The “oldest old” or those over 85 is the fastest growing population in Texas. By 2050, this group is expected to have increased by 421% from the 2010 Census. Such incredible growth brings a wealth of opportunities for the Texas senior care industry.
However, the population growth is accompanied by the growth in new options for home care, senior living, rehabilitation, mobile care, hospice, etc. With a new care choice seemingly popping up on every corner, how do you target prospects and separate yourself from the crowd?
What makes you different?
Why should a prospect choose you? What can your company provide that the other options can’t?
Perhaps your staff has more dementia training or maybe your company won an award recognizing your services. Do your services focus on holistic care? These are traits that might make you stand out.
Finding your unique value proposition comes from identifying the needs of your clientele, assessing what needs aren’t met in your area, and deciding what values are important to you and your organization.
Market research can give you insight into opportunities to separate yourself from the crowd.
Build your dream team
It’s important to have a strong, skilled team that shares your vision. You want savvy business minds, but you also need empathetic people who may have a personal connection to caregiving and the senior community.
Finding passionate individuals to join your team isn’t always easy, but social media can be a fantastic tool to identify like-minded folks. Professional eldercare groups on LinkedIn and Facebook can be a great way to network and see who may be a perfect fit for your company.
Whether you have an individual or team, you should have employees who are dedicated to your mission.
Rock ‘n’ roll with marketing
Whether you’re launching or growing your business, marketing is key. It includes fine-tuning your unique value proposition and your brand, and getting in front of the right audience through strategic campaigns.
Brainstorm with your marketing department on your campaign objective: Is it community outreach, generating buzz, building brand trust, consistent exposure, driving word of mouth or educating consumers? Once you have this nailed down, you can tailor your campaign accordingly.
Online advertisements can be highly effective in spreading your company’s name. You may also catch the attention of individuals who hadn’t even thought of looking for services until seeing your ad. Using a trusted advertising partner can get your name into corners of the internet you may not have previously explored.
If you want to be viewed as a reliable and capable service option for families looking for care, you might consider using local print media. According to Marketing Sherpa, 82% of consumers trust print ads more when making a purchase decision.
No matter your goal, you’ll discover mutual benefits from networking with other professionals in your area and working together. Don’t just think about other senior care providers, although these are important. Think also about professionals on the periphery—attorneys, home improvement companies and local social organizations.
Your marketing team should develop a plan that will include quantifiable, attainable goals to mark progress as your company grows.
Put your best foot (website) forward
Your website will likely be a potential client’s introduction to you. Don’t you want to make the best first impression? Keep your website looking professional, clean and updated. It also must be simple to navigate and accessible, especially for those who may not be computer savvy or have impairment in vision or hearing.
Ensure website visitors are able to walk away knowing your story, significant information about your services and an easy way to contact you—emphasis on easy. Be sure to include team member profiles and a history of how your company got started. The personal touch can build rapport with potential clients.
Additionally, consider having blog content. Identifying care options can be overwhelming for family caregivers. This is your opportunity to be a successful guide for them. If a lead sees you as a trusted source of information, they’re more likely to return to your site, and ultimately convert to a customer.
Google Analytics is a great tool to learn who’s coming to your site and how long they’re staying. This can help you focus on what’s working and reveal areas that need improvement.
But, what kind of content?
Your blog content can highlight your services for aging adults and help you develop your unique value proposition. It can be what sets you apart and reinforce your reputation as a trusted expert.
Think about your audience and focus on being supportive and educational. If you’re talking to adult children who are caregivers, what topics would be valuable to them? Support services? Disease education, i.e. Alzheimer’s and dementia? Long-term planning? How to make a smart care decision? How to find the right services for their aging loved one? These are just a few of many topics that address their needs.
Another potential audience is older adults themselves. In addressing this audience, mine your experience as a care provider to identify and address aging concerns.
When developing content, don’t forget videos are valuable to have on your website and social media platforms. Short videos are an easy, mobile-friendly way to give a quick burst of information and put a face—or faces—to your name. Coupling a transcript with your video widens accessibility.
Combined, a video and transcript or article can boost your website’s SEO allowing people to more easily find your site on a search engine.
Lastly, content should be expandable to other outlets, such as handheld publications and other trusted websites.
#SpreadYourSocialWings
Social media is vital to connect you to your local community and beyond. Not only can you find referral partners in industry-related groups, it allows you the opportunity to directly engage with your following.
It’s not just beneficial for younger audiences too. More than half of individuals over 65 use Facebook, and this number is growing. People often use this platform to post reviews and testimonials. For someone looking for information, an established, active Facebook page provides a strong connection to your website.
Different platforms may be used for different reasons: Facebook to connect with older adults; Instagram to educate and connect with younger adults; and LinkedIn to spread your name among professionals.
Your social media persona should encourage engagement and post at least weekly.
Reviews, reviews, reviews
One of the best ways to acquire new clients is through testimonials from satisfied ones. Google reviews and other online reviewing platforms boost your website’s SEO, which means your company is more likely to appear higher in searches.
Encourage your clients to leave reviews for your company after having a positive experience. In an industry built on an undertaking as intimate as caring for aging loved ones, personal reviews and testimonials can go a long way in increasing trust with prospects and new clients.
These reviews are also useful to include on your website, in content and in advertising. They’re another factor in separating you from other contenders in the industry.
Get listed
Online directories provide lists of local services and give caregivers places to find answers to their questions like What assisted living is near me? What memory care facility is near Mom or Dad? Where can I find respite care?
In Texas, Senior Resource Guide’s online directory is comprehensive, localized and constantly getting updated with senior care services and business for caregivers and their families. Nationwide, A Place for Mom and Caring.com are two of the most heavily used online directories in the senior care space.
Make sure your company is listed, and check your listing regularly to keep the information up to date and accurate.
Putting it all together
To be successful in the senior care industry requires a unique value proposition, passionate team members to drive your mission forward, strategic marketing campaigns that will meet your company objectives and a powerful online presence. What these pieces all have in common is building trust and meeting the needs of your audience.
Remember, this is a deeply personal time for those caring for an aging loved one, and your marketing should reflect that. These strategies will help show prospective families your company is someone they can turn to.