Assisted Living Marketing Tips: Social Media Marketing for Seniors
Posted by Donna Mae Scheib on May 09, 2017
Assisted Living Marketing Tips: Social Media Marketing for Seniors
Get tips for marketing to seniors via social networking.
The assisted living marketplace is a competitive space. Not only are there a lot of facilities out there vying for your target market’s attention, but you are also selling a service that people aren’t necessarily excited about. To be successful as an assisted living facility in this day and age, it’s important to go out and find customers.
A growing number of seniors and their adult children have become tech-savvy and often use the Internet to search for senior living facilities. Today’s seniors are the fastest growing group of social media users. They don’t just have email accounts. They’re also browsing Facebook, watching YouTube videos, and using Skype.
How Assisted Living Homes Can Connect with Their Target Market
There are some assisted living homes out there that are successfully connecting with seniors, while others are still trying to figure out how social media works. There are many ways in which assisted living facilities can reach their target market.
One effective way for assisted living homes to use social media is by gearing the content towards the adult children of prospective residents. Adults with aging parents often use the Internet to research senior living facilities for their parents. Assisted living homes can use social media networks like Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter to generate leads.
Assisted living homes can also use social media to keep residents abreast of what’s going on in their communities. They can inform residents of upcoming events and keep them involved in the community. Social media also enables residents to connect with one another as well as with staff.
This doesn’t mean that assisted living facilities should abandon traditional, tried-and-true marketing methods. Social media can be a way for you to enhance and build upon your existing promotional efforts. Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and other social networks are effective tools for promoting your brand, but social networking is a marathon, not a sprint. You probably won’t get followers right away once you get started, but you’ll start to see results over time. That’s why it’s important to use monitoring and analytics to keep track of your social media activities.
The number of seniors and baby boomers who use social media will only continue to grow, so now’s a good time to build a strong foundation in social media. Social media can increase your assisted living facility’s transparency and give your community a stronger online presence. While social media marketing isn’t necessarily going to cost your facility a lot to implement, it will require your time and a long-term commitment. You will need to determine who on your staff is available to make social media updates and commit to posting content on a regular basis.
In order to succeed with social media, you need to make a commitment and have a structured plan. Create a social media plan that details any daily maintenance you need to perform, recurring tasks, and important milestones. Post frequently and consistently. Run contests and promotions to get visitors to come back. A detailed social media plan will help to keep you on track and moving forward.
Showcase Your Business on Senior Living Link
Increase your assisted living facility’s visibility online by joining Senior Living Link, an online directory for senior living homes. You will get a profile where you can describe what makes your facility great and display pictures, videos, and more! For just $97 per month, you can generate more leads online and attract more prospective residents. You can cancel your membership at any time. Join us today!
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