The Secret to Converting Clicks into Patients

About 50 million people in the U.S. have a mental health disorder, yet only about half seek treatment. Our goal at Content Journey is to help you provide information that encourages people to seek the treatment they need and deserve.  

And we’ve had success reaching this goal for our clients. All the treatment centers we work with have increased admission – one mental health treatment center even went on a year-long waiting list after our partnership. 

We’ll let you in on a secret. We can help you get the same results too. In 10 easy steps, you learn how to convert clicks into patients by: 

• Revamping your message to resonate with potential clients’ needs and concerns
• Harnessing the power of content marketing, social proof, and online advertising
• Establishing a strong, overall online presence that will help you acquire new clients

This post explains more.

Step 1: Understand Your Audience

You can’t convert website clicks into patients if you don’t know who your potential clients are. Start by defining your target audience, including their needs and concerns. Your research might show your target audience is similar to those who already use your services. If so, ask your current clients why they ultimately chose your practice or treatment center. Did your website give off a great first impression compared to others? Was it a one-stop shop for all of their health-related questions?

Research shows consumers form opinions of a website in just 50 milliseconds – faster than a blink of an eye. Understanding your audience allows you to tailor your messaging toward their pain points and how your services can improve their lives. 

Step 2: Build Trust with Transparency and Authenticity

Living with a mental health disorder can be challenging. The same is true when asking for professional help. It takes courage for potential clients to venture outside their comfort zones and find a treatment center that genuinely cares about their well-being. 

Have you heard the quote, “Say what you mean and mean what you say?” 

That’s what you need to do with your marketing.

Eliminate any fears about your treatment center’s sincerity by establishing an identity of transparency and authenticity across all your marketing efforts. As something as sensitive as healthcare marketing, your content – whether on your website, social media, or other platforms – can’t resemble bait-and-switch tactics. Don’t guarantee a service or result your treatment center can’t provide or make it seem like treatment will be easy or a fast fix. Be realistic without frightening a potentially vulnerable audience.

Step 3: Harness the Benefits of Content Marketing

Build upon the trust you establish by creating valuable content for your potential clients. Remember all the needs you discovered when you defined your target audience? Center your content around those. Anything of value to your clients should also be of value to you. 

Engaging content ideas could include: 

• Answering any mental health questions or concerns in an informative blog post 
• Showcasing the positive aspects of life after treatment in a video testimonial 
• Providing daily self-care or wellness tips through social media infographics
• Keeping potential, current, and former clients updated about programming through a regular newsletter 

Content marketing is more than throwing information at potential clients. It allows you to establish your practice as authoritative, increase brand awareness, and further nurture relationships outside your treatment center’s walls. 

Step 4: Optimize Landing Pages for Conversions

Your treatment center is now steps closer to converting your target audience’s clicks into a current client status. You have their attention thanks to your engaging content, yet it’s time to seal the deal with compelling landing pages.

Your landing pages can make or break whether a potential client schedules an appointment or retreats back to search. They are taking a leap of faith to trust you with their mental health, but it’s difficult to do so if your website is clunky, slow, or resembles an encyclopedia. It’s also not a promising sign if they can’t find background information about your treatment staff. No one wants to be catfished – especially with their mental health on the line.

Keep your landing pages simple and engaging. Implement clear, compelling call-to-actions (CTAs) according to CTA best practices across every page. If you’re unsure which changes are resulting in conversions, use A/B testing to experiment with page elements. It’ll help you answer questions such as, “Did this page format perform better than the other?” or “Are the CTAs at the top of the page converting more than those toward the bottom?”

Lastly, don’t forget to check how each landing page looks on mobile. Even a one-second delay in your page response could result in a 7% reduction in conversions. 

Step 5: Leverage the Power of Social Proof

Have you ever moved cities and had to find a new healthcare provider? If you didn’t form friendships yet, you most likely relied on online reviews to make your decision. This example shows the power of social proof.

Similar to staff bios on your website, testimonials and success stories sprinkled throughout your landing pages, content marketing, and even on your Google business listing help confirm potential clients’ trust. Almost 90% of consumers check online reviews before making a purchase, including buy-in to your treatment center’s services.

Step 6: Craft Irresistible Lead Magnets

No matter your age, everyone loves a freebie. The free snack cart is out at Costco again? Score! A 50% off coupon to your favorite store since you handed over your email address? Best day ever! As a mental health provider, you can entice the same level of excitement too. High-value incentives paired with lead magnets allow you to pique your potential client’s interest while gaining their contact information in return. 

Types of lead magnets for healthcare professionals may include: 

• Free mental health worksheets or self-care checklists 
• Downloadable graphics with daily affirmations
• Insider access to gated email content or blogs 
• Interactive content, such as personality quizzes
• An Amazon list of wellness books and resources

Step 7: Incorporate Local SEO 

Local search engine optimization (SEO) is a straightforward tactic for higher conversions. You probably use local SEO in your personal life without realizing it. Any time you search for a specific business followed by phrases like “near me” or “in xyz city” (i.e., “coffee shops in Oklahoma City”), that’s local SEO at work.  

Local SEO is especially beneficial if you’re trying to attract clients that are new to your area. Don’t miss the opportunity to reach these people. 

Make it easy the next time someone searches “treatment center near me” by claiming your Google My Business listing. Other ways to implement local SEO is to dedicate a service page to your treatment center’s location or create content specific to your community. 

Step 8: Personalize, Personalize, Personalize 

It’s no secret that people love to feel special. It’s why customization services – from small businesses that offer monogram services to large corporations like Apple’s engraved AirPods cases – are so popular. It’s personalization psychology in action. 

Client acquisition for your treatment center can benefit from personalization too. No one client is the same, so why treat them like they are? Take notes from the businesses mentioned above and customize every step of a client’s customer journey based on their preferences.

This customization might mean offering personalized suggestions and follow-ups through segmented email marketing lists. It could also involve improving your user experience to provide a seamless online booking experience (which 68% of patients prefer!).

Step 9: Leverage Social Media for Potential Client Conversions

In today’s world, almost everyone is on social media. About 90% of the U.S. population alone is considered active on social media. Social media lends your treatment center the perfect opportunity to reach an entire online world of potential clients. Use the valuable content you’ve already created and repurpose it for a consistent social media presence. 

Strike a balance between sharing helpful information versus engaging with your social media followers. When they are the focus, your followers feel seen and heard – a subtle reinforcement of how they’ll feel when they become a client at your mental health treatment center.  

Step 10: Increase Impact with Online Advertising 

Lastly, a sure way to get eyes on your treatment center (and to book appointments) is by budgeting for online advertising. Paid strategies can be one of the faster options to reach potential clients with the help they need. 

Paid tactics include: 

• Pay-Per-Click Campaigns (PPC). PPC campaigns allow you to put your ads directly in front of potential clients. 
• Social Media Ads. Similar to PPC campaigns, social media ads let you place your ads into your potential clients’ social media feeds. 
• Display Ads. These ads are planted along the top banner of your website or others. 

No matter which type of paid digital advertising you implement, always measure your return on investment (ROI) to confirm which strategy is working in your favor or might need some tweaking. Continuous adjustments will remove any guesswork about the road to more conversions.

Converting Clicks into Patients with Content Journey’s Help

You now know the secrets to best reach potential clients with your mental health services and convince them to become clients. Need assistance honing in on one or all of the above? Let Content Journey help! Our team of experts have a track record showing we can help convert your clicks into patients. Contact us today, so we can begin directing potential clients to you sooner rather than later.