According to recent research, about half of the people on earth can expect to face at least one mental disorder by the time they turn 75. Though once viewed as a shameful secret, disorders, including substance use disorders, have seen something of a renaissance of destigmatization and normalization in recent years, thanks in large part to the internet and Generation Z. As a result of this shift in thinking, thankfully more and more people have begun seeking behavioral healthcare. Those seeking care are often in crisis requiring providers to not only be fast, but empathetic. One unexpected source powering these to crucial connections? Marketing attribution tools.

Better behavioral healthcare

Marketing attribution links customer communications to the advertising channels they originated from. Alone, attribution might not seem like a likely avenue for creating better care, but the data it unlocks has the power to benefit both those in need of behavioral healthcare and behavioral healthcare organizations.

1. Improved understanding

Marketing attribution tools can help behavioral healthcare organizations better understand how those seeking care are finding their services. This information gives insight into their journey from call (or click) to care and can be used to identify the marketing touchpoints that are most important to connect to people in their time of need. Understanding what encourages someone to take the first step helps successfully bridge the gap between someone asking for behavioral health help and getting them into treatment.

Once someone calls a behavioral healthcare organization, sophisticated AI tools can instantly determine important details about the call to facilitate the most effective follow-up. Was the call urgent? Who was calling? What was their specific concern? Automated call scoring determines which calls agents need to focus on first so they no longer waste time listening to voicemails and spend more time speaking to potential patients at the most critical times. These tools also provide agents with call summaries to uncover the underlying sentiment, personalize their communications and, ultimately, get the caller the most relevant care they need.

2. Customized messaging

Keyword spotting, transcriptions and sentiment analysis can all help teams pinpoint their most effective ads, keywords and campaigns, and further define their buyer personas. This ensures the right message is being communicated to the right audience.

For example, loved ones of those with behavioral issues often reach out first. The messaging and communication platform may be different for them than it is for those who are seeking help for themselves.

Call tracking ties phone calls to the source (ad, channel, keyword) driving them and obtains visitor details that can inform marketing teams’ strategies. With more information about your prospects and customers, along with which ads resonate most with them, marketers can gain a better understanding of their efforts and how their audience receives them. Though behavioral health needs are a sensitive topic that many may struggle to discuss, the right messages successfully connecting with the right audience can be the catalyst needed for someone to seek help. 

3. Complete visibility with closed-loop attribution

Marketing attribution that includes call tracking gives marketing and sales teams complete attribution visibility, even when the activity goes offline. Online activity is usually easy for marketers to track but can become challenging when the activity moves offline like with a phone call or text.

Call tracking helps overcome that challenge. Many organizations focus on online activity, but if a business gets any amount of incoming calls, it needs call tracking to connect the leads. Accounting for calls is crucial when it comes to behavioral healthcare because most connections in this industry come by phone. Understanding the caller’s path and which ads and campaigns are motivating them to reach out will help you know precisely what’s helping this sensitive audience take action.

The full data from closed-loop attribution can help teams identify patterns, maximize high-performing ads, drive conversions and replicate messaging to reach more people and increase their impact.

For example, if the caregivers of those in need of help are most active on Facebook, then the Facebook messaging and keywords can be geared towards them while other platforms may want messaging more focused on the person in need of help.

4. Cultivate relationships built on trust

When it comes to behavioral healthcare, time is critical, and connecting those in need with care can’t wait. The faster teams and behavioral healthcare organizations can establish trust with a potential patient, the better.

Automation tools used with marketing attribution insights can expedite that trust-building process. For example, a virtual agent can provide immediate assistance and also ensure every interaction has a consistent tone and messaging. This consistency reinforces an organization’s branding, which fosters trust with those reaching out.

AI-powered tools that summarize calls and extract the sentiment also help build trust by keeping agents informed about previous calls from the same person — what they were about, who called and what suggestions were made. This data removes the need for the caller to reiterate previously shared information, speeding up the process and leading to a better, more personalized experience.

Teams failing to invest in marketing attribution that includes call tracking are wasting time and money. Marketing attribution platforms with call tracking are vital, especially for behavioral healthcare teams. Connecting calls to the channels that inspired calling helps marketers route the right messages to the right people and, ultimately, save lives.

Editor’s Note:  Todd Fisher is co-founder and CEO of CallTrackingMetrics. Todd founded the business in 2012 with his wife, Laure, in their basement and together have grown it into a Inc. 500-rated, top-ranked call management platform serving over 30,000 businesses around the world

Todd developed the initial software and as the CEO he continues to be the driving technical force of the company. Prior to CallTrackingMetrics, Todd co-founded SimoSoftware before selling it to RevolutionHealth in 2005. In 2009, Todd helped co-found Captico LLC, providing online software solutions for small businesses looking to accelerate their marketing and online presence.