Don’t Let Your Leads Get Snowed In! 4 Ways to Increase Occupancy This Winter

Winter is here, and as the snowflakes start to fall, you want your senior living community’s occupancy rates to continue to rise! This is a time that many “relax” and wait until after the holidays, after the winter. In our effort not to bother people, we fail to stay connected and prospects go “cold” (literally during the winter!) Remember, they raised their hand. Polite persistence and creative ways to engage can keep your prospects WARM and continue to grow your occupancy this winter.

4 ways to increase occupancy this winter

#1: Light a candle in the window with your digital strategy

Your senior living community’s welcome to prospective residents begins online. A well-rounded digital strategy is key to keep your new lead pipeline strong:

  • Be sure your website is optimized for accessibility and search engine visibility. It needs to be easy to find and easy to navigate.
  • Virtual tours and resident testimonials help create a comprehensive online experience for visitors. Make it immersive!
  • Engage in content marketing with articles and videos about senior lifestyles and community events, and establish your community as a knowledgeable resource. 
  • Use social media, like Facebook and Instagram, to connect with potential residents, sharing updates and educational content to create a sense of community. They want to know what is happening at your community. What are the residents doing? What are they missing by not living there?
  • Targeted email and SMS marketing will keep you in touch with prospects, so you can offer them tailored updates and information. Utilize online advertising, such as Google and Facebook Ads, to reach a wider audience and re-engage (through retargeting) interested individuals. 
  • Showcase positive reviews from residents to build trust. Form local partnerships and host online events to enhance visibility and community involvement. Using a tool like Occupancy Coach 
  • Don’t forget to use analytics tools to track the effectiveness of your digital strategies and adapt based on outcomes. Be sure you highlight your community’s unique attributes for a strong online presence.

If this sounds like a lot, Grow Your Occupancy can help you streamline your marketing funnel for optimal success! Learn more here. 

2: Unwrap the gift of discovery for your prospects

As you learn about what is meaningful for your potential residents, you can tailor their experience of discovering your community in a way that resonates with their unique needs.

Some effective ways to do this during the winter season are:

  • Connect prospects and families with a current resident—virtually. Even though the weather outside may be frightful, virtual meeting technologies can be a delightful way for potential residents to meet future neighbors and get to know your community.
  • Offer to drive when the weather is bad. Picking prospects up from their home and giving them transportation to your community for a visit will emphasize your community’s commitment to their convenience and safety.
  • Reach out to adult children of prospects with relevant seasonal information. For example, isolation is a common problem among older adults, and it tends to be more severe during the winter months. 

In your conversations with prospects and families, direct the discussions to WHY they are considering living in your community. How would it make life easier for them? What are the main reasons they would decide to move versus remain where they are?

Plant the seed in prospects’ and families’ minds that life in a caring, supportive senior living community like yours may be the best solution to the challenges they and their loved ones are facing during the winter.  

#3: ‘Tis the season for home visits

The winter can potentially be a lonely time for homebound seniors. Spread your community’s welcoming spirit beyond your walls by arranging home visits to prospects. 

●     Start by identifying potential residents from local sources such as senior centers or healthcare providers. 

●     Customize your visits to reflect each individual’s interests and needs. Be ready to address questions about costs, services, and care levels, and offer reassurance and clarity. 

●     Sharing elements like a sample meal or community newsletters can provide a real-life glimpse of your community. If possible, consider bringing along current residents who can offer authentic insights into community life. 

●     Following your visit, stay in touch with personalized notes or small gifts. Use technology like virtual tours for remote engagement or as a supplementary tool. 

●     Continually seek feedback to improve your approach, always respecting the potential resident’s privacy and scheduling visits professionally.  

Done right, with a focus on personalization and genuine care, home visits are an outstanding way to build trust and personal connections with potential residents and their families. 

#4: How are mom & dad after the holidays? Ask them what they want & need!

Open up a conversation among prospects, their families, and your sales team by developing a questionnaire focusing on key areas like care needs, lifestyle preferences, and financial considerations. Incorporate these questionnaires into your printed and digital marketing materials, and encourage readers and viewers to fill them out and turn them in.

You’ll need to train your sales team to interpret the responses to your questionnaire, so they can personalize follow-up discussions and address prospects’ specific concerns while highlighting the features and benefits your community offers. Regularly analyzing the responses to your questionnaire will also help you to adapt your services and marketing strategies so they best align with your prospects’ evolving needs. 

Be sure your questionnaire is easy to complete, and strictly adheres to data protection regulations to ensure privacy and build trust. Using questionnaires as part of your outreach fosters better engagement and educates prospects about your community, which will help your occupancy grow.

Now that you’re equipped with some evergreen ideas on how to grow your occupancy this winter, why not take the next step and learn more? 

Join us on Wednesday, December 13, 2023 at 1 p.m. EST for a complementary Sales Leadership Webinar hosted by Melisa Jones-Knight, Sr. VP of Sales & Marketing at Elegance Senior Living, and our very own founder and CEO, Julie Podewitz.

Don’t let those leads hibernate all winter! Reserve your spot at our free webinar today!

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.

7 Ways to Keep Senior Living Sales and Marketing Outreach Warm During the Holiday Season

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!

5 Tips for Implementing Facebook into Your Senior Living Marketing Plan

Once the domain of teens and young adults, social media is now widely accepted by older adults and has become a part of their regular lives. According to a 2022 Gallup poll, 69% of all US adults aged 55 and older have a Facebook account, and 60% use it daily or weekly. 

What’s the takeaway from this data for senior living sales and marketing professionals? Not only are your prospects utilizing Facebook in a big way, but so are their adult children. Here’s how to capitalize on seniors using Facebook by making it a part of your senior living marketing plan.

5 tips for implementing Facebook into your senior living marketing plan

Why focus on Facebook and not other social media avenues? 

In that same Gallup poll, we see that only 13% of adults 55 and older children are utilizing Twitter daily or weekly, and only 21% are on Instagram daily or weekly. Dani Merlino, Grow Your Occupancy’s Vice President of Sales and Marketing, shared this story: 

“My sweet Gram is on Facebook despite her account being hacked about 15 times now! When I start to talk to her about other social media platforms, her eyes glaze over and she thinks it’s all nonsense. Facebook was the first platform she dared to try and it’s going to be the last. It took her four years to figure out how to post and to understand that when she was commenting on my pictures the rest of the world could also see her comments (which led to some fun conversations). Between Facebook and television that’s about as much technology as she can handle for the day. She knows how to use it to get neighborhood gossip. Why fix something that isn’t broken by adding more social media platforms?” 

How to capitalize on the 60% regularly using Facebook

Older adults are definitely using Facebook, so how do you use that to your senior living community’s advantage? Engage with them! Respond to their comments on Facebook. It will make them feel special that they were heard and acknowledged. 

Tailor your posts to be most enticing to them by post pictures instead of long written content. When you do post written content, be sure it is meaningful and relevant to them. 

Make Facebook fun and engaging by holding regular giveaways! Your prime audience loves freebies. Getting the freebie into their hands also creates prime opportunities to either visit them at their home or invite them into your community.

Consider Facebook ads. You don’t need to be a paid ads wiz to do this. Facebook allows you to easily boost most posts, within a budget of your choosing. Plus, you get to pick the call to action like a phone call, initiating a chat, or a visit to your website. 

How to make your Facebook ads relevant

Merlino shares: “I once worked with a digital advertising agency that designed an ad for one of my communities in a rural setting. The ad read, “Luxurious community with a 5 Star feel. Enjoy our fine dining.” It is a 40-bed community out in the middle of the country, surrounded by farmland. Our typical prospects were not interested in a luxurious community and fine dining.” 

What’s the takeaway from this story? Know what is important to the demographic you’re marketing to. In that story, that community’s residents were interested in a small-town feel, with home cooked meals and all the comforts of country living. Your Facebook ads should be realistic and not misleading. Be wary of using stock photos: do they really look like your residents? Do they portray the lifestyle your ideal prospects are seeking? Consider using images of your actual residents (with their permission) for your Facebook ads. 

Targeting options for Facebook ads

Facebook considers ads for senior living communities to be in the Housing Special Ad Category, therefore the ad targeting options like age and gender are not available. Facebook does target housing ads to users within a 10 mile radius of the community so they definitely are worthwhile, especially considering you can set your budget per ad as low a few dollars and still have a high likelihood of getting a few clicks.

Be strategic about including Facebook posts into your marketing plan

Let your short-term sales goals inform your marketing strategy, including a schedule of Facebook posts that reach the ideal prospects. For example:

Do you have a glut of independent living studio apartments? Plan out 5 meaningful Facebook posts per week that include pictures of actual residents participating in activities and partaking in your community’s nice amenities. Boost one of them as an ad each week.

Do the approaching winter months mean the likelihood of frigid temperatures and severe weather? Utilize resident testimonials to showcase the benefits of worry-free and maintenance-free living. 

In today’s world where more people are on Facebook than are receiving the daily newspaper, and you can advertise on Facebook for a minute fraction of a print ad, don’t count out Facebook as a key part of your senior living community marketing strategy.  

Ready to take your senior living occupancy growth success to a new level by incorporating Facebook into your senior living marketing plan? Grow Your Occupancy provides the sales coaching, accountability, onboarding, playbook, and marketing expertise essential to your senior living sales and marketing success. Learn more about Grow Your Occupancy here. Or book your free 30-minute consultation today.

Dare To Be Different – Five Ways to Make Your Senior Living Community Stand Out From The Rest

There are endless choices today for seniors and their families when the time comes to consider a move to a senior living community. The National Center for Assisted Living reports that around 28,900 assisted living communities are currently operating in the United States. You don’t want to get lost in that crowd! 

The single most important point to remember as you market your community and seek to stand out above the competition is this:

For seniors, and for their families, choosing a senior living community is an emotional process.

Of course practical considerations like services and amenities, price, and logistical considerations like staying close to family play an important role.

But in the end it is the way the prospect feels about your community that will determine whether they move in, or move on.

Read on as we explore five key ways to make your senior living community stand out from the rest by connecting with seniors and their families on a deeper level that builds rapport and trust, guides them toward their best decision, and results in increased sales and occupancy.

Five ways your senior living sales team can stand out from the rest

1) Demonstrate genuine empathy and compassion

It’s important to put yourself in the shoes of your potential residents and their loved ones and show real understanding for the unique challenges and feelings that seniors and their families may experience when considering a senior living community. By demonstrating empathy, you create a connection with your potential residents and establish trust.

Compassion motivates you to take action to alleviate their concerns and fears by answering their questions, providing reassurance, and offering resources and support that can help them make informed decisions.

Empathy and compassion will help you build strong, meaningful relationships with your potential residents and their families, and create a positive experience for them during a challenging time. This will lead to more sales.

2) Forget about the sale

Not completely, and just for a little while! But the initial connection with a prospect, whether in person, over the phone, or even over social media, is not the time to try and “close the deal.” Instead, step back and take the time to listen to their needs and concerns (empathy and compassion) and to connect with them on a person-to-person level. This is an essential step because….

3) People prefer to do business with other people who they know, like, and trust

This is especially true when considering a life-changing “business decision” like a move to a senior living community. By taking the time to listen and connect with prospects, and demonstrating empathy and compassion for their difficulties, you will meet the know, like, and trust criteria and be far more likely to eventually make the sale.

4) Make the tour a time to stand out

The customer experience during their tour of your community is another area where, with some thoughtful attention to detail, you can make your community stand out. When hosting a prospect and their family, consider:

  • Sending them an itinerary ahead of time, so they know what to expect during their visit, and can budget their time and energy accordingly.
  • Have a plan in place within your team, including operations staff, that facilitates the tour while showing the community at it’s best–for example hold off on vacuuming areas where the tour is in progress, having vacant rooms presentable for viewing, etc.
  • Make parking easy! This detail gets noticed, especially if you can arrange for valet parking for guests.
  • Roll out the red carpet! Meet them at the door, have a personalized welcome sign in the lobby, find out their favorite music ahead of time and have it playing….you’ll never go wrong making your prospect feel as if they are the most important person to ever walk through your doors.

5) Don’t miss following up post-tour as a time to make a lasting impression.

Post-tour follow up is another way to go the extra mile and cement a positive relationship with your prospect. Send a thank you note with a small gift, or even a personalized video message from the Executive Director using a video communication service like Covideo. If it hasn’t happened yet, a visit to your prospect’s home may be in order. No matter what, stay in touch, always be helpful and give prospects and families the time and space they need to make a comfortable and happy decision. If you’ve followed the steps listed here, there’s a great chance their decision will be to move into your community!

That concludes our list, but be sure to register now for Grow Your Occupancy’s complimentary Sales Leadership webinar on Wednesday, March 22, 2023, where our CEO, Julie Podewitz, and a panel of expert guests will discuss this topic in more detail. See you there!

The 5 Hottest Marketing Ideas for Nursing Homes

By guest contributor Dr. Cameron Zargar, Content Director, Experience Care

Digital marketing has not only changed the business world but also the long-term care industry, though the latter has been a bit slower to adjust. “Senior living long-term care tends to lag a bit in its adoption of certain things like technology and marketing automation,” said Julie Podewitz, the founder of Grow Your Occupancy, during her recent appearance on the LTC Heroes podcast. She then shared with Experience Care’s Peter Murphy Lewis her hottest marketing ideas for nursing homes. Watch the discussion below:

 

Here we will summarize Podewitz’s five best tips for marketing in long-term care. These are divided into two sections, one on the basis of nursing home marketing and sales, the other specifically about branding and messaging, or nursing home advertising in the digital age. 

 

The Essential Nursing Home Marketing Ideas

According to Podewitz, many of the best nursing home marketing ideas simply aren’t being utilized enough because they are still new to some marketers. “Back in the day, it was phone calls, walk-ins, and referrals,” she said. “But now 80% of our customers find us through digital channels – either organic search or paid search,” she noted on the podcast.  So how does one keep up? 

Tip #1: Value Every Lead 

Digital marketing moves quickly. And the number of prospective nursing homes your target audience is looking at is higher than it ever was before. That is why one of the best marketing ideas for nursing homes is to act fast. “The biggest difference is that we now need to respond quickly when leads are coming to us and be diligent in our attempts to connect,” Podewitz said. “So, the way that we approach sales is a slight tweak of that initial inquiry.” 

Even with the rise in online campaigns, though, Podewitz emphasizes first and foremost telephone conversations. “First of all, pick up the phone,” she said. “Pick up the phone, because we still have the challenge of lost leads or mismanaged new leads in our industry.” 

Tip #2: Connect With Your Local Community

It’s easy to get caught up in the metrics of Google ads or email click and open rates, but marketers in long-term care would be wise to keep in mind their immediate surroundings, Podewitz said. “Local networking, local outreach to influencers, and potential referral sources in the local area still have a huge impact,” she said. 

The logic behind this strategy is that potential residents and their families want to know that you actually care, and the best way to convey that is to really engage them. “We’ve got to have meaningful conversations,” Podewitz said. “We just have to. We want them to feel seen and heard and then take the next steps with a great follow-up, differentiating ourselves and, finally, closing to the final decision.”

Regardless of one’s preferred approach to interacting with the community, the bottom line is, marketers have to be more active. When Lewis asked Podewitz what she thinks marketers aren’t doing correctly in their community engagement, she replied: “They’re just not doing enough. They’re not doing enough local “boots on the ground” marketing, networking, messaging, and engaging with the local community.” Another way of establishing a presence is to form partnerships with local businesses, pharmacies, and institutions of learning.  

Tip #3 Emphasize Closing Sales

Marketing can only be sustainable if you have a plan for converting those leads into sales. According to Podewitz, that makes finding a “sales driver” an absolute necessity. “You need someone who is competitive, who wants to go for the win, who doesn’t give up, and who’s motivated in that arena,” she said. 

What are the signs of a good sales driver in long-term care? “Look for curiosity,” she advised. “During the interview, ask yourself, ‘How curious are they? What kind of questions do they ask? How much research have they done?’” But while they should be competitive and competent, they must also be caring. “They still need to love working with older adults, and they need to understand metrics,” she said. It is that knowledge and interest in the industry that will better guide their success. 

 

The Secrets to Effective Senior Living Advertising 

Tip #4 Create Educational Content

Improving census numbers is not always about promoting your organization. Rather, savvy marketers responsible for nursing home advertising will know that one of the best marketing ideas for nursing homes is to create awareness about the industry and demonstrate their dedication to it. “Content marketing is critical in our business because senior care isn’t something that people know much about,” Podewitz said. “It’s not usually in our vernacular until there’s a crisis or we have a problem.” By exploring the concerns of the target market for nursing homes, your organization can stand out from the rest and demonstrate its dedication to a higher culture of care.

Tip #5 Capture Emotion

Podewitz reminds long-term care leaders that they should remember their roles as caregivers when speaking with prospects. “We’re not selling a commodity but rather serving in an advisory capacity,” she said. While obvious, keeping that in mind will better shape the messaging of your brand. In part, that means avoiding stereotypes about long-term care, eliminating fear, and highlighting activities important to seniors. 

Meanwhile, for families, the decision to place a loved one in a nursing home is a big one. So those looking for the best nursing home marketing ideas must “understand the impact of empathy” and learn to connect with prospects. “Because it’s such an emotional decision and so emotionally difficult, this isn’t based solely on logic,” she said, “so your message has got to get to the core emotional components of what drives people.”

Perhaps the most valuable of the marketing strategies for elder care that Podewitz offers is: listen. “Really try to lean in and understand what they tell you and the emotional components of their words,” she said. “Don’t jump to solve (their problem) right away. Rather, identify what the heart of the matter is for them, and only after obtaining that should you present the solutions you offer.” Honest communication with potential residents and their families plays an important role in alleviating their fears and helping them make a decision.

 

A Summary of the Best Marketing Ideas for Nursing Homes

The marketing ideas for nursing homes that Podewitz provided on the podcast can be boiled down to two things: capture your culture and be efficient. It is by demonstrating your dedication to care—at your organization and in general as well—that you will set yourself apart. Still, you must get the word out and take advantage of any interest received from prospects, as the other available options are usually well-known to your target demographic.