As the holiday season twinkles on the horizon, it’s the perfect time to add some extra sparkle to your senior living community’s sales and marketing outreach efforts. Here are seven of our favorite ways to help you not only light up your occupancy rates but also bring joy and warmth to your community. Let’s unwrap these festive ideas together!
1. Unleash the magic of social media: Host a holiday contest
Get ready to sprinkle some digital cheer and show off your community’s holiday spirit online! Organize a holiday-themed contest, such as a competition for the best-decorated tree or the most creatively designed, scrumptious-looking holiday cookies.
Encourage local professionals, family members, residents, and staff to post their entries on social media, tagging your community. For a first prize, offer something that’ll have them jingling all the way like a gourmet dinner or a festive holiday gift basket. Set a specific week, like the second week of December, for the contest. This digital festivity spreads holiday cheer far and wide and showcases the creativity, closeness and vibrant life at your community.
2. Support a good cause: Host a heartwarming holiday drive
Imagine your community as Santa’s workshop—a place of giving, where kindness is the currency. Host a food drive, winter coat drive or Toys for Tots initiative, and watch as generosity fills the air.
Transform a part of your community into a holiday photo booth, complete with twinkling lights and festive décor, where donors can capture their good deeds.
This isn’t just about collecting donations; it’s an opportunity to showcase the warmth and welcoming nature of your community. It’s a fantastic way to get people through the doors and let them experience the holiday spirit that permeates your community.
3. Promote fellowship: Invite prospects for a holiday meal
The holidays can be a lonely time for many older adults. Extend an invitation to prospects, especially those who might be spending the holidays away from family, to share the camaraderie of a special holiday meal at your community.
This gesture is not only an act of heartfelt kindness, but also a chance for them to experience firsthand the caring, family-like atmosphere your community offers. As you showcase the welcoming spirit, the sense of belonging and the nurturing environment that awaits potential residents, you give them a chance to taste the lifestyle, quite literally! An experience like this could be the deciding factor for those considering joining your community.
4. Deck the halls with creativity: Resident wreath and door decorating contests
Foster a festive atmosphere and let the creative spirits soar with a holiday wreath and resident door decorating contest. Invite everyone – residents, staff, local professionals and community members– to participate.
Keep the excitement buzzing by running the contest for about 10 days or so and set up a voting system for the best decorations in various categories. Invite the public to vote, bringing in potential prospects.
This event isn’t just about decoration; it’s about weaving a tapestry of community involvement and holiday spirit among residents, staff, and visitors. It’s a fun way to display the vibrancy and creativity of your community, making it attractive to potential new residents.
5. Spread joy beyond your doors: Reach out to homebound prospects
In the spirit of the season, why not extend your reach beyond your community? Reach out to your network of referrers, find out who’s homebound during the holidays and play Santa by preparing and delivering festive meals to folks who might be spending the holidays alone. It’s a gesture that says, “We care, no matter where,” and it’s a wonderful way to strengthen bonds with referrers while demonstrating your caring commitment to the broader community.
6. Sweeten the holiday season with a community tour of lights and cookie deliveries
Another tasty way to spread the holiday cheer beyond your senior living community is by pairing a Festive Holiday Lights tour with cookie deliveries.
First, gather residents and family members for a fun day of baking and packaging Christmas cookies. Then, embark on a tour of the local area in the community van to admire the dazzling holiday lights. Along the way, stop in at the fire department, city hall, and local businesses to share the homemade cookies.
This delightful combination of sightseeing and spreading joy not only entertains residents but also strengthens community bonds, and shares the caring spirit of your senior living residence.
7. Warm hearts with a holiday card party
Create a cozy gathering where residents, staff, and their families come together to sign and mail holiday cards donated by your referral partners. Everyone, from the youngest to the oldest, can add their personal touch with a warm message, while sharing Christmas treats.
These cards filled with joy and good wishes will travel near and far, reaching service members overseas or brightening the day of local homebound seniors. It’s a simple yet beautiful way to weave together the threads of community, kindness and holiday warmth.
7½: Shine a light on isolation with insightful content
As a bonus, complement your holiday outreach with engaging content about the impacts of isolation, particularly during the holiday season. Share articles or videos that discuss the benefits of living in community, tailored for the holiday context. This will present your community as not just a place to live, but a place to thrive, especially in the challenging winter months.
Learn more
Looking for more ways to keep your senior living community full and thriving year-round? Grow Your Occupancy is here to help with sales coaching and training for your team, hiring and onboarding support, optimizing your sales funnel, and more. Reach out to us today at [email protected] and let’s take your senior living sales to the next level!