I had a conversation with a friend this week who works for a large regional assisted living company. Like the duck commander himself, she is happy, happy, happy that occupancy in her competitive markets is picking up. But she is frustrated that many of their new residents are still considerably older and frailer. Their resident turnover remains at an all-time high. We used to compete with “home” for new residents. Then it was home PLUS in-home care. Now it is home + home care + technology. That adds up to seniors staying home much longer. And that can be a difficult equation to beat.
As part of our content strategy with SCS clients, we review the senior care decision journey. We look for opportunities to create content that can reach families at each stage of their journey. Including engaging families at a pre-awareness stage. When they sense trouble ahead for an aging parent. But they aren’t yet sure what that trouble is. Or they may not be ready to admit they know what it is. Denial. We know it all too well in aging services industries don’t we?
Finding families early is challenging for a few reasons:
- What topics can you write about or create videos to speak about that will catch and keep their interest?
- How well equipped is your team for managing a long sales cycle?
- Will your team really manage an increased number of “cold” leads without annoying them or losing them?
In a prior role with an online senior lead generation company that I helped start, I lost track of the number of DCRs who flat out told me they NEVER followed up on internet leads. That they were a “waste of time”. Bless their hearts right? Because when adult daughters and sons are bored on a sunny Sunday afternoon, they jump on websites and request information on in-home care and assisted living for a loved one just for giggles? Sheesh. Two words I always had for them: Missed. Opportunity.
The ease of mobile technologies has made it all the more likely that HOT and COLD leads will both come through online avenues. A family is in the ER with an aging parent who has had a fall or is dehydrated from the heat. The hospital social worker brings them a list of senior care resources. What do you think they are doing with that list and their iPhone while they are cooling their heels waiting for discharge instructions? It’s not Keeping Up with the Kardashians.
Building a relationship with families early in the sales cycle requires:
- Strategic content. Optimizing for more than just “Assisted Living” or “Memory Care” or “Home Care”. Or even for more longtail searches like “choosing an assisted living”. (Although kudos to those of you who are at least going that far. That probably puts you in the top 10% of senior care providers.) Think about what other signals there are that cause a family’s radar to go off? Write your content to those questions and concerns.
- Lead Management. How are you managing COLD leads? Do you have eNewsletters, drip marketing campaigns and a blog? All ways to be persistent but not a pest.
- C2C marketing. Consumer to consumer marketing. Social networks. Reviews. Facebook is where caregivers already are. Pinterest is where women are. Where are you?
Are you doing a great job managing online senior care leads? We’d love to hear from you in the comments below. If you need some advice, send up a note. We can help! 