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Addiction Problem High-level Solution Business definition details benefits epidemic solution Treatment marketing in the addiction space is a sensitive complex subject, The Google s Creating Beyond

1 Addiction Problem High-level Solution Business definition details benefits epidemic solution Treatment marketing in the addiction space is a sensitive complex subject, The Google s Creating Beyond addiction helping a stated viable epidemic reason people successful for get in restricting the United right content information the States marketing number has become for of strategy ads pursuing tied one can to of the Google has said certain players in the market have been providing misleading drug be worst information a smooth rehab public via keywords their health process. advertising crises Ways that practices. the to the country get practice Many on the has people right can ever suffering be path experienced. misleading when from addiction it comes for addicts content to have been or marketing. seeing their advertisements loved ones. include: for facilities that were unable to meet their needs or A even report put from their the lives U.S. in jeopardy. Surgeon General This is both estimates counterproductive that one out of every unethical seven toward people The primary cost for content marketing is time making it one of the most affordable ways to attract new leads for addiction treatment centers. Once the content is written, It it can is important be placed for on addiction the facility s treatment website facilities at no additional to take into cost, account it the can headspace continue to of Substance Abuse Mental Health Services the individuals searching for rehab services. The tone should be compassionate, yet Administration found that as many as 90 percent of people who most need drug rehab do not receive it. Among people who do receive treatment for addiction, between The New York 40 loved one. Relationships are essential in rehabilitation to help people feel comfortable convert non-clients into clients. Putting with staff together know that they a are stout ethical, caring, content supportive. team. Google Adwords, a popular marketing tool for businesses of all industries, can be they Content particularly turn marketing topics important for can information pieces business should cover Google ideally owners a wide is be the with developed variety largest small of referral advertising subject by an expert for areas, addiction budgets. including the subject treatment. Many former matter Treatment client rehabilitation testimonials, with facilities exceptional facilities explanations play rely writing on important such skills. of advertising treatment role If that in person the modalities campaigns public does health not to make medications, exist effort in-house sure against information prevention or no one about has the strategies addiction the their time to services avoid to crisis, dedicate relapse, so can the reach to information a new any patients other responsibility, available all topic over that the there about touches country. are them many on must issues ways be A relevant to accessible study contract conducted to a an by outside client s reliable. journey writer to from create addiction accurate to sobriety. clean copy for you. will people face with a substance addiction, abuse Google issue claims. in their lifetime which has inevitably caused a Content Understing rapid expansion marketing, the rehab the facility audience. industry. the other h, Why Addiction Facilities is In response, transparent. in September 2017 Google began restricting the advertisements that appear Unfortunately, serve as when evergreen somebody a survey advertising conducted searches when for by leveraged addiction the treatment. social media We found accounts. a number of Need misleading informed to experiences authoritative. Focus among rehabilitation on treatment Content centers that led to our Content decision, marketing Google spokeswoman is an advertising Elisa strategy Greene that said employs in statement online to content such as Content marketing can also start a relationship with a prospective client or their 60 percent of people with addictions recover. Marketing Times. Summary July 2017 revealed that alcohol, drug, smoking addiction keywords accounted for $35.2 New Addiction ad million restrictions treatment paid from centers search Google ad can spending produce have placed during content increased that that time. promotes pressure their on addiction treatment Conducting frequent research. treatment philosophy, facilities methodology, to diversify medical their staff, advertising facilities, efforts. other important features, all It of In is the which important wake can of inform to these stay prospective advertising up-to-date rule clients on the changes, or latest their treatment addiction loved ones modalities about rehabilitation what exactly studies facilities they in Substance can have expect abuse seen fewer from impressions the professionals treatment must on program. balance their sites, Doing the which so need is is directly important to combat associated because stigmatization order to provide prospective clients with timely, reliable information. Timely with it reinforces revenue posts of feelings addiction potential. of Since trust issues ad while space comfort. staying competitive in the addiction treatment market. can encourage real conversations related to through searches comments, like drug which rehab has or alcohol a compounding Content marketing serves as an excellent opportunity to control the narrative treatment of To addiction that end, content marketing is a cost-conscious, promote Content that treatment visibility attracts on search contribute engages engines. visitors to ongoing can ultimately education affect for potential placement clients in search their effective results. loved Timely ones. health means content of can promoting br facilities as a an business authority, which while can build Pursuing a variety of ideas. br reputation. More content on a website means more reasons for people to visit a communicating Content page regularly. marketing Every should page not essential added be a goes simple into information. regurgitation Google s page of index, the services which offered can increase at the the treatment likelihood facility. of visibility. Evergreen content about addiction in general, family dynamics, Given sober living, the changes, major information content areas all have marketing a place on a facility s should website. be Kick-starting an effective content marketing the preferred method of marketing for addiction Matching treatment ideas facilities. with the appropriate sharing pieces can pay short- long-term dividends. medium. Some pieces of content may do well on Facebook, while others may have more reach on Instagram. Consider the intended audience for the content itself. For example, if the post is geared toward support for loved ones, Facebook may be the best medium, as it tends to draw an older crowd. Content is not limited to just words photos, videos, infographics should all be incorporated as often as possible to draw the eye. MAY JUNE 2018 WHY ADDICTION FACILITIES NEED TO FOCUS ON CONTENT MARKETING / 6

2 Addiction epidemic The addiction epidemic in the United States has become one of the worst public health crises the country has ever experienced. A report from the U.S. Surgeon General estimates that one out of every seven people will face a substance abuse issue in their lifetime which has inevitably caused a rapid expansion in the rehab facility industry. Unfortunately, a survey conducted by the Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration found that as many as 90 percent of people who most need drug rehab do not receive it. Among people who do receive treatment for addiction, between percent of people with addictions recover. When individuals or their loved ones need help, the Internet is typically the first place they turn to for information Google is the largest referral for addiction treatment. Treatment facilities play an important role in the public health effort against the addiction crisis, so the information available about them must be accessible reliable. New ad restrictions from Google have placed increased pressure on addiction treatment facilities to diversify their advertising efforts. To that end, content marketing is a cost-conscious, effective means of promoting a business while communicating essential information. WHY ADDICTION FACILITIES NEED TO FOCUS ON CONTENT MARKETING 2 /6

3 Problem definition Treatment marketing in the addiction space is a sensitive complex subject, Google has said certain players in the market have been providing misleading information via their advertising practices. Many people suffering from addiction have been seeing advertisements for facilities that were unable to meet their needs or even put their lives in jeopardy. This is both counterproductive unethical toward people with addiction, Google claims. In response, in September 2017 Google began restricting the advertisements that appear when somebody searches for addiction treatment. We found a number of misleading experiences among rehabilitation treatment centers that led to our decision, Google spokeswoman Elisa Greene said in a statement to The New York Times. Google Adwords, a popular marketing tool for businesses of all industries, can be particularly important for business owners with small advertising budgets. Many rehabilitation facilities rely on such advertising campaigns to make sure information about their services can reach patients all over the country. A study conducted by media analysis firm Kantar Media that analyzed searches between August 2016 July 2017 revealed that alcohol, drug, smoking addiction keywords accounted for $35.2 million in paid search ad spending during that time. In the wake of these advertising rule changes, addiction rehabilitation facilities have seen fewer impressions on their sites, which is directly associated with revenue potential. Since ad space related to searches like drug rehab or alcohol treatment centers is no longer available, addiction treatment facilities must find other ways to promote visibility on search engines. Given the changes, content marketing should be the preferred method of marketing for addiction treatment facilities. WHY ADDICTION FACILITIES NEED TO FOCUS ON CONTENT MARKETING 3 /6

4 High-level solution Google s stated reason for restricting the number of ads tied to drug rehab keywords is that the practice can be misleading for addicts or their loved ones. Content marketing, on the other h, is transparent. Content marketing is an advertising strategy that employs online content such as blogs, videos, infographics to reach a specific target audience, drive steady traffic, convert non-clients into clients. Content topics can should cover a wide variety of subject areas, including former client testimonials, explanations of treatment modalities medications, prevention strategies to avoid relapse, or any other topic that touches on issues relevant to a client s journey from addiction to sobriety. Addiction treatment centers can produce content that promotes their treatment philosophy, methodology, medical staff, facilities, other important features, all of which can inform prospective clients or their loved ones about what exactly they can expect from the treatment program. Doing so is important because it reinforces feelings of trust comfort. Content that attracts engages visitors can ultimately affect placement in search results. Timely health content can br facilities as an authority, which can build br reputation. More content on a website means more reasons for people to visit a page regularly. Every page added goes into Google s page index, which can increase the likelihood of visibility. WHY ADDICTION FACILITIES NEED TO FOCUS ON CONTENT MARKETING 4 /6

5 Solution details Creating a viable successful content marketing strategy can be a smooth process. Ways to get on the right path when it comes to content marketing include: Understing the audience. It is important for addiction treatment facilities to take into account the headspace of the individuals searching for rehab services. The tone should be compassionate, yet informed authoritative. Putting together a stout content team. Content marketing pieces should ideally be developed by an expert in the subject matter with exceptional writing skills. If that person does not exist in-house or no one has the time to dedicate to a new responsibility, there are many ways to contract an outside writer to create accurate clean copy for you. Conducting frequent research. It is important to stay up-to-date on the latest treatment modalities studies in order to provide prospective clients with timely, reliable information. Timely posts can encourage real conversations through comments, which has a compounding effect on site traffic. Pursuing a variety of ideas. Content marketing should not be a simple regurgitation of the services offered at the treatment facility. Evergreen content about addiction in general, family dynamics, sober living, major information areas all have a place on a facility s website. Matching ideas with the appropriate sharing medium. Some pieces of content may do well on Facebook, while others may have more reach on Instagram. Consider the intended audience for the content itself. For example, if the post is geared toward support for loved ones, Facebook may be the best medium, as it tends to draw an older crowd. Content is not limited to just words photos, videos, infographics should all be incorporated as often as possible to draw the eye. WHY ADDICTION FACILITIES NEED TO FOCUS ON CONTENT MARKETING 5 /6

6 Business benefits Beyond helping people get the right information for pursuing treatment, there are several other benefits associated with content marketing. The primary cost for content marketing is time making it one of the most affordable ways to attract new leads for addiction treatment centers. Once the content is written, it can be placed on the facility s website at no additional cost, it can continue to serve as evergreen advertising when leveraged on social media accounts. Content marketing can also start a relationship with a prospective client or their loved one. Relationships are essential in rehabilitation to help people feel comfortable with staff know that they are ethical, caring, supportive. Summary Substance abuse professionals must balance the need to combat stigmatization of addiction issues while staying competitive in the addiction treatment market. Content marketing serves as an excellent opportunity to control the narrative of addiction treatment contribute to ongoing education for potential clients their loved ones. Kick-starting an effective content marketing strategy is not a long or difficult process. Written pieces can pay short- long-term dividends. WHY ADDICTION FACILITIES NEED TO FOCUS ON CONTENT MARKETING 6 /6

ULTIMATE GUIDE TO SOBER LIVING HOUSES

ULTIMATE GUIDE TO SOBER LIVING HOUSES A halfway house, aka sober living houses (SLH), is a coed or gender-restricted transitional living facility, for people in early recovery from alcohol and or drug