We had an interesting email come our way last week. A prospective new client messaged us to ask what kinds of questions their team should be considering to make sure their senior living content is compelling.
This actually came from a company that is on our waiting list and trying to tackle in-house content creation for their senior living blog while they work their way up to the top of our list.
Great approach, right? While this kind of questioning is built in to how we write content for our senior living friends, we hadn’t really shared the question process. So, here’s what we would suggest if you find your team in this situation.
Question Everything: Senior Living Content That Compels and Connects
While you’ll want to vary your blog topics and not focus all of your efforts on industry-related questions, your content calendar should include articles and guides that allow older adults and their families to self-educate.
These industry topics require an angle different than the reporter tone you might utilize when writing for other categories.
It’s the “put yourself in their shoes” approach that can help you connect well with your target audience:
- What are my audience’s biggest problems? This applies to both seniors searching for options on their own, and for adult children. Two separate groups with distinct issues.
- Which emotions are created by these problems? Think about which group mentioned above you are directing your content to and what they are struggling with. Fear? Guilt? Anger? Frustration? Sadness? All of the above?
- What results are they hoping to achieve? From safety and improved nutrition to greater independence and opportunities for socialization, think about the benefits of senior living. How do those align with the challenging emotions seniors and their loved ones might be experiencing?
- What questions do seniors and families commonly have? Let’s face it, our industry is complex. Families often feel overwhelmed by level of care, financing, monthly fees, and more.
What mistakes do families most often make during their search?
Unless they’ve been through the search process with another family member before, it’s easy to make mistakes.
We know people sometimes think a pretty campus automatically equates to better care. That’s a common trap to fall into. While communities that offer great quality of care can also look very attractive, it’s important families know the two aren’t necessarily linked.
Another mistake is not taking time to thoroughly understand how fees are assessed. Seniors and their adult children might assume living alone in a private residence is less expensive. It’s a mistake that can negatively impact decision making.
Not understanding can also lead families to opt for a community that isn’t necessarily their first choice, but one they perceive to be more affordable.
These are just a couple quick examples to help your team brainstorm the topic. And why it’s good for your content creation team to address a few more questions:
- Which articles and tools could help families avoid mistakes and make more informed decisions?
- What makes them feel indecisive? What makes them feel insecure?
- What motivates families to act and not wait for “someday” to arrive?
- What kind of stories can you tell that makes people emotional?
- Which processes do seniors and families not understand?
Have a request for a future blog article for our team? Besides working in the senior living content creation space for 14 years now, we all have direct experience working in the industry. Drop us a note and we’ll be happy to answer your questions!