Occupancy rates. Tour conversions. Controllable move-outs.
If you’re a sales or marketing director at a senior living community, these metrics are probably the main focus of your day-to-day routine. Workdays might feel like a never-ending series of transactions: exploratory phone calls, email blasts, and prospect tours to continue growing your census. It’s hard work – and essential to keeping your community running.
It can be difficult to zoom out to the broader responsibility of your role. Sales and marketing leaders are responsible for building a brand for their community, i.e. communicating the culture of your community to the outside world. Teams that can effectively distribute and amplify that message will realize that those daily transactions – tours, phone calls and all – become a lot easier when the customer already knows what your senior living community stands for.
Consider that 60% of people searching for a senior living community have no knowledge of their local options before starting their customer journey. The stronger your brand, the more likely your community will be noticed.
Building a senior living brand isn’t as simple as running a new set of ads on a local radio station or firing up an SEO campaign on Google. Brand building requires consistency and authenticity. You’re showing off what makes your community different: the 60% of people purposeful technology, an active census, and helpful staff that make your community inclusive and accessible.
We know life is busy for sales and marketing professionals. That’s why we’ve compiled five tips to steady brand building for senior living communities:
1.) Appeal to prospective residents and their families/support system.
Prospective residents should be the focus of your brand building efforts. However, you don’t want to forget about the secondary decision-makers – most often a future resident’s adult children.
Adult children are involved in 73% of senior living decisions. This demographic shouldn’t be ignored when you’re outlining a marketing and advertising strategy. Consider building ads, scheduling events, and creating brochures that are specifically tailored to the adult children or other caregivers.
2.) Empower your resident ambassadors.
There isn’t anyone better to vouch for your community than the members of your welcoming committee or resident ambassador program. Incorporating these talented and passionate residents into your brand building strategy provides two tangible benefits: 1.) Helps you authentically tell the story of your community and 2.) Empowers these residents with leadership opportunities and the chance to contribute towards your community’s goals.
Tap these ambassadors to help design your ads, flyers, and brochures. Bring them to conferences and events to tell their stories. Set up a resident referral program so they can spread the word to family and friends.
3.) Embrace social media for senior living brand building.
Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter aren’t just for kids! 45% of adults over the age of 65 are users of at least one social media site. When you consider younger decision-makers like adult children, you’ll realize a social media presence for your community is a must-have.
Don’t fret if you don’t have the budget for a paid social media ad campaign. You can get plenty of traction from your own accounts. Let your residents take over your Instagram or Facebook account to document a “Day in the Life.” Start a recurring “Meet the Residents” series with short posts about a prospective resident’s future neighbors.
4.) Seek feedback from your senior living community’s census.
Online reviews have a large influence on how your brand is perceived. Nearly 55% of consumers read at least four online reviews before making a decision.
Encourage current residents to post their thoughts on sites like Yelp and Google Reviews. This will help people find your community online. Perhaps more importantly, it’ll give you insight into your resident’s view of the community: what you’re doing well, and what you can improve.
In the interest of accessibility, offer help to residents that might not be tech-savvy. Bring your laptop to show them how to write a review or offer to transcribe their thoughts. Additionally, reach out to your residents’ family members to encourage them to post online reviews, as well.
5.) Showcase your use of purposeful technology.
Expanding your online and social media brand is one way of signaling that your community gets it: that you’ll invest in new technology and new practices if it’s important to your residents and their families.
Another way to show this commitment is through purposeful technology within your community. Equip each room with a Smart TV so residents can stream TV on their favorite apps. Offer tablets so gym-goers can conduct workout classes from inside their rooms. Invest in an affordable wireless listening system to help your census with hearing loss stay connected.
Your community’s willingness to empower residents and staff with tech-enabled solutions will ring out through online reviews and testimonials from your resident ambassadors.
Using Eversound to amplify your senior living brand building.
Your senior living community’s brand isn’t as simple as an ad or a Facebook post. It’s dictated by the things you do every day: how you’re building a safe, inclusive environment that’s accessible to everyone.
Eversound, the advanced listening system built for senior living communities, is a great way to foster this culture and build your brand. Our product connects up to 120 wireless headphones at distances up to 300 feet – without the use of Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. The headsets provided by Eversound can enhance communication, and showcase your community’s commitment to an engaging and inclusive environment.
Eversound also provides a great solution for prospect tours, helping sales and marketing directors communicate all of the aspects of your brand to prospective residents. Get in touch to find out how you can amplify your senior living brand with Eversound.
