Using Content Marketing to be a Resource for Your Senior Living Audience
March 22, 2022
When it comes to senior living, a strong content marketing strategy closes the gap between providing information to your audience and serving as a valuable resource that educates and offers them a solution.
What’s the difference between the two? Providing information, while helpful, does not solve your audience’s problem. Being a resource offers your audience a solution.
For example, picture a woman looking into senior living options for her mother. A simple internet search brings up endless information about the different levels of care, but she still does not know what steps to take next. She then comes across your senior living community’s website. Through your content, she learns what type of care her mother needs and is presented with a solution: transitioning her mother into your community.
Did You Know?
According to the Population Reference Bureau, “the number of Americans ages 65 and older is projected to nearly double from 52 million in 2018 to 95 million by 2060, and the 65-and-older age group’s share of the total population will rise from 16 percent to 23 percent. With an increase in the number of seniors needing a solution, it is more important than ever to become a senior living resource through your content marketing.
Our team at Markentum specializes in senior living marketing, and we want to share ways that you can become a resource and provide solutions for your audience.
The Power of Your Website
Your community’s website should be the “home base” of all your senior living marketing efforts. Not only should it provide information about what levels of care you offer, but it should also highlight your community and its mission, as well as additional senior living information and resources.
An effective website paints a picture of what life is like for residents in the community and offers a solution for senior living needs. You can do this through various page types that live on your website. These may include:
- An “About” page that highlights your community’s values, mission, history, and team members
- “Service” pages that explain the levels of care your community offers in detail
- And “Resource” pages that include internal resources (such as a blog or downloadable content) and applicable, external links
Inform with Infographics & Videos
Creating high-quality content that serves a purpose other than sparking interest is a significant way to establish your brand as a senior living resource. One of the best ways to do this is visually through infographics.
An infographic is a great way to inform your audience of the solution your brand can provide. For example, you could create an infographic that shares the levels of care your community offers, helping users make the right choice for their families.
In addition, you can visually serve your audience as a senior living resource with videos. A video can explain a variety of concepts in a clear, concise manner. For example, videos are commonly used to show off a community’s amenities, highlight what sets your community apart from the competition, and share testimonials from current residents or their family members.
Stay Social, Friends
Social media is an excellent vehicle for delivering resources. You can easily provide your audience with links to your website or even PDF files within social media posts to engage users.
LinkedIn and Facebook are typically the strongest platforms for targeting adult daughters, which tend to be the largest percentage of the senior living audience. For more visually-heavy content, Instagram is an excellent platform for reaching your audience.
No matter the social media platform you choose, this is an easy means of expanding your audience reach to help boost your content and senior living marketing efforts.
You’ve Got Mail
Email marketing is also a great way to reach your audience and provide them with senior living resources. If done correctly, your emails will serve as a successful hub of education, and your audience will welcome the email notifications into their inbox.
With email marketing, you must:
- Keep in mind not all contacts should be treated the same
- Use eye-catching subject lines to stand out from the rest
- Handle unsubscribes with dignity and class
- Include your resources in emails, but do not “oversell” your brand
- Have a flowing design that is attractive and readable
- Be mindful of your sending times and frequency
Blogging: Your Content Library
Infographics, video, social media, and email marketing fuel the content marketing fire, but blogging is a fundamental substance and kindling. A blog itself is an excellent resource for your senior living audience.
To some, blog articles may seem like random pieces of information that may not be necessary given their current circumstances, but they could become useful at a later date. For instance, a blog titled “Best Breakfasts for Seniors with Diabetes” may not be relevant in your current situation. However, if you know an older adult who is living with diabetes, this blog becomes a valuable resource.
To position yourself as a valuable resource for your audience, it is crucial to understand their needs and wants. The senior living industry has varying audience types – caregivers, adult children, the older adults themselves, etc. It is imperative to create content based upon topics that will serve as resources and solutions to each group.
Downloadable Content
At Markentum, we have seen that a top content marketing resource for any audience, especially senior living, is long-form content, such as an eBook. An eBook is an in-depth, guided solution to help an audience with a specific need.
An eBook should reflect all the information needed to address a specific issue or question. Your eBook should contain statistics that prove your selling points or provide self-examined research that offers a source for your findings.
In addition to eBooks, creating shorter downloadable content, like checklists and guides, can further expand your reach. This type of content could be similar to an infographic but is more interactive. For example, you could create a moving checklist for individuals transitioning into your community. This downloadable provides information about what to pack for this specific type of move while serving as a physical checklist that your audience can fill out as they prepare for moving day.
eBooks and other downloadable content are great ways to capture leads. When users are genuinely interested in your content, they will share their contact information to receive your resource. Your community gets a new lead, and the consumer gets free information – a win-win!
Once helpful resources have been established, it is important to ensure that they align with your brand and are highlighted within your website. You should not need to go on an Easter egg hunt to find an eBook. Your website is the final frontier for all of your content to be brought together, and it is important that your content is thoughtfully laid out. Be sure to have clearly titled sections for Blogs, eBooks, or Resource Pages.
With the proper incorporation of all of your brand’s content resources, you can successfully tell your brand’s story. Integrating all of these resources into a cohesive content marketing campaign will capture your target audience and make your senior living community a valuable resource.
Our team at Markentum can help you develop an effective senior living marketing strategy for your community. Visit our website to request your free evaluation today!