Understanding the CDJ Can Increase Assisted Living Conversions
Compelling content is what engages families who are exploring their options for assisted living or home care. If you are one of my clients or you read my blog, you know how religiously I try to convey one core belief in senior care content development. That is, to engage families your digital presence MUST meet them where they are in their decision journey. Your key phrases, web copy, tools and your CTA (call to action) all have to answer the questions families have at their particular stage of the search.
In addition to my busy senior industry writing career, I am a part-time Harvard grad student. My Monday night class is Digital Media Marketing. It is packed with seriously smart people (duh…you are thinking…it is Harvard) many of whom work in the digital industry for companies around the globe. It is taught by one of the digital and social industry thought leaders. Someone who is well-respected beyond the ivy walls.
To save you some almost painfully expensive tuition and a lot of homework, I will give you a quick overview one of our recent classes. It included David Edelman’s Consumer Decision Journey (CDJ). Of which I am becoming more and more of a disciple. We debated the rise of the CDJ and fall – or complete collapse? – of the sales funnel. Bear with me. I know this might seem like notes from a sleep-inducing Philosophy class. It really isn’t. I promise!
How do Families Choose an Assisted Living Provider?
Instead of the funnel most of us senior living veterans know well, the CDJ proposes that with the rise of digital and social, consumers are connecting with brands in new ways. Many of those channels are consumer owned or controlled.
Here is how the journey translates for our industry:
- Consider stage. Families searching for care for an aging loved one start with top of mind brands. More than likely a Google search, too. Assisted living and home care providers typically dedicate a lot of resources toward this stage. Digital has changed some of the nuances, but we better understand them now.
- Evaluate stage. This stage gives us new data to consider. Instead of being a stage where families narrow their initial set of considerations, they may add more. These additions are based on recommendations from social media, online reviews and other earned media channels. Consider the restaurant industry as an example. Many believe Yelp has led to the downward revenue trend in chain restaurants and the rise in revenue for independents. Because customers can read reviews, they are willing to give an unknown restaurant a try based on what peers say about it. A one star increase on Yelp can translate to a 5-9% increase in revenue. In the senior care industry, how can we find and succeed with earned media? That is our challenge with the Evaluate stage. I will share our recommendations and introduce you to a few resources in an upcoming post of this series.
- Buy stage. This is another area we are comfortable with in senior living. We’ve built protocols and sales systems to help convert families. Most of the successful assisted living and home care brands know this stage well.
- Enjoy/Advocate/Bond stage. Another important touch point. But one that hasn’t received much attention or resources from the majority of senior care providers. This is where we reap the benefits of Raving Fans. We know word of mouth is the most important referral source for our industry. Ask any of the communities that have maintained 100% occupancy and…can you believe they are still out there…wait lists…during the bumpy economic times. Their number one referral source is “Satisfied Residents and Families”. In an upcoming post, we will share suggestions for how to master this now driving force in the purchasing decision.
Be sure to sign up for our RSS feed before you leave us! We’ll be exploring resources to help you master the Evaluate and Enjoy/Advocate/Bond stages over the next few weeks.
And if you would like to talk about how we can help you win those stages, let us know. We’d would love to talk about how we help you meet your 2013 goals.