Johns Hopkins recently reported that mental health implications of the pandemic may continue long after the physical health consequences have resolved. The research contributes to our understanding of how environmental crises can lead to mental health challenges, including loneliness, acute stress, anxiety and depression. In the case of COVID-19, the added stress of social distancing is having its own unique aftermath.
The circumstances of our world through this global health crisis led to an increasing number of individuals seeking mental health support.
More than “Behavioral Health Providers Near Me”
In a world that is rapidly changing, providers in the mental health field must be nimble in their marketing strategies.
While the natural shift of the world around us will drive patient counts and revenues, at its core more awareness of available services drive more patients to access it.
Now is the Time to Consider your Content Strategy
Content builds trust by offering more in-depth connections with your new and existing patients. But it does more than adding depth to existing relationships. Over time it elevates your position in search results, especially when you’ve included key terminology that your audience might be searching.
That means that patients that truly need your services will find them more easily. That has never been more important than right now.
If you’re lacking a regular content stream that positions your practice or firm as the subject matter experts, start small. It doesn’t need to be complex to be effective. Americans spend an average of 198 minutes on their mobile devices each day. There’s plenty of content out there to consume, and some of it should be yours.
GETTING STARTED
- Decide how frequently you can really write something in order for its release to be regularly paced. Ask yourself: can I pen 5 paragraphs on a single subject every other week? Or, can I take 4 photos per week and describe them with captions? Both are acceptable, and both are great elements of a larger strategy. Pick what’s right for you.
- Write it down. Make a plan that surrounds the subject matter you know well and branch off of a central theme. Remember, you’re writing for patients, not for your peers, so use familiar terminology and themes that will have impact. You might wish to focus on those unlikely to self-identify needed mental health services. Headlines like “how much anxiety is too much” or “when you know you need help” might not draw them in. But “tips for managing high-stress environments” or “recognizing fatigue” might.
- Write content in a place that you own or manage. That means your blog or website, or one dedicated to you. Then promote that piece of content in a single location, like Facebook. Starting small means just that: pen and promote. Then repeat at regular intervals.
It’s Content Marketing, not Self-Promotion
Healthcaresuccess.com said it well, “Self-promotion is self-defeating. In contrast to direct response advertising, content marketing engenders a relationship over immediate action. The reader or recipient gains a profoundly greater sense of trust and believability from material that is unbiased. An impartial and informative voice is convincing and reliable.”
Outcomes in content marketing, as in healthcare, take time. Be patient, but consistent. Content marketing is about your audience finding you, in their natural internet travels. When paired with promotional methods that reap immediate rewards, such as pay-per-click or search engine marketing, social media or display, you’ll balance the natural tendency for your audience to seek answers, with their desire to convert as a new patient.
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