5 Simple Steps to Marketing Your Senior Care Facility

Marketing for Senior Care Facilities

How to Advertise Smarter to Attract More Residents (and Their Families)

With a growing senior care population expected to reach 56 million by 2020 and continue to balloon to 74 million by 2030, the competition in the assisted living arena is higher than ever – and will only intensify in the near future. Services are evolving and becoming more personalized, which means the way people are searching for the right community (either for themselves or for a loved one) is changing as well.

Today, the search is more specific  (think: amenities, specific services, etc.) and this spells great news for the advertiser who understands how to use this sort of search intent to their advantage. There are scores of people researching senior care living facilities right now¹. They are doing it online, they are doing it in person. They could be the person who is looking to make the move or – more likely – they are family members helping to make the decision for an elderly parent or relative. The question is, are you doing the right things to help your chances of having a seat at this decision-making table for those showing explicit intent to explore their future living options?

Here are a few tips to make sure you are part of their search as it occurs:

1. Reach People Touring Competitor’s Locations

With a media expert, you can draw a virtual boundary around your competitor’s locations and each time a mobile phone enters that territory, you can enable your message to be delivered to those phones either during that visit, or during a period following the actual visit. Narrow it down to a specific demographic, say an adult female with school-aged children, and you may give yourself a niche that allows your message to be more focused, knowing they are likely touring these facilities on behalf of their parents.

2. Target People Conducting Online Searches Through Search Retargeting

You can target people who input certain words into online search boxes – perhaps “best assisted living in Phoenix” or “assisted living facilities with weekly housekeeping.” These types of searches show positive intent for those considering a new facility or a facility move.

3. Brand (and Keep Branding)

Use traditional media like television to improve recall the moment someone begins searching. Improve your chances of people searching directly for you when the time is right or finding you among a sea of your competitors upon perusing a list of local providers. Cable television also affords you a range of networks and programming that may include the most likeliest of audiences to engage with your message. Also, don’t wait until you have a vacancy to brand yourself – building up that type of recall equity takes time and you could be costing yourself more money with empty beds day after day than advertising during times near full capacity.

4. Show, Don’t Just Tell Your Story on Your Site

You and all of your competitors will likely all list the amenities and things that make you the facility of choice. While these amenities are great, stand out by including a professional video tour showing what makes your facility unique.  Video may also help you when it comes to where search engines rank you – an added benefit! But most important takeaway, show, don’t just tell your story on your site. Nothing engages quite like video.

5. Tailor Your Message to Your Audience

Consider developing different messages depending on the audience you are trying to reach. If it’s the sons and daughters of seniors – then maybe a strong focus on trust and competency. For the seniors doing the research, perhaps it’s a focus on independence, activities and even safety. If you are doing a live video shoot to create the message, consider gathering enough content for both messages, including a few testimonials from any segment you are targeting with your message – seniors and their children alike. Nothing instills confidence like word-of-mouth recommendations from others who have experience.

Cox Media is your local expert when it comes to helping keep your senior living facility at full capacity. Contact us today and learn how to get started.

 

 

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¹McKnights