In the complex world of behavioral health marketing, knowing which metrics truly matter can mean the difference between sustainable growth and wasted budgets. On Episode 2 of MasterMined, hosts Mark Scrivner, Lee Pepper, and Jeff Skillen unpack the importance of data-driven decision-making, especially when managing marketing efforts for treatment centers and behavioral health organizations.
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Why KPIs Are Crucial in Behavioral Health
Too often, marketing departments rely on hand-me-down KPIs from finance or operations—such as census data or cost per admit—that are actually lagging indicators. Instead, behavioral health leaders must identify leading indicators like:
- Qualified lead volume
- Phone call trends
- Form fill submissions
- Conversion rates by channel (organic, paid, business development, alumni)
Creating and Owning Your Own KPIs
According to the episode, every center must create its own set of marketing KPIs. These need to be tailored to each program’s strategy, market position, and service offerings. Whether you’re running addiction treatment marketing or mental health campaigns, metrics must align with your business goals and brand identity.
From Vanity Metrics to Real Results
Engagement on social media is not a silver bullet. It’s top-of-funnel. The real action happens deeper, where intent-driven content, SEO optimization, and targeted campaigns lead to calls, chats, and form fills. These are the conversion points that drive actual admissions.
“You don’t need to create demand. The demand already exists. You just need to capture it.” – Lee Pepper
The Power of a Unified Strategy
A recurring theme in the episode is alignment—between marketing, admissions, and operations. The most successful programs treat marketing as a strategic portfolio, not a scattershot effort. Your marketing portfolio should include:
- Business development activities
- Digital advertising and SEO
- Alumni outreach
- Call center training
- Technology tools like CallRail, CTM, Invoca, and CRM integrations
Training the Admissions Team: Your Frontline Converts
Your admissions team is your front door. If calls go unanswered, or form fills are responded to 24 hours later, you’ve lost a lead. Training in motivational interviewing, scripting, and understanding the marketing message ensures every team member is prepared to convert leads into admissions.
Moreover, listening to call recordings and tracking trends with tools like CallRail and AI-powered analytics can uncover content gaps, customer pain points, and unmet needs—all of which can refine your marketing strategy further.
Budgeting Based on Net Revenue
Another key insight: your marketing spend should be roughly 10% of your net revenue, especially if you’re a well-established treatment center. Startups may need to invest more upfront to build brand equity and SEO traction before launch.
“Marketing is not lightning in a bottle. It’s a strategy. It’s a portfolio. And it needs to be nurtured.” – Jeff Skillen
Final Thoughts
Behavioral health organizations must move beyond fragmented marketing tactics and start using data to make smarter decisions, optimize campaigns, and train teams for real-world performance. It’s not about doing more—it’s about doing what works.
Need help building your marketing strategy?
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