available to help businesses reach their target audience and convert clients. Using Facebook to run paid ads campaigns is one of the tools you can use to your benefit.
Healthcare Advertising Is Regulated
However, running cost-effective Facebook ads has its challenges — especially if your brand and marketing know-how falls short. Creating compelling, well-targeted ads through persuasive copywriting to reach the specific audience you have in mind takes some finesse. And Facebook doesn’t make it a walk in the park with their policies and restrictions concerning mental health advertising.
Regulations aside, taking advantage of platforms whose online ecosystems come with built-in audiences — like Facebook — is crucial for client conversion and having a winning marketing strategy.
Paid Advertising Is Best Partnered With Other Marketing Services
While using a therapist directory listing or leaning into referrals for new clients is worthwhile, paid advertising will return the best bang for your buck. To take things a step further, when strategically pairing paid advertising with other marketing services, such as organic social posts or blogging, the benefits will be tangible.
The five items below offer additional insight on running mental health Facebook ads that effectively convert clients.
1. Facebook Is the Most Valuable Social Media Ads Platform
A bold statement to be certain, Facebook is consistently proven a top platform when running advertising campaigns for mental health businesses. Because its user base reaches such a wide range of demographics, other platforms have a hard time keeping up. And, since Facebook and Instagram are integrated, we’re getting a two platform’s for one deal.
Facebook Has The Numbers
Over 2.9 billion people use Facebook worldwide, making the potential reach of your mental health practice wider than almost any other platform. If you’re strategizing how to best reach people within your locality, there’s a good chance those looking for mental health services are active Facebook users.
Using Facebook to reach new clients is a great idea because of the large potential reach. Facebook allows you to gain brand awareness through PPC as well as organic — it’s the perfect two pronged approach.
The Two Pronged Approach: Paid, Meet Organic
Imagine this scenario: It’s Friday evening. Suzzi’s relaxing on the sofa and catching up on her Facebook Feed. A video catches her eye so, she stops scrolling to watch. The new ad for your mental health clinic pops up midway through the video.
As she watches your 10 second ad, she’s reminded of a promise she made to herself awhile back, “Find a therapist and work through some unresolved childhood attachment issues.” After some hesitation, Suzzi mutters to herself, “Why not?” Then, she clicks on your ad.
Next thing she knows, she’s scrolling through the organic posts on your clinic’s Facebook Page. After stopping to read last week’s post about attachment theory, her interest in your practice peaks. She reads through a few more posts on your FB Page and decides to hop over to your Instagram Profile. Suzzi decides she likes what she sees, clicks on your link in bio and starts exploring your clinic’s website. A few more minutes pass until Suzzi decides to, “Just do it!” She clicks the book your free consultation button on your home page and books her consultation for 3pm Monday. You get to the office Monday morning and find not only Suzzi’s free consultation booking request but several more.
Suzzi’s “how I found you” story above illustrates what a potential client’s journey to your book now button could look like. And it unfolded because you decided to run Facebook Ads for your mental health services.
Understanding Facebook’s Integration
When you create an ad through Facebook Ads Manager, the default automatically places your ads on both Instagram and Facebook. Although the platforms have slightly different functions, Facebook’s integration with Instagram (IG) allows you to utilize the IG platform to connect you with even more people.
As an investment, Facebook ads are a great because of their affordability, trackability, and overall effectiveness. You can reach a geotargeted audience and retarget your ads to those people interested in mental health services. Facebook’s reporting features also let you see the effectiveness of your ads.
2. Experiment With Different Ad Types
In the world of paid advertising, there’s no such thing as one-size-budget-fits-all. Especially not when it comes to digital marketing online. This is where experimentation and A/B testing come in. One of the best things you can do to find out what works for your business is: experiment with different ad types. Experiments can include video ads, slideshow/ carousel ads, image ads, or boosted posts.
Experimenting with different ad types helps reach audiences that engage with all types of advertising. It also helps identify which kind of advertising works best for your mental health practice. You many want to try a video ad about your clinic and discuss how you can help someone. Or, you could try a carousel ad with information that inspires people to begin researching your business.
Videos are normally a great way to grab the attention of your target audience because people naturally gravitate to video. You’ve only got about 1-3 seconds to capture your audience’s attention, so you’ll need to make your video’s interesting! Photo ads are another great way to grab people’s attention. Because people are drawn to images, they’ll stop to read the description.
Experimenting with different ad types lets you pinpoint which marketing methods appeal to your audience. It also allows you to see which of your service offerings people are most interested in.
If you don’t already have one set up for your mental health business, you’ll need to create a free Facebook Business Page. On the sidebar of your Facebook profile, look for the Pages section. Clicking on the Pages section will allow you to create a Business Page. Once you get this set up properly, people can contact your clinic directly through Facebook.
Create Your Facebook Manager Account
Creating your Facebook Manager Account will allow you to create and manage your ad campaigns. From here, you can set up your budget, ad placement, schedule, and choose the audience you’d like to target. Keep in mind, you’ll need to work with a broader target audience using filters for age groups or geotargeting (location) for the healthcare industry.
To ensure that your ads and Business Page link to your website’s landing page, it’s important to confirm everything is properly connected. This will allow people to reach your website via your advertisement or Business Page. It’s helpful to keep in mind the restrictions that Facebook has on their ads, such as creating ads that target personal attributes consisting of:
Race or ethnicity
Religion
Age
Sexual orientation or practices
Gender identity
Disability
Physical or mental health (including medical conditions)
Vulnerable financial status
Voting status
Membership in a trade union
Criminal record
Name
To run health care advertisements on Facebook, you need to be certified through LegitScript. It’s a great investment for healthcare professionals interested in converting clients through Facebook Ads. Additionally, LegitScript will also help you with mental health Google ads.
4. Your Ad Landing Page Is Key for Conversions
Your Facebook Ad is one element of converting users into new patients. Ensure your ad campaign is attention grabbing, the ad copy description gives context to the ad, and directs users to where you want them to go. To grow your practice, you need supplemental content that will help engage and convert your potential clients.
The ad will link to your landing page, which should be well-designed to show the professionalism and brand of your mental health practice. The page you direct people to should have relative headings, catchy and strong CTAs, and match your ad. Being consistent across all platforms is crucial. It’s important that your landing page has content that will make audiences want to receive your services.
You should make sure that your website is up-to-date and has strong organic content to complement your Facebook Ad. Since ads can be restrictive, it’s a great idea to have engaging organic content on your social media platforms. As well as provide blogs containing information your potential clients will want to know more about.
One of the best things you can do after setting your ad up is to track it. Measuring the performance of your Facebook Ad will explain how well your it’s optimized for the target audience you are trying to connect with.
Try A/B Testing
You can do A/B tests that split your audience into different campaign variations. This will help you determine which ad performs better. And once you’ve got the numbers to support that decision, you can adjust the ad type and make other tweaks to fine tune your copy or design.
Tracking your ads is a way to analyze and optimize the ads that perform best. Consider the lifespan of the ad — and tracking its performance over time. You can tell when an ad needs to be replaced or possibly redone in order to boost attention by tracking each one.
Getting report numbers on your ads allows you to see how well the ads are converting clients. It will also help you reallocate your ad spend budget in an effective manner.
The Impact of Social Media on Mental Health
Understanding the Connection
Social media has become an essential part of our daily lives, connecting billions of people across the globe. However, its impact on mental health is a growing concern that cannot be ignored. Research has shown that excessive social media use can lead to increased symptoms of depression, anxiety, and loneliness. As a mental health social media advertising agency, it’s crucial to understand this connection to create effective advertising strategies that promote positive mental health outcomes. By understanding how social media affects mental health, we can craft messages that not only reach but also resonate with our audience, ensuring that our ads bring about a positive impact.
Implications for Advertisers
Advertisers must be acutely aware of the potential impact their ads can have on mental health. It’s essential to create ads that promote positive body image, self-esteem, and overall mental well-being. By doing so, advertisers can help mitigate the negative effects of social media on mental health. Utilizing data and stories, advertisers can craft ads that resonate deeply with their target audience, promoting a message of hope and support. This approach not only enhances the effectiveness of the ads but also ensures that the brand is seen as a positive force in the social media landscape.
Overcoming Common Challenges
Navigating Ad Regulations
Navigating ad regulations can be a significant challenge for mental health advertisers. To ensure compliance, it’s essential to understand the guidelines set by social media platforms and regulatory bodies. These regulations are in place to protect users and ensure that ads are ethical and responsible. By working with a trusted Facebook advertising agency, advertisers can ensure that their ads meet the necessary standards and reach their target audience effectively. This partnership can help businesses navigate the complex landscape of ad regulations, ensuring that their message is delivered without any compliance issues. Understanding and adhering to these regulations is crucial for the success and credibility of any mental health advertising campaign.
How Can Beacon Media + Marketing Help Your Mental Health Practice?
Beacon Media + Marketing is a digital media agency that works to evolve your mental health practice. We understand your passion for your therapy practice and for treating people with utmost care. We know effective marketing can take a significant amount of time and effort, and we want to be there to help.
Outsourcing your marketing can be an excellent choice. You’ll get the help of expert staff specializing in marketing areas that ensure high-quality content across the board. You’ll benefit from our team’s cohesive mental health marketing strategy.
At Beacon Media + Marketing, we can help bring your mental health Facebook ads to the next level. We know what works well and we work hard to ensure we’re seeing real conversions from that work. We also offer other supplementary services to the ad content, such as website design and organic content.
Written by Sabrina Martinez, updated and revised by Sara Jokela 4/3/2025.
Marketing for behavioral health services can be difficult. Creating a cohesive plan that integrates SEO optimization, blogging, social media content, and a memorable ad campaign is time-consuming and hard to do effectively.
It becomes increasingly harder to accomplish good marketing when there are restrictions on behavioral health advertising. You have to follow many rules and regulations that don’t interfere with the guidelines online.
Marketing your behavioral health practice through organic content is essential as it creates more brand awareness and has fewer restrictions than advertising. But advertising has a high ROI, which means that it’s crucial for you to utilize advertising tools such as Google Ads to reach your target audience and convert clients.
So how can you have effective behavioral health marketing? Here’s a guide on creative ways to advertise your addiction recovery center online and why organic content will help upgrade your marketing and convert clients to your behavioral health services.
Advertising is essential for reaching your target audience. However, the main advertising platforms have restrictions to cut down on scams and sometimes stop retargeting. Managing ad campaigns on platforms like Google Ads can be challenging due to these restrictions. Staying compliant with these advertising rules can be difficult.
Platforms like Facebook and Google were concerned with health services that don’t have physical locations as they wanted to stop people from getting scammed. So, you have to ensure that you provide a physical location of your services to show that you are a legitimate service provider. Advertising strategies can exploit psychological vulnerabilities, leading to addictive behaviors.
Each platform has its own specific rules for behavioral health advertising. They’ll target keywords and take down ads that don’t align with their rules, which means you have to get creative in writing your copy. Advertising can manipulate consumer emotions, promoting addictive tendencies. The following show some rules that are included on each platform regarding behavioral health advertising.
Google Ads
Google advertising has restrictive regulations for recovery-oriented services for drug addiction and alcohol addiction. This is applied globally and across all accounts that advertise addiction services. Some examples of advertising restricted under the new policy include:
Clinical treatment providers (inpatient, residential, and outpatient programs) for drug and alcohol addiction
Recovery support services (including sober living environments and mutual help organizations) for drug and alcohol addiction
Lead generators and referral agencies for drug and alcohol addiction services
Crisis hotlines for drug and alcohol addiction
Advertising through Google will help you reach a broad audience, but you must ensure that you follow all policy rules and have been LegitScript certified.
Facebook Social Media Platform
Facebook, as a social media platform, has advertising policies to help protect people from untrustworthy businesses. Their Drug and Alcohol Addiction Treatment Advertising Policy aims to protect people from scams but can be less restrictive than Google advertising. Some addiction advertising examples that can be done on Facebook include:
In-person clinical addiction treatment services or websites that provide information about treatment
Online and in-person support groups
Crisis hotlines for people in recovery and who are seeking addiction treatment information
To run ads through Meta platforms, you have to have a certification with LegitScript.
Although following the guidelines on each platform can be difficult and time-consuming, it’s worth it to invest in advertising. It can help bring brand awareness and allow more client conversions. And just like any other marketing method, online advertising can take some creative ingenuity.
The following are tips on creating behavioral health ads that will stay compliant with platform regulations and possibly increase your conversion numbers.
1. Get LegitScript Certified If Qualifiable
If you’re interested in running behavioral health advertisements on either Google or Facebook, getting LegitScript certified will be crucial. When you get certified, it verifies to Google and Facebook that you are a qualified behavioral health service and not a scam. If you get certified, it allows you to run ads that include keywords such as “drug and alcohol addiction treatment” that will bring your target audience to your website.
Certification helps ensure compliance with regulations similar to those governing pharmaceutical advertising, which is designed to prevent misleading information and protect public health.
Price can seem like a lot with a $495 upfront charge and a $955 annual charge. However, this can be an investment that will show real ROI. Advertising your services can be the major factor in how many clients you convert.
If you choose to be LegitScript certified, you must meet their qualifications for behavioral health services. Even if you are working with a marketing agency, you’ll need to be the one to do the certification as they may need additional documentation that you can only provide.
If you choose not to get LegitScript verified or don’t qualify, you’ll need to come up with clever ways to stay compliant with Google and Facebook policies.
2. Apply on Facebook
Facebook advertising requires that you fill out an additional application before you can run advertisements. Once LegitScript has approved you, you’ll need to complete the application to Facebook so they can review the certification.
Some types of ads that are eligible under their new policy include:
LegitScript-certified for in-person alcohol treatment centers
LegitScript-certified for crisis hotlines
LegitScript-certified for mutual support groups
LegitScript-certified for addiction recovery smartphone apps
Your behavioral health service will need to fall under their guidelines and show that you are a qualified resource for people searching for addiction treatment. Completing the LegitScript certification and Facebook application will ensure that your business doesn’t get flagged for being a scam.
3. Learn Restrictions on Copy
Each platform has its restrictions on what marketing messages and keywords can go into your advertisements. This means that you need to learn which words can’t be put into your behavioral health ads and develop creative copy that won’t get flagged because they’re compliant with the policies.
If you’re certified by LegitScript, you’re allowed to put keywords such as “drug and alcohol addiction treatment” into Google ads. However, if you’re not authorized, you will need to avoid using such keywords and come up with words that show you’re a treatment center but not specify what you do.
Facebook has prohibited personal attributes within ads, including:
Race or ethnicity
Religion
Age
Sexual orientation or practices
Gender identity
Disability
Physical or mental health (including medical conditions)
Vulnerable financial status
Voting status
Membership in a trade union
Criminal record
Name
In other words, you can’t use words that assume the status of your audience. You can’t say, “Are you struggling with drug or alcohol addiction?” So, learning which words you can’t have in your ads and coming up with creative copy will be crucial for staying compliant and still reaching a broad audience.
4. Direct Ads to Relevant Information
Your ads should be directing your audience to working landing pages that allow them to get the information they’re looking for and schedule an appointment with you. It’s crucial to attach the links to the keywords in your ad so people can find your website. Employing many marketing strategies can help ensure that your ads lead to effective conversions by reaching a broader audience and identifying the most successful approaches.
An ad is a tool that draws people into your behavioral health service, and your website needs to be the one that converts them. The connection of your ad to appropriate landing pages is the crucial bridge toward converting potential customers.
Your ad is the front of the wealth of information on your website. If you connect the wrong link to the keyword, it can confuse people because it’s not directing them to the information they want to learn more about. Another crucial point is ensuring that your landing pages have quick load times, are functional, well-designed, and allow clients to contact you.
Why Should You Still Do Organic Content Marketing Strategies
One of the best marketing tools that you can use for your behavioral health service is doing organic content. Since behavioral health advertising is restrictive, reaching your target audience will be best done through organic content.
Organic content can also help address the challenges and stigma associated with substance abuse by providing educational and supportive information.
Organic content is your social media engagement and blogging. Social media is a great marketing tool for behavioral health services trying to connect with their target audience. Social media isn’t restricted in the same way ads are so that you can have a wide range of content.
Some ways to use social media are talking about services you provide, educational videos regarding your behavioral health specialists, and adding personal touches about you or your staff. Providing content like that allows people to learn more about your behavioral health service while getting to know you. It creates that first bond of trust with your potential client and allows more brand awareness.
Blogging can be one of the best tools for reaching your target audience. It allows you to write detailed blogs that include information on what people search for. So when people ask a question online or search a phrase regarding your behavioral health specialty, your blogs will show up as a result that will answer their question.
Writing blogs will allow people to have a wealth of knowledge and get to know your behavioral health practice, clinic, or facility. It will also help establish credibility and show that you’re educated in the treatment they’re looking for. Organic content will be the key to reaching an audience searching for behavioral health services.
Are you interested in getting organic content services?* Learn more about Beacon Media + Marketing social media and blogging services!*
Measuring Success and ROI
Measuring success and ROI is essential for effective addiction marketing. Addiction treatment centers must track key performance indicators (KPIs) such as website traffic, social media engagement, and lead generation. Measuring the ROI of marketing efforts involves analyzing the cost of acquiring new patients versus the revenue generated. Addiction marketers must also consider the long-term benefits of marketing efforts, including increased brand awareness and reputation. By measuring success and ROI, addiction treatment centers can optimize their marketing strategies and improve their bottom line.
Ethics and Compliance in Addiction Marketing
Ethics and compliance are essential in addiction marketing. Addiction treatment centers must adhere to industry regulations and guidelines, including HIPAA and FDA regulations. Addiction marketers must also consider the ethical implications of marketing to vulnerable populations. Effective addiction marketing strategies must prioritize patient well-being and safety. By prioritizing ethics and compliance, addiction treatment centers can maintain a positive reputation and build trust with their audience.
Building Relationships and Partnerships
Building relationships and partnerships is essential in addiction marketing. Addiction treatment centers must build relationships with healthcare providers, insurance companies, and other stakeholders. Addiction marketers must also consider partnerships with advocacy groups and community organizations. Effective addiction marketing strategies must prioritize building relationships and partnerships. By building relationships and partnerships, addiction treatment centers can expand their reach and improve their reputation.
Team Up With Beacon Media + Marketing for Creative Behavioral Health Ads
Beacon Media + Marketing is a marketing agency that will help elevate your behavioral health service. Marketing can be highly time-consuming and challenging if you’re not sure what you’re doing. We’re here to create a marketing strategy to convert potential clients and bring you more brand awareness. The drug industry, for example, leverages marketing and advertising services to reach their target audience effectively.
We want to know the why being what you’re doing. At Beacon Media + Marketing, our expert team can help you find what makes your brand unique and use that to reach clients that identify with your brand.
You should consider outsourcing your marketing because it will allow you to have more time to treat your patients, and you’ll have the resources of expert marketers. We know what ads will be compliant and help convert clients.
Beacon Media + Marketing can offer marketing for behavioral health services that will upgrade your business. We offer services such as , social media content, blogging, paid advertising, and more. Your business will be taken to the next level when you choose us for your marketing services.
Written by JD Dawley, updated by Sara Jokela 1/2/25
Google advertising is the quickest and easiest way to get your mental health clinic on the first page of the search engine results page (SERP!)
With pay-per-click advertising on Google, increasing brand awareness, generating leads, and gaining conversions get accelerated. In order to make your marketing efforts effective, you’ll need to invest enough ad spend to be competitive in your field. Having a scalable digital marketing strategy is essential for mental health clinics to support rapid growth and efficient campaign spending. Effective digital marketing efforts can overcome challenges in account structure and media strategy, maximizing the efficiency of your marketing initiatives. You’ll be happy to hear: ROI for a Google Ads campaign is often very high and provides more immediate, measurable results than other “slow-burn” types of marketing.
You’ll want to continue reading if:
You’re building a therapy practice and feel it’s time to shift your marketing into a more aggressive and targeted phase.
You’re interested in using one of the most powerful forms of digital advertising available.
For this deep dive, we’ll be looking into how to advertising your mental health practice on Google can help you get the kind of ‘new client’ leads and results you’re looking for.
Google advertising comes in two varieties, each with its own flair. Google Ads campaigns are crucial for healthcare organizations to reach potential patients effectively, especially given the high volume of healthcare searches on Google.
Firstly, you have Google AdWords. In a nutshell, this is the advertising displayed directly on the search results page. Secondly, there is the Google Display Network. This is the network of popular websites that have granted Google advertising permissions to display ads in columns and banners on their various web pages.
What Is Google AdWords?
While Google AdWords look like typical search results, which show up at the top of your page after typing a search request into Google. (for example: google advertising in reno.) However, instead of being typical ‘search engine results’ — they’re actually paid advertisements.
Segmenting patient communication based on various mental health conditions can significantly improve marketing strategies and patient retention. To help users identify what they’re viewing (ex. ads vs. regular search engine results) Google indicates which listing is an ‘ad’ using a little, green “Ad” icon that’s located to the left of the URL. To learn more about how this is displayed on a typical Google search, keep reading.
Screenshot of A Google Search Sample Explained
Below is a screenshot of what we’re talking about. In this case, we used the term google advertising in reno for our Google search. As you can see, the top four results on this page are showing us the paid ad results. We know they are paid ads because that little green “Ad” icon is displayed next to the URL and just below the headline.
Tip: The top four Google results on a desktop and the top three Google results on a mobile device are paid ads.
Google AdWords Placements and character counts
Google AdWords placements have three primary components. Each of these are text-based and have minimum character count requirements. They are as follows:
Headline | 30 characters max
URL | 15 characters max + domain
Description | 90 characters max
Not only is it possible to customize these elements for your mental health clinic on the Google AdWords platform, but it’s highly recommended. Especially if you want the biggest impact on your ad spend.
Pay-Per-Click (PPC) advertising
Two terms for Google advertising you’ll need to familiarize yourself with are pay-per-click or PPC advertising. These two terms refer to what happens each time someone clicks on a Google Ad. Put simply:
The advertiser (aka. your mental health business) is charged a certain amount each and every time a user (aka. your potential client) clicks on the ad in order to learn more about the product or service that’s being advertised.
Organic search Results vs. Paid ads for mental health services
Everything below the Google AdWords placements on the search results page is called the organic results. These businesses display on Google’s SERP just below the top of page Google Ad results. The businesses that ranked on the first page of the search results without paying for ads are doing something right. The higher one can rank organically on the first page of a search, the better.
Tip: In the digital marketing universe, the term organic refers to anything online that is not specifically paid advertising.
Another essential digital marketing and advertising term to be aware of — search engine optimization takes a lot of time and work to achieve high organic ranking on Google. It also requires a cohesive SEO strategy that’s integrated between a mental healthcare business blog and website. Learn about Google E-A-T and its impact on your SEO strategy.
Importance of Having an Integrated Paid and Organic Strategy
At Beacon, we recommend an having a two pronged and integrated paid/organic marketing strategy for your mental healthcare clinic. This way, you can have your cake and eat it too. — Benefiting from the quick results Google advertising provides while investing in the long-term advantages of ranking your mental health clinic organically is a no brainer in our book!
What Is the Google Display Network?
Many popular websites generate (either a portion or all) of their revenue by allowing Google advertising across their pages. These websites are part of what’s called the Google Display Network (GDN), and are something you and your mental health clinic want to take every advantage of.
These advertisements are characteristically displayed in banner or column placement on the GDN website. The word, advertisement in small, grey text indicates to users that what they’re seeing is a paid ad. Once again, giving website users insight into what they’re viewing and potentially clicking on.
This screenshot from a BuzzFeed web page is an excellent example of how this looks. Notice the word advertisement above the LastPass ad in the right hand column:e word advertisement above the LastPass ad in the right hand column:
Unlike Google AdWords placements, Google Display ads are more than mere text-based ads. They can include:
headlines
descriptions
logos
graphics
Overall, Google Display ads are more diverse than Google AdWords. With their different formats available (sixteen at our last count) advertisers have a little more control over how their ads display to users.
Retargeting Ads Is a Bonus google display network feature
A common application of Google Display advertising referred to as retargeting. This is where you’re essentially telling Google, “I want you to show my ads to people who’ve just visited my mental health clinic’s website.”
Before taking the BuzzFeed screenshot above, we’d recently visited the LastPass website. As you can see in the screenshot, a LastPass ad now displays on this BuzzFeed website page. Google’s GDN retargeting functionality explains why the ad from LastPass is showing up here instead of, a totally irrelevant ad for a local plumber three states over.
Retargeting is highly effective for keeping your mental health clinic top of mind. It helps remind people of their interest in your mental health facility and encourages them to do what you want them to do — come back to your website.
Location Based Targeting with Geotargeting Ads
Another application of Google Display advertising is geotargeting or targeting based on location. Geotargeting is important for location-based companies. If you own a local clinic, you do not want to market your mental health services to the whole world. Instead, it’s best to people in your local area.
This ensures you’re not wasting advertising spend on unqualified leads who aren’t going to be looking for your services. Even if you’re a national mental health business, geotargeting allows you to invest your ad spend on locations you’ll see the most conversions and the highest return.
Create an account using your business email and website.
Tailor your experience with Smart or Expert mode.
Set your campaign goal and create your ad.
Set your budget and enter your payment information.
Before you start advertising, however, it’s important to understand a few things about how the Google advertising algorithm works.
How the Google Advertising Algorithm Works
Depending on your internet speed, it probably takes less than a second to perform a Google search. Because Google is so quick to return millions of results, we don’t realize how much work goes into every search. There’s a lot going on behind the scenes!
For starters, Google takes a look at all the businesses that want to show ads for the search using the Google ads platform, AdWords. Maybe it’s a search for something like, “feeling depressed counseling near me.”
If your mental health clinic provides these services and you’re targeting these searches through Google advertising, your business will be included in the list of companies Google looks at.
Using Google Keywords
How do you communicate to Google that you’re targeting these searches to a specific target audience? By bidding a monetary value on these search terms –better known as keywords– in Google AdWords.
Google determines who gets to show their ads for each search utilizing two metrics:
The maximum bid you’ve set for your specific keyword.
The quality score for your advertisement.
Understanding Maximum Bid and Quality Score
First, the maximum bid is the maximum amount you’re willing to pay if someone clicks on your Google advertisement (this is similar to pay-per-click). In the industry, this is also referred to as a cost-per-click or CPC bid.
Second, your quality score is a score the measures how relevant and valuable your ad is to Google’s search engine users. Something interesting to note here is that Google cares about the quality of their user’s experience. This is because, the better experience they have, the more they use Google, and the more money Google makes.
Google’s concern for the user experience benefits you because — the more users Google has, the more people see your ads! These two factors go into your quality score:
Past performance of your ad, ad group, and your account in general.
The relevance of your selected keyword, ad, and landing page to the search and to each other.
Understanding Ad Group and Landing Page
We have two new terms to define: ad group and landing page.
An ad group is the group of keywords that you are trying to show ads for.
A landing page is the page that you link your ad to.
There is an equation that governs which ads Google chooses for every search, and that is:
CPC Bid x Quality Score = Ad Rank
Understanding Ad Rank and Cost-per-impression
Your ad rank is the position your ad receives among the Google AdWords placements which are displayed at the top of the results page.
Up to this point, we’ve described the algorithm for Google AdWords placements and not covered the GDN. The algorithm for the Google Display Network is very similar.
The primary difference is that rather than bidding on clicks, you bid on impressions, which is the number of times your ad was displayed. This is called cost-per-impression or CPM bidding.
How Much Will Google Advertising Will Cost Your Mental Health Clinic?
As previously mentioned, Google advertising is pay-per-click. This means your mental health clinic foots the bill each time a potential client clicks on one of your ads. By setting a maximum bid, you are informing Google that, “This amount is the most I’m willing to pay.”
Sometimes the amount you actually pay in the end is much lower. When a search is performed, Google runs an equation that determining how much you pay if your ad is displayed and clicked on.
Here is that equation:
Next Highest Ad Rank/Quality Score + $0.01 = CPC
If you paid attention back in algebra class, you’ll see that the higher your quality score is, the lower your rate’s going to be.
In order to improve the user search experience, Google intentionally rewards advertisers for relevant, successful advertising. We cannot stress the importance of creating relevant Google advertisements enough!
Can Google Advertising Grow Your Mental Health Clinic?
If you’re asking, “Can Google advertising grow my mental health clinic?” We’re here to say, “That’s a great question!” And our answer is, “It depends.”
Consider Your Competitive Landscape
In addition to thinking about your bid and quality score, you also have to zoom out and consider the dynamics of your unique competitive landscape. Those dynamics, we can boing down into two things you’re competing with other Google advertisers about:
Your industry.
Your location.
Your location matters!
Some industries and locations are very competitive.
For example, in the legal industry in Anchorage, Alaska, we’ve seen cost-per-clicks as high as $50! In cases like this, unless our client makes a massive profit off each customer they bring in, we wouldn’t recommend Google advertising at a CPC this high.
In other industries and locations, you have an excellent chance of “making it” among the Google ads. Here are some commonly searched terms in the U.S. for mental health professionals by industry:
What you’re looking for here is a high number of average monthly searches with low to medium competition.
Identifying Reasonable Bids
A good question to ask at this point is, “How do you know know what levels of bids are reasonable?”
Here are Google AdWords benchmarks for a wide variety of industries:
Source: WordStream (at the date of this blog post).
Looking here, you can see that the average cost-per-click for the health and medical industry is in the mid-range at $2.62 per click. This makes sense when weLooking here, you can see that the average cost-per-click for the health and medical industry is in the mid-range at $2.62 per click. This makes sense when we average the high end of the bids from the data in our table.
On a national scale, the mental health industry in the U.S. is fairly average when it comes to competition for ad campaigns. As this is a national average, it’s still important to closely examine the competition in your locality and use that to inform your advertising decisions rather than relying on a national average for your benchmark numbers.
Learn about and utilize best practices
Even if your locality has a high level of competition, there’s a lot you can do to help lower your Google advertising rate. PPC advertising can effectively target individuals seeking mental health services and highlight non-profit campaigns aimed at eliminating the stigma surrounding mental illness. Here at Beacon, we regularly achieve lower than industry standard rates for our clients. This is in part due to the fact we use a few, key best practices.
Here are a few of our favorites:
Spend $300 per month on each mental health service you want to advertise (we recommend more). This typically translates to the minimum cost-per-click you want to be bidding on each keyword in your ad group. You’ll want a total of 1-3 ad groups.
Find a niche that makes your mental health clinic different and use it in your keyword choices. The more unique you can make the keywords you’re targeting, the less competition for them you’ll encounter, and the more likely you’ll bring in the patients you’re hoping for! For example, we helped one dentist achieve excellent results through Google advertising. We did this by focusing on the functional aspect of her practice, and used the words “functional,” “holistic,” and “integrative” in her ads.
Develop relevant ads and landing pages. Again, the relevance of your Google advertising campaign is going to determine its success above all else. Make sure the keyword you’re targeting shows up in your: ad headline, description, and on the web page you are linking that specific ad to.
Creating Effective Ad Campaigns
Keyword Research for Mental Health Services
Keyword research is a crucial step in creating effective ad campaigns for mental health services. It involves identifying the keywords and phrases that potential clients are likely to use when searching for mental health support. By incorporating these keywords into your ad copy and landing pages, you can increase the visibility of your ads and attract more relevant traffic to your website.
To conduct keyword research for mental health services, you can use tools like Google Keyword Planner, Ahrefs, or SEMrush. These tools allow you to identify relevant keywords, analyze their search volume and competition, and determine the best keywords to target for your ad campaigns.
Some examples of keywords that may be relevant for mental health services include:
“mental health services near me”
“anxiety treatment”
“depression counseling”
“therapy for trauma”
“mental health clinic”
By targeting these keywords, you can create ad campaigns that are more likely to resonate with your target audience and drive conversions.
Optimize Ad Copy for Empathy and Relevance
Optimizing ad copy for empathy and relevance is critical for creating effective ad campaigns for mental health services. Your ad copy should reflect a deep understanding of the emotional states and challenges faced by individuals seeking mental health support.
To optimize your ad copy, focus on using language that is compassionate, supportive, and non-judgmental. Avoid using clinical jargon or terms that may be triggering or stigmatizing. Instead, use relatable and reassuring language that conveys a message of hope and assistance.
Some examples of empathetic ad copy for mental health services include:
“You’re not alone in your struggle. Our mental health services are here to support you.”
“Take the first step towards healing. Our therapy services are designed to help you overcome anxiety and depression.”
“Find hope and healing with our mental health clinic. Our compassionate team is here to support you every step of the way.”
By optimizing your ad copy for empathy and relevance, you can create ad campaigns that resonate with your target audience and drive conversions.
Landing Pages and Conversion Optimization
Create Informative Landing Pages
Creating informative landing pages are critical for converting visitors into clients. Your landing pages should provide detailed information about your mental health services, including the benefits, treatment approaches, and what to expect from your services.
To create effective landing pages, focus on the following elements:
Clear and concise headlines that communicate the benefits of your services
Detailed descriptions of your services, including treatment approaches and what to expect
Testimonials from satisfied clients that demonstrate the effectiveness of your services
Calls-to-action that encourage visitors to take the next step
A clear and easy-to-use navigation menu that allows visitors to find the information they need quickly and easily
Some examples of informative landing pages for mental health services include:
A page that provides an overview of your mental health clinic, including your mission, values, and services offered.
A page that describes your therapy services, including the treatment approaches used and what to expect from sessions.
A page that provides information about your mental health professionals, including their credentials, experience, and areas of specialty.
By creating informative landing pages, you can increase the chances of converting visitors into clients and driving revenue for your mental health practice.
Should You Outsource Your Mental Health Google Advertising?
At this juncture, you may be thinking, “Google advertising is not exactly quick and easy!” True, maybe not the first few times, but once you get the hang of it, Google advertising is will get you on the first page of Google much quicker than relying on organic results alone.
If you’re just getting started or are planning to launch your private practice or mental health clinic in the near future, we hope this information gives you a leg-up! If not and you are interested in outsourcing your Google advertising to an expert, we would love to help you. Our team at Beacon is Google Partner certified and we’ve helped many businesses in the mental health industry register new patients.
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