Creating helpful senior living content requires insight.
Every provider needs to create helpful senior living content. When we first begin working with a new client or when we are mapping content for existing clients, one barrier we often have to overcome is “assumptions.”
After working in the industry for a while, many of us assume we know what families need and what they are searching for. But do we really?
Sure, there are some evergreen topics we write about that families will always, always be searching for. And some seasonal issues we need to write about as that time of year rolls around.
But there are new issues that pop up all of the time. We need to write about those, too.
Do You Really Know What Senior Living Prospects Need?
Last year we asked a newer client to start talking with new prospects about what they needed. Lo and behold, there were some unmet needs and an interesting trend in their local area they weren’t aware of.
One was that there was a rise in the number of adults with Parkinson’s disease (a national trend say PD experts) and another was a large number of retired teachers searching for senior living.
We created a content marketing strategy targeting both groups.
Most communities are good about asking the family how they found them, but the conversation ends there. It shouldn’t.
To keep the relationship with the family moving forward while they are searching and working their way through the discovery process, find out what additional information they need.
Then write about it. Send the family a link to the resource. Doing so helps the family and keeps your community top of mind.
In having these in-depth conversations with new prospects, you’ll soon start to spot trends.
Write more about the topic. You’ll position yourself as an expert by providing the content these families need. Before they even visit you for the first time, they’ll see you as a provider who knows of what they speak.
The prospect and their family will —maybe without even being aware of it—think you “get” them and understand what they need.
Other Places to Spot Senior Living Content Trends
You can spot bigger trends in other places, too. Keep in mind though, that these are generally more of a national trend and not specific to your location:
- Visit senior living forums and online support groups – not to inject yourself in to the conversation and sell your community but to listen
- Social media conversations – search by #assistedliving #seniorliving #Alzheimers #caregiver
- Association blogs and news – visit sites like Alzheimer’s Association, Parkinson’s Foundation, National Institute on Aging, and others to see what they are writing about and to read the comments visitors leave on blog articles on these sites
- Read the reviews families write on senior living review sites to see what they are happy about and not so happy about — then create helpful senior living content that addresses those issues
Yep! This approach takes some time and listening skills, but it will give you an advantage other providers don’t have: unique senior living content that answers questions.
As always, drop us a note with any questions!