Accessing New Clientele and Spreading the Message of Recovery
If you’re the owner of an addiction recovery program, you’ve probably listened to a podcast put on by another substance abuse rehab, or a podcast with content centered around addiction recovery or mental health in general.
The organizations producing these podcasts are doing more than just delivering professional and personal wisdom, or sharing tips regarding a sober lifestyle or the message of a recovery journey.
While all these themes are present on the surface, addiction recovery podcasts can accomplish some powerful goals for your facility.
If you haven’t considered it yet, read this article until the end to find out how to create your own podcast about addiction recovery. It can help thousands of ears hear your brand story and enrich your role in the substance use disorder recovery industry.
The Power of Recovery Podcasts
A recovery podcast carries significant benefits for any organization that puts one in circulation. Let’s take a look at some of the driving forces for using this medium to spread the word about your addiction recovery program.
Excellent for Brand Awareness
Creating a recovery podcast is currently one of the most powerful ways to boost your brand awareness. The strategy becomes even more powerful if you’re creating content on subjects regarding drug addiction and mental health.
Millions of people tune in to different podcasts daily, and hosting your own is a powerful way to get your brand story out to new ears all across the country.
Acquiring New Clients
It only makes sense to assume that those seeking a sober lifestyle or relief for mental health might have favorite addiction recovery podcasts they listen to. You can use your podcast about substance abuse to acquire new clients using several powerful strategies, which we’ll discuss a little later in the article.
Recovery podcasts open up your target audience on a nationwide scale, giving you the ability to speak to potential listeners thousands of miles away who may not have otherwise heard about your organization or services.
Help With Long-term Recovery
Recovery podcasts are an excellent source of inspiration for past clients and others in recovery that encourage mental health maintenance and a drug and alcohol-free life. Continuing to take in scientific information regarding substance use, relapse, triggers, and other facets of addiction, those already in recovery can continue to use this information and use it as a tool for maintaining success.
Become an Authority In the Industry
Addiction recovery podcasts are an excellent way to demonstrate your knowledge as an authority in the substance use disorder treatment industry.
This can have nationwide ramifications and shows potential new clients that you’re a rich source of information on addiction treatment, boosting the odds that the client decides to opt into your treatment program.
Networking Opportunities
Multiple networking opportunities exist by creating sobriety podcasts. Other authoritative figures in the industry either own their own addiction and recovery podcast platforms or are looking for one to help spread their message. Maybe there’s a new psychologist looking to get information out regarding a new form of therapy.
For them, booking a spot on a podcast about addiction and recovery podcast is an excellent way to spread the word about new treatment modalities. It’s also a powerful way for you to network with reputable figures in the industry, bringing more credibility to your organization.
These are just some of the major advantages that the best addiction recovery podcasts leverage by hosting quality and consistent material. Now, you’re probably wondering, “How do I create sobriety podcasts and come up with ideas?” The section below provides examples of how to format your podcast on drug or alcohol use disorders, recovery, or sober life in general.
Content Ideas for Sobriety Podcasts
If you’re thinking about creating your own recovery podcast, you’ll need some motivation regarding the material you’ll be hosting on your program. Use the list below as a starting point for brainstorming content ideas or developing an outline for your show.
Most podcasts either have an outline for the same show daily – moving from segment to segment with updated information in each episode – or they take on a different theme each day.
For example, you’d have a new format for each day of the week. The list below outlines ideas aimed at helping you develop content for a new segment each day.
Inspirational Format
One of the most widely-used, and simplest segments to cover is the inspirational model. This can be accomplished in multiple ways. You can talk about a particular person’s experience, typically where the client drastically improved their mental health and life circumstances.
Alternatively, you can have past guests on to talk about their recovery journeys and how your organization helped them to finally overcome their challenges.
This form of living testimonial acts as a powerful source of motivation for potential clients while helping to build your authority and brand awareness as a reputable source for mental health and substance abuse treatment.
The Scientific/Medical Format
This is another widely used format for many clinic owners that host podcasts. While raving about the sober life is a great source of inspiration – some of your listeners are looking for more in-depth knowledge regarding certain topics.
You have several different options for tackling this format – but the general idea is to select a technical or scientific topic – preferably a hot one – and create a show around this subject. Potential topics include things like:
- Medical Needs to Maintain Recovery and Live a Sober Life
- How Addiction Impacts the Brain
- The Science of Relapse
- Long-Term Health Impact of Addiction
- Cutting-Edge Methods for Recovery
Essentially, anything that informs your listeners regarding the scientific or medical side of the industry would make excellent material.
Tips for Recovery
On these episodes, you could dish out tips for recovery. These can be short-term tips that help listeners take that first step, or strategies to help maintain an extended and long-term recovery effort. This might include home remedies for fighting off withdrawal symptoms, tips for battling post-acute withdrawal, and ways to better manage your time and prevent relapse from boredom.
This would generally center around helping your listeners stay productive and raise their chances of maintaining sobriety over a long-term period. You can have a series that features alumni events, activities, and check-ins from your aftercare program.
Life After Recovery
This segment is an excellent way to reach those who have succeeded in long-term recovery but still need a little help navigating their journey. Occasionally, helpful advice is needed for those who have been on a successful sober journey for longer periods of time. They may have taken down their alcohol addiction years ago, but still need a guiding hand from the recovery community.
This could include information on rebuilding specific areas of their lives or help everyday people might need that someone who has been using hasn’t experienced yet. Sometimes even the simplest things are challenging for someone on their sobriety journey if they haven’t experienced it in a long time. This could include things like:
- Help with returning to school/college
- Help snagging a higher level job
- Recovery community dating advice
- and much more
Interview Guests/Personal Stories
One of the more popular segments for any podcast is to interview guests. During your sober podcast, you can interview multiple individuals surrounding the industry. You could have on past clients to share their recovery story. Inviting professionals to talk about recovery-related topics is another idea the best sobriety podcasts use.
For past clients and those who have achieved sobriety sharing recovery stories is an excellent and entertaining way to promote the message of hope while promoting your organization. Allowing them to share personal stories builds authority for your organization and can also empower them through helping others.
In this way, podcasts are perhaps the closest to ‘word of mouth’ in terms of their powerful, personal effectiveness as an alcohol and drug rehab marketing tools.
Cutting-Edge Breakthroughs
Dedicating a segment to current news regarding cutting-edge holistic mental wellness or traditional forms of therapy is always a good idea. Keeping your listeners and potential clients in the know regarding the latest advances in substance use treatment.
Talk about options during care that help with personal development, or physical remedies to help during the detox process. It’s always a good idea to touch on aftercare discoveries that help users avoid difficulties staying sober and maintaining a drug and alcohol-free lifestyle.
Local Segment
Including a local segment is never a bad idea, as this helps you strengthen ties with other local businesses and personalities. You can provide a rundown on local Alcoholics Anonymous meeting places, discuss other groups that help with aftercare, and highlight primary care or mental health specialists you approve or send clients to with referrals.
Community centers and outreach organizations are also great sources of reciprocal support for local SEO purposes, and often a resources link on each others’ sites can prove beneficial for both you and the neighborhood non-profit you are featuring.
Guest Speaking On Other Podcasts
Another strategy to keep in mind that can bring massive value is guest-speaking on another organization’s podcast. If you’re not quite ready to craft your own show, being a guest can help you take that first step in creating your own platform. Ideas for this include:
- Reach out to podcasts in the substance use category. Introduce yourself as the proprietor of an alcohol and drug addiction rehab and an expert in addiction medicine.
- Put together some type of literature you can send them regarding an area you specialize in. Think about what your organization is well-known for. Is it your detox program? Are you known for an exceptional dual-diagnosis treatment plan? Maybe you’re one of the top holistic rehabs in the area. Whatever the case may be, frame this within a message and demonstrate how it could make an informative segment that adds to the value of their podcast.
- This is still an excellent strategy to use even if you have started your own podcast. Many different podcast owners often guest on each other’s shows to promote cross-audience brand awareness.
Think about what you want for your own journey and what you’d like to accomplish with your podcast. Write these things down and listen to some of the following examples of podcasts about sobriety and recovery. This will give you a general idea of which direction to go, and an example of different podcast formats.
The Best Addiction Recovery Podcasts
1. That Sober Guy
Shane Ramer hosts “That Sober Guy,” a recovery podcast that’s turned into a large community. He also has 90-day courses he promotes that help those looking to quit drinking and doing drugs. He’s well-known for his direct approach and focuses heavily on the mental health aspect of sobriety. The Sober Guy podcast is definitely worth a listen if you want a prime example of a strong podcast format.
2. The Bubble Hour
The Bubble Hour is hosted by Jean McCarthy and centers around alcoholism and recovery. She’s also the author of the recovery blog UnPickled, another popular recovery-focused content source. Since 2011 McCarthy has enjoyed sobriety and uses her podcast to deliver advice for those who want to quit drinking.
In every episode of Bubble Hour, McCarthy focuses on a different story of individuals sharing how they spend their time now that they’re sober. The “Bubble Hour” uses the word Bubble to describe someone’s “Sober Bubble” – which is exactly what the featured content is. What do you want in your sober bubble?
3. Recovery Happy Hour
Recovery Happy Hour is hosted by Tricia Lewis, a longtime alcoholic who became sober and now uses her platform to push others to find help for their problems with alcohol. In each episode Tricia interviews a new person, allowing them to share their experiences about addiction, recovery, and regaining a positive mindset.
This is the perfect example of an interview or success story format if that’s the direction you’re looking to take your podcast.
4. The Addicted Mind
Duane Osterlind hosts this podcast regarding the biological/mental/behavioral reasons behind addiction. Experience with addiction at a young age gives Osterlind first-hand knowledge of recovery and different forms of therapy.
If you want to be more informative about the scientific side of addiction, along with relaying breakthroughs regarding the latest in recovery and treatment, The Addicted Mind is a great example.
5. Recovery Elevator
The Recovery Elevator is slightly different than the other podcasts mentioned above. On this podcast, it connects those seeking sobriety with other individuals who have the same goals. It highlights successful relationships, the advantages of getting and remaining sober, co-occurring substance use and mental health disorders, along with other difficult elements of sobriety.
If you’re looking for a format that’s different and slightly unorthodox, give Recovery Elevator a listen.
6. The Dopey Podcast
The Dopey Podcast shines a more humorous light on recovery, delivering an honest and uncensored look at addiction and sobriety. The two hosts, Dave and Gareth, are active in their own recovery journeys, and both use their past experiences to relate to listeners and provide an entertaining and humorous viewpoint on the topic of addiction and related matters.
7. Sober Curious
This extremely popular podcast is hosted by the author of the book by the same name, Ruby Warrington. While she touches on topics related to the term sober curious itself, she also looks at topics as a sober woman, touching on early sobriety topics and interviewing everyone from recovery coach guests to A-list celebrities.
With 88 episodes recorded so far, this ‘sober-adjacent’ podcast is one worth giving a listen to, even if you’ve long been in recovery.
A Few Tips for Creating a Succesful Recovery Podcast
Here are some final tips for those looking to create a recovery podcast. This isn’t a do-all or comprehensive list, but does contain some of the most impactful elements to consider when crafting your platform:
- Create a memorable brand and theme. Make sure you create a brand and theme that stand out and make sense to listeners. Use the “The Bubble” brand reference mentioned above as a great example of perfect branding. Incorporate your slogan or mission into your podcast name.
- Develop a custom logo for your podcast. If you’re feeling creative, this can be accomplished using a platform like Canva. You can also leave it up to the professionals at Ads Up Marketing, who can help construct every facet of your podcast.
- Put your ideas on paper. Whatever you want your format to be – put it on paper as an outline. Things will run a lot smoother when you have this organization to reference.
- Create a script and outline for every podcast episode. This is key. You might believe you can wing it – but trust and believe, after your first episode or rough attempt, you’ll realize how critical creating a script is.
Ads Up Marketing and Podcast Creation
If you’re uncertain about the direction you’d like. to go or frustrated with your hands in the air – contact Ads Up Marketing. We specialize in every element of substance use treatment marketing, content creation, and advertisement.
We’ve helped dozens of clients create podcasts and brainstorm formats and episode topics. We can help your organization take the next step as well. For more information, contact us, and let’s set up a call today!