How to Design a Mental Health Marketing Strategy

Now more than ever, mental health marketing strategies are essential for educating your communities and empowering them to seek the appropriate care.

It’s a painful reality: Many of our colleagues and community members are currently experiencing depression, drug abuse and other emotional and behavioral issues at unprecedented rates.

While certain demographics suffer from mental health concerns more than others, these issues affect all members of the community, cutting across gender, racial and socioeconomic lines.

From depression caused by losing family members and jobs to anxiety and burnout from being overworked, these are serious issues with life-threatening implications if not addressed.

Consider these alarming statistics:

• During August 2020 and February 2021, the percentage of adults with recent symptoms of anxiety or depression increased from 36.4% to 41.5%. (CDC)
• Suicide is the second leading cause of death among individuals between the ages of 10 and 34, and the fourth leading cause of death among individuals between the ages of 35 and 54. (CDC)
• 60% of youth with major depression do not receive any mental health treatment—and even in states with the greatest access, over 38% are not receiving the mental health services they need. (Mental Health America)
• The average delay between onset of mental illness symptoms and treatment is 11 years. (National Alliance on Mental Illness)

As customer advocates, healthcare marketers are uniquely qualified to engage individuals and their families who are struggling with mental health issues and guide them to the support they need.

Creating awareness and empowerment with mental health marketing

As a result of COVID-19, Google reported a major spike in searches related to mental health issues like anxiety and panic attacks and their treatment options. At the same time, multiple studies reveal a strong link between heavy social media use and an increased risk for depression, anxiety, loneliness, self-harm and even suicidal thoughts.

To address these issues, healthcare providers are prioritizing mental health services. The challenge is overcoming the stigma associated with mental health, creating awareness of the services offered and reducing friction for those seeking help.

It’s also important to consider that a majority of your target audience will be people seeking support for a loved one, and looking for guidance on where to seek help.

The pillar of an effective mental health marketing strategy is high-quality content designed to meet search demand, while also helping consumers understand what they’re experiencing and find the help they need. HIPAA-compliant digital promotion through paid search, social media, native advertising and streaming services are effective ways to drive awareness and engagement.

Serving as a resource to your community during moments of need and heightened insecurity will position your organization as a trusted resource, fostering a long-term relationship with individuals and their families. Whether your mental health service line comprises inpatient and/or outpatient care, we’re here to help.

Mental health marketing services that make an impact

At True North Custom, we partner with healthcare organizations nationwide to connect patients with the care they need across all service lines. Our mental health marketing services are specifically designed to interact with consumers at their moment of need, inform them of the need for care and inspire them to take the appropriate action.

We also know that capacity in mental health services can be challenging, and we align our proposed strategies to the population health aspect of raising awareness and education around these issues.

Our integrated suite of mental health digital marketing services include:

• Blog and social content—strategic content and SEO focused on mental health topics and designed around your organization’s services and access points
• Paid search campaigns—cost-effective targeting and turnkey execution of mental health marketing campaigns to connect people most urgently seeking help
• Social media marketing—precision targeting on Facebook and Instagram that educates and engages your target audience
• Unique landing pages—highly targeted with strategic, clear and conversion-focused content and calls to action that remove the guesswork from getting help
• Reporting and optimization—real-time access to analytics dashboards, plus regular reporting discussions to drive ongoing campaign optimizations

As a leading agency for mental health marketing services, we’re here to help guide your community to better health and grow volume for these essential services.