Ideas & Tips for Marketing Senior Living Communities 

Senior living communities have a new set of challenges now in the digital era. Prospective residents and their families are increasingly making decisions about communities based on their online presence and credibility. Reviews, website design, blog content, and social media posts are just a few aspects of digital marketing that can be crucial to a senior community’s success.

Moving from traditional marketing techniques into this world of digital media can be a daunting task for many communities. The best digital marketing tactics are constantly changing as the Internet becomes more sophisticated. Search engines can update their algorithms, social media platforms can change their policies, and different website designs can grow or wane in popularity.

In addition to these trends and updates, new communities can enter the online competition and disrupt the status quo. A well-established community with a powerful online presence can suddenly find itself lower in search results after a new community is built or a search algorithm is updated.

These fluctuations of online power and credibility require constant monitoring to remain on top of the competition. A single change on the Internet can have big implications for a senior living community’s long-term success. Having a strong online presence is no longer an option--it’s a necessity for a community to thrive.

However, certain traditional marketing techniques do continue to have value nowadays. While print advertising isn’t as effective now as it was 50 years ago, high-quality content is still a must. Billboards, magazine articles, and TV commercials have simply become pay-per-click ads, blogs, and YouTube videos. Just like decades ago, customers want engaging, original content that solves their current problems and applies to their life situation.

Getting to know a customer’s interests and desires is also just as useful now as ever. This solid knowledge of prospects is key for crafting effective emails, blogs, and other online marketing content. In addition, since most senior living decisions are made by their family, knowing more about both their interests and their loved ones can help guide a digital marketing strategy, leading to a brand identity that resonates with potential residents and their families.

Personal relationships are still important, too. While the Internet can seem impersonal, it actually offers great opportunities for interaction with the customer and their families, whether through social media or a personalized message. This individual contact can lead to more traditional forms of marketing, like a phone call or a guided tour, which remain valuable especially for such an emotional and personal decision.

In other words, senior living communities don’t need to abandon everything about traditional marketing to succeed online. Some ideas just need to be adapted to suit online audiences. With the right guidance and support, a community can easily update their marketing tactics and maintain a leading online presence.

Nevertheless, some online marketing concepts and practices can be difficult to master, since they’re constantly in flux. Fortunately, communities don’t need to handle these systems alone. Experts can keep them up-to-date with the latest changes and best practices. Combined with a community’s unique brand, knowledge, and vision for the future, this expert guidance can push a digital marketing strategy ahead of the competition.

Regardless of a community’s occupancy level, online engagement is crucial for a community to remain successful. Even a prominent senior living community with a waiting list can lose in the long run without a steady digital marketing strategy. Maintaining a strong online brand is easier than re-establishing one, especially if the competition has jumped ahead in the meantime.

The following blogs and resources provide marketing tips for the modern senior living community, looking to strengthen its online brand identity, get more high-quality leads, and stay on top of the competition. Whether your community is new to online marketing or already well-established in the field, these tips can help you stay on the cutting-edge.

Post professional-quality videos online

Videos are an important component of your short-term and long-term marketing efforts because they are eye-catching and allow people to see your facility more closely. People love watching videos online and gladly share and bookmark them. Videos also cause people to spend more time on your website, and this is great for your website’s search engine optimization (SEO) because “time on site” is a ranking factor that search engines evaluate. Some video ideas for marketing your independent living facility include testimonial videos of your current residents or video tours of your facility.

Check out our guide on "How to Make Irresistible Videos for Your Senior LIving Communities"

Communicate your uniqueness.

The core benefits of a senior living community are similar, but individual communities are not. Identify what differentiates you and clearly communicate those defining points. For example, if you have organic food items on your menu or if you offer distinctive programming (such as Tai Chi or language classes) ─ don’t forget to mention it. That’s what makes your community unique!

Recognize that your number one competitor is the prospect’s decision not to leave their current house. You lose more sales to no decision than to someone deciding to move to a competitive community. Do you know how to sell as well against the prospect’s house as you do against the competitor across town?