MARKET YOUR SOBER LIVING BUSINESS

MARKET YOUR SOBER LIVING BUSINESS

Marketing in general is difficult.  Marketing a sober house is very difficult.  Unlike most service businesses, sober houses are invisible to the naked eye.  In order to protect resident’s privacy, sober houses blend in with the neighborhoods in which they exist.  This means no neon signs, grand opening celebrations, or prominent marketing campaigns.

Although it’s difficult, it’s very important to market successfully.  Sober houses need a continual stream of new residents as current residents move forward with their lives.  Without marketing, this stream will eventually dry up.

The internet is one marketing tool you should not leave in the toolbox.  Surfing the World Wide Web is a convenient and powerful method residents use to locate services.  For your business, marketing on the internet is a cost effective alternative to traditional marketing.  Most internet marketing tools are inexpensive or free.  Below are 3 ways to improve your marketing efforts.

Craigslist.com

Craigslist.com is a good place to start.  Many people, especially the younger generation, use Craigslist for everything from buying a used futon to selling a new Rolex.  For sober housing purposes, Craigslist features a “rooms/shared” section.  Simply create an account, locate the city in which you operate, add a couple of photos, and let Craigslist do the rest.  Craigslist is free so start posting.

Industry Databases

Industry databases, such as www.SoberShelter.com, can provide maximum internet exposure.  Databases are regularly found at the top of search engines such as Google and Yahoo, thereby increasing a sober house’s chance of being discovered.  Residents, in some cases, may also consider a database as a more reliable source than a business’s private website.  The more databases you join, the more exposure you’ll have.  A good idea is to pretend you’re a resident, see what sober housing databases you find, then join them.

Associations

Joining an industry association is the third option.  Associations create referral lists of their membership and disburse those lists to the “right” people.  These lists can also be found on the association’s website.  The Sober Living Network, based in Southern California, is one example of industry association.  Besides the marketing exposure, you will also enjoy discounts on products and informative meetings.

As technology moves forward, the internet will become the most important marketing tool your business has.  Take advantage of this tool and reach residents for very little, if any, expense.