Marketing in 2023 – What you need to know.

The second half of 2022 brought significant changes to the prolife movement and pregnancy help community. Nearly every facet of the lifesaving work happening across our nation and around the world had been affected and the realm of digital marketing is no exception.

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The most notable changes in digital marketing came from Google in August of 2022. To appease politicians and suppress the great work of pregnancy help, Google implemented a disclaimer that accompanies ads for organizations that do not provide abortion in 2019. This disclaimer that had appeared below pregnancy center ads was moved to the top of each ad last August to give it a more prominent position.

Another change from Google has had a greater impact on pregnancy center marketing efforts by greatly altering the way Local Search listing are displayed. Google changed the default for local search results for abortion services to only show those verified to provide abortion procedures. Women can see more results if they choose to, including from organizations that don’t provide abortions, such as pregnancy help centers. 

This change has had the greatest impact on centers and their ability to be easily found by abortion vulnerable women searching for help.

Along with the strong opposition from Google, many centers continue to find resistance from major social media conglomerates. From posts being removed to ad accounts being frozen, efforts to reach women searching for help have been severely halted by big tech politics and bias. 

So, what can centers do to reach a woman at a crossroads and in dire need of their lifesaving services?

  1. Think outside the Google box. While the value of advertising on Google is still very evident, the impact and reach of these ads has diminished and their cost has gone up. It is essential for centers to think outside of Google ads and try adverting on additional platforms and in their local communities, schools, churches, and beyond.
  2. Maintain a strong web presence. The importance of a warm and welcoming tone and design on a pregnancy center website cannot be understated. But beyond the look and feel of your site, centers must ensure content on their site is up-to-date, fresh, and optimized. Now is the time to increase Search Engine Optimization efforts, blogging and dynamic and engaging content. All these tools will increase the reach of digital marketing efforts. 
  3. Don’t go it alone. If possible, centers should consider the help of an outside marketing company to assist and guide their marketing efforts. Navigating the ever-changing terrain of the digital world can be daunting, especially when lives are on the line. Having the right company on your side can make a world of difference for a center. 

Targeting and attacks from big tech can be disheartening and with no sign of Google easing their most recent policy changes it is hard to predict the future of marketing for the pregnancy help community. However, this is not the first time that resistance has attempted to stifle our work. With the right tools, strategy and guidance, lives will continue to be reached and rescued and communities will continue to be renewed by the great work of pregnancy help. 

Jenn’s Question of the Month: Why have two separate websites?

My name is Jennifer Breymaier and I am with the Extend Team here at Heartbeat International. I have been with Extend for almost five years and I truly love working with each of you every day, partnering with you and doing all that we can to provide you with tools to help strengthen your online presence and reach more women in need.

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We receive many important questions every day here at Extend! I wanted to take the time to highlight one of those questions we get each month to make sure that you have the information you need to successfully build connections with those you are trying to reach as a pregnancy help organization.

A very popular question we receive that I am focusing on this month is, “Why have two separate websites?” The simple response – you have two very different audiences.

Audience 1: Your Clients

It is crucial to have a website focused on those who are looking for information regarding pregnancy help. A website to encourage and help those who may be scared or confused, find the strength they need to make decisions that their future depends on. It is important to center this site around the people who are seeking help, facts, or looking into services you offer that may be of help to them. Leading women to information and facts on topics such as pregnancy, parenting, adoption, abortion, etc. to make sure that they know all their options and what comes along with each of these choices. They may not be aware that you offer classes, clothing, and other services that can help them throughout their pregnancy and beyond. They may not know how to reach you or the easiest way to get ahold of you. This website is your tool to bring light to these services. Your website is often the first place people go to learn more about you, so make sure that you have a website dedicated to anyone looking for help no matter what stage of life they are currently in. 

Audience 2: Your Supporters

Now to switch gears, think about a very different audience that you have as a pregnancy help organization – Your supporters, your volunteers, and donors. Those looking to support pregnant mothers in need and wanting to know things about you as a pregnancy center, like what your mission is, what your goals are, how they can get involved, who makes up your team and why you are passionate about this mission. 

Having a separate site to focus on events you have upcoming, ways they can support mothers in need, and how to help bring encouragement to everyone that walks through your door; this allows you to make all this information easily accessible to those who want to support you. Your second website helps you to focus on important information for your supporters and not worry about taking up crucial space on your client-focused website but still make that vital connection with your supporters.

Keep It Simple

Having two separate websites to acknowledge all the different information you would want to share with your client-focused audience and your supporter-focused audience will allow you to differentiate your websites to help avoid confusion and to allow each audience to easily find the important information they are seeking. As a pregnancy help organization you have so much crucial information to get to both your client audience and your supporter audience. An overloaded website that includes large amounts of information that makes it hard for someone to find what they are looking for can turn someone away quickly. Two sites can allow you to keep these topics simple, clean, and understandable. 

Abortion Information: Should I Have It on my Client Website?

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In response to the Dobbs decision that reversed Roe v. Wade, we have had many centers contacting us about the abortion information they have on the Be Informed pages of their websites. Some states have completely banned abortion in light of the decision, while in other states, it is still legal within certain guidelines.

Why Should I Have Abortion Information on my Client Website?

Regardless of what state you live in and whether abortion has been banned in your state or not, people are still searching for abortion information. Whether it is the woman facing the unplanned pregnancy, the father who has discovered he got her pregnant, or their family and friends. It is best for them to find the information on your website. Here’s why:

  • Clients are going to find the abortion information somewhere, even if abortion has been banned in your state. Recent research says that Tik Tokhas become like a search engine for the Gen Z population. It is a much better option for your clients to find the information on your site than on Tik Tok or on an abortion provider’s page. If they find the information on your site, they can make an in-person, or if you provide it, a telehealth appointment to meet with you and discuss their pregnancy decision options in a loving, confidential environment without any financial investment. 
  • If you have chosen to have Option Line’s Chat feature on your website, once the client finds the abortion information on your page, she can speak with someone immediately and Option Line can get her scheduled for an appointment with your center. 
  • The information under your Be Informed tab is copyrighted by Heartbeat International and medically and legally reviewedby Heartbeat International’s Medical and Legal Advisory Board on a consistent basis. If any updates occur in a medical and legal review, they will automatically be added to your site. The sources for the abortion information are clearly cited beneath the content. 

What If They Think We Are an Abortion Provider?

Of course, it is always important to be up front and honest on your website, over the phone and in person and make sure clients know you are not an abortion provider. This provides protection for you and your organization.

If you don’t already have a Disclaimer on your client website, we can add that to your site for you. The disclaimer we use here at Extend states, “We do not offer, recommend or refer for abortions or abortifacients, but are committed to offering accurate information about abortion procedures and risks.” 

Have Questions or Need Help?

Here at Extend, we want to provide you with a website that meets your client right where she is when facing that unplanned pregnancy. Please reach out to us if you have questions about having the abortion information on your page. One of our team members will be happy to discuss this with you. 

Want to add a Disclaimer or the Option Line chat feature to your client site? Just create a support ticket on your Extend Customer Portal and one of our team members will get that added for you.

We are here to help you reach potential clients. Contact us if you have any questions. If you are interested in having Extend Web Services create a website with the abortion information your clients are searching for, fill out our online contact form.