Archive for category: Consulting

Last year, we asked our fabulous team members to dish on senior living marketing trends and predictions for the new year. We’re officially making this “ask” a tradition.

Here’s what our team has to say about 2025.

Hint: AI dominates the conversation.

Deborah Howard, CEO

AI will ramp up in senior living marketing.

Debbie sees 2025 as the year AI will gain a strong foothold in senior living marketing across all channels.

Here are just some of the AI opportunities that Debbie’s excited about.

• Building comprehensive buyer personas by lifestyle and role. Debbie explains, “The goal will be to get AI to identify each community’s ideal resident and create customized marketing campaigns to attract new prospects that align with their ideal buyer.”
• Integrating all prospect engagement touchpoints to create personalized brand experiences. “Many new conversion tools, such as virtual sales assistants, assessments, chat, and financial calculators, have been introduced over the last several years,” Debbie says. “While each has some value individually, there is far more value when the information is integrated into the prospect journey.”
• One word: Video. “AI video is getting better every day, which makes the development of meaningful video content more accessible and affordable,” Debbie says. She also notes that video consistently outperforms across all channels in senior living marketing. “AI video will be a game changer.”

A bigger focus on post-sale marketing will boost reviews and referrals.

Debbie cites a recent study of 1500 prospects researching senior living. Personal referrals had the most impact, while professional referrals also played a crucial role.

To encourage more of these all-important referrals, Debbie predicts that 2025 will be the year operators really focus on building consistent brand experiences from first brand engagement through move-in.

“Marketing will not end with delivering a sales-qualified lead to the community team,” she says. “Operators looking for a differentiator will need to create a consistently positive brand experience that will result in positive reviews and increased participation in resident and family referral programs. The experience of transitioning successfully into a community sets the stage for the rest of the relationship. Social proof like testimonials, reviews, and personal recommendations are today’s currency.”

Eliminating blind spots will provide better visibility into the prospect’s journey.

Debbie says one of the goals for senior living marketers in 2025 should be to eliminate blind spots in the prospect journey and ensure there are no “dead ends.”

Debbie explains, “In the past, sales and marketing data were typically siloed in different reporting platforms that weren’t connected. Marketing only had visibility into how prospects engaged with marketing channels. This led to a disconnect when the prospect advanced to tours, deposits, and move-ins, making it difficult to evaluate which marketing channels and campaigns generated the best results.”

Meanwhile, aside from the attribution source, sales had no visibility into prospects’ behavior before receiving the lead.

Luckily, there’s no reason for things to operate like this now.

“Today, we can integrate sales and marketing data and touchpoints to eliminate these blind spots,” Debbie says. “This gives us full visibility into the entire prospect journey, from first-touch attribution through move-in. Improving the alignment between marketing and sales increases conversions from prospect to resident.”

Andréa Catizone, President & COO

Andréa is doubling down on two predictions in our 2024 article: the need for more personalized content and voice search optimization.

More personalized content

Andréa says, “Tailoring marketing messages to address the specific concerns and interests of seniors and their caregivers enhances engagement and builds trust. Understanding the demographics and preferences of this group is critical for crafting effective marketing strategies.”

Better voice search optimization

Andréa says as more seniors adopt voice-activated devices, optimizing content for voice search has become essential to improving accessibility and visibility.

“Senior care providers can enhance their voice search performance by targeting long-tail keywords and ensuring their websites are fully mobile-friendly,” she explains.

Paul Trusik, VP of Operational Technology

Paul agrees that AI is going to be huge in 2025, especially for senior living, but he’s coming at it from a different angle than some of his SLS colleagues. “My focus will be more from an integrative approach vs. ideation and predictive enhancements,” he says.

Leveraging HubSpot’s AI-driven lead scoring could help do the following:

• Prioritize prospects most likely to convert based on their interactions, such as visiting the pricing page, filling out a survey assessment, or requesting a tour
• Focus sales efforts on high-value leads, which will help improve conversion rates

“For example,” Paul says, “adult children who engage with multiple blog posts about senior safety and family decisions might be flagged as high-priority leads for follow-up.”

He says there’s also a lot of opportunity with HubSpot’s conversations tool, including AI-powered chatbots that can:

• Qualify leads by asking questions about care needs or timelines
• Offer instant answers to common inquiries (e.g., “Do you provide memory care services?”)
• Schedule tours directly through the chatbot

“A prospect visiting the site late at night can interact with a bot to explore services, book a tour, and even receive a follow-up email.”

Additionally, Paul and his team are exploring how to use AI to summarize the prospect’s journey, marketing touchpoints, and intent before updating sales teams. “The idea is to help paint a picture about potential leads and provide a more custom experience for families,” Paul explains.

Doug DeMaio, Director of Client Success

More AI predictions . . .

Doug says broader use of generative AI should allow for more specific and contextual lead nurturing at scale.

“Think more personalization and more connection to different buyer personas at different points throughout the buyer’s journey,” he says.

A shift toward aspirational marketing

Aspirational marketing involves positioning senior living as a desirable choice rather than a decision made out of crisis.

Doug says he expects more communities to embrace this approach. “This shift will include focusing more on a younger demographic and bringing the ‘me’ generation into well-appointed communities that match their wants just as much as their needs,” he explains. “This will help populate communities with long-term residents who are enthusiastic about where they live, which can be positively transformative for communities.”

Kerri-Anne Pendergast, Director of Creative Services

Kerri-Anne says that she and Lois Warden (one of SLS’s digital communications specialists) think we’ll see an uptick in user-generated content (UGC) from the boomer generation since they’re more tech-savvy.

“Because of this, communities can really push for post-sale marketing to make those new residents into influencers and brand ambassadors,” Kerri-Anne explains. “People who love their community tend to write reviews and make referrals.”

Kerri-Anne also believes creating strong brand experiences is going to play a bigger role. “Communities should look at their brand experience through the entire journey,” Kerri-Anne says. “From first touch to post move-in.”

Finally, Kerri-Anne notes that short-form videos will continue to be the most engaging and important form of content while Facebook continues its reign as king.

Christopher Zook, Director of Search

Chris is our search guru. He’s also an expert in paid ads and AI. So, it’s no wonder he has predictions about these three areas.

Will Google remain king?

Chris says, “SearchGPT is the first earnest challenge to Google’s domination of online search in history. With it, we may see SEO transition from a Google-centric strategy to multiple platforms.”

What about pay-per-click (PPC) advertising?

“With the advent of SearchGPT, it’s reasonable to expect that some form of advertising will come with it, similar to Google Ads,” Chris explains. “Again, this presents a major market challenge to Google.”

And about that elephant in the room, AI . . .

Chris says that unless AI is regulated at some governmental level, it will continue its rapid expansion, growth, and self-improvement to enter an enormous amount of business and consumer verticals.

“OpenAI, Google, Meta, and Microsoft are naturally at the forefront,” he says, “but this also entails open-source AI software that individuals can use, refine, and further develop. As a result, the people who learn how to use AI—and adapt their processes to include it—will likely thrive while non-adaptive competitors struggle.”

Need help with your senior living marketing next year? Get in touch.

We love helping communities increase occupancy through strategic and proven marketing initiatives. Reach out and let’s talk.

Anyone working for a nonprofit CCRC knows it’s quite different from a for-profit senior living community, especially when it comes to marketing.

That’s why we asked Stephanie Landes, one of our fabulous customer success managers, to share some of her CCRC marketing best practices. Stephanie got her start in senior living by working for a CCRC, so she has a good sense of what CCRC marketing and sales teams should keep in mind.

Get comfortable explaining the nonprofit CCRC model, especially to those in the earliest stages of the buying journey.

One of the biggest challenges in marketing nonprofit CCRCs is making sure prospects and their families understand how the model works.

Stephanie says, “The life care promises should be emphasized. The security and peace of mind of knowing that you or your loved one won’t be asked to leave or kicked out due to the inability to pay, should financial means be exhausted outside of one’s control, is huge.”

At the same time, the life care promise can often sound too good to be true to people new to the concept. Constant education and easily accessible resources are critical to helping people understand what CCRCs are all about.

At a minimum, make sure you . . .

• Offer a thorough FAQ page about the life care promise—what it means in general, what it means in practice in your community, common objections, legitimate pitfalls, etc.
• Provide financial transparency. Disclose your community’s financials even if your state doesn’t require such disclosures.
• Explain essential concepts in different formats. Some people learn best by reading. Others prefer videos or interactive formats. Offer a good mix of guides, checklists, and videos (both long- and short-form).

Never assume when it comes to financial qualifications.

While the initial investment into a CCRC is significant, Stephanie cautions against assuming your target audience only includes people from high-paying industries, like doctors and lawyers.

Stephanie explains, “One example from my CCRC experience included two women who were both former teachers. They ended up leaving a multi-million-dollar gift to the organization after their deaths—in addition to the entry and monthly fees they paid while living in the community. We refer to them and others like them as the ‘everyday millionaires’ who were financially sound and planned appropriately.”

Instead of making assumptions about prospects’ finances, help prospects self-qualify by being transparent about your CCRC’s costs, your community’s approach to contracts (for example, clauses about refunds on the entry fee), and info on medical tax deductions.

• PRO TIP: Free lunch-and-learn series can be an excellent way to educate prospects and their families about critical financial considerations while introducing people to your community.

Be prepared for a longer sales cycle.

The sales cycle for traditional senior living models is already lengthy. Stephanie says you should be prepared for an even longer sales cycle with CCRCs.

“I think, given the financial commitment, it may take more time and nurturing to gain trust and confidence in making the investment. It may also take prospects more time to gather paperwork in order to complete the admissions process.”

Family members typically need more time to get on board with the decision as well.

“Consider it a marathon,” Stephanie explains, “and an opportunity to really get to know these people rather than a meet-and-greet sprint.”

Stay focused on—and genuinely interested in—the prospect.

A prospect-focused approach to your CCRC marketing is a winning formula. Stephanie offers three ways to keep prospects front and center.

1. Get to really know each prospect. Learn their interests and passions, as well as their care needs and financial capability. Lunch-and-learns are an excellent first step. But go beyond those. Pair up prospects with residents to spend the day or attend activities together. This will encourage them to start forming relationships within your CCRC.

   PRO TIP: Online surveys like Roobrik and Waypoint offer great opportunities to help prospects self-assess what’s important to them as they consider transitioning to a senior living community. Plus, the info will help the sales team better personalize touchpoints and the prospects’ visits.

2. Make prospects feel like the community isn’t the same without them there. Highlight the strengths and unique characteristics the prospects bring to the community whenever they visit—and how residents and team members would benefit from their full-time presence if they move in.
3. Keep in touch with prospects over the long haul. Many nonprofit CCRCs are at full occupancy with long waiting lists. Automated nurture campaigns can allow your community to stay engaged with prospects while they wait. The goal is to make it easy for them to jump when a vacancy opens up.

Avoid common CCRC marketing mistakes.

Don’t dismiss traditional marketing tactics.

Stephanie says direct mail and in-person events can work well with the CCRC audience. Both can help prospects stay informed and feel welcome in the community.

Stephanie does point out that many seniors hate waste, so be mindful about how much direct mail you send. If you have prospects’ email addresses, you can send correspondence that way.

As for events?

“Just make sure the events are well-planned and have substance,” Stephanie says, “and that both the prospects and residents are treated like royalty.”

Here are some event topics that tend to be crowd-pleasers.

• How to fund senior care, particularly CCRCs
• Education about how to avoid elder fraud and scams
• Estate and legacy planning
• Downsizing and selling a home
• Understanding different care options

Don’t let the sales and admissions teams become complacent about getting involved in the local community.

CCRCs need to be active participants in local associations, so much so that the representative is almost synonymous with the cause. Think of things like the local chamber of commerce, senior living association, senior safety/TRIAD chapter, Walk to End Alzheimer’s, American Heart Association, etc.

“Getting involved and caring for more than just the people within the community’s physical boundaries speaks volumes,” Stephanies says. “And it also holds the CCRC accountable for its nonprofit status.”

Don’t dismiss the importance of nurturing professional referral sources.

Networking is essential (and it’s never done, either).

Stephanie says, “Help your referral partners answer the hard questions that they get asked by their clients. Provide your partners with information and education to pass along on your behalf. And keep them apprised of your CCRC’s availability and vacancies so they can help match their clients with your living options.”

Remember, the partnership goes both ways. “You must genuinely care about the work they’re trying to achieve and how you can help be a referral source for them, too,” Stephanie says.

Need help marketing your nonprofit CCRC?

We understand that your needs are different. Let’s discuss how we can support your CCRC marketing efforts.

Professional referrals can be one of the best ways to grow occupancy in senior living communities. In fact, when done well (and consistently), senior living referrals tend to be cost-effective, yield higher conversion rates, and lead to longer stays.

In one of our recent podcasts, SLS’s Debbie Howard chatted with Michael Moye, Senior Account Executive at WelcomeHome CRM. Michael has a unique perspective on community outreach because he used to work as a community relations director.

Here are the key takeaways from his conversation with Debbie, along with best practices to improve your senior living referral program.

Understanding the importance of senior living referrals

Professional referrals play a significant role in driving occupancy, mainly because they tend to convert at higher rates. Michael says approximately 6% of leads come from professional and non-professional referrals. But 75% of those tours will move in. (Michael tracks this data using WelcomeHome CRM.)

The reason behind the high conversion rate is trust. When sources that people trust refer them to a community, decision-making becomes easier and quicker.

Michael acknowledges that building relationships with trusted sources takes effort. However, the payoff can be huge.

“So think about the six months that it takes—you’re laying the foundation,” he says. “It’s really hard work. But then once the framework is there and you start to see the pipeline of referrals coming in, 75% of those are moving in.”

This is because your referral partners have already educated people about your community, so your prospects end up knowing a lot about it before they even set foot inside.

Compared to other lead sources, referral-based leads are the least expensive.

Debbie explains, “The only thing you have to invest is your time and creativity. And when you compare that to how much you’re paying aggregators or paid digital leads or newspaper or direct mail, it really is the most cost-effective as well.”

Developing a referral-based marketing strategy can be wise for communities looking to maximize their marketing budget while achieving high-quality results.

How to build strong relationships with referral sources

Make community outreach part of your community’s DNA.

Referral success doesn’t happen overnight. It has to be ingrained in the community’s culture, something Michael refers to as being part of an operator’s DNA.

He says operators and owners should establish a clear framework for their sales teams and emphasize the importance of engaging with the local community.

Recognize that potential referral sources are everywhere.

It’s easy to focus on the biggest professional referral sources like hospitals. But it’s also important to remember that anyone can be a potential referral. Much benefit can come from simply opening up your community and making it a local destination.

Debbie echoes this sentiment and recalls her experience in senior living sales and how some referrals came from unexpected places.

“I got move-ins from somebody from the Girl Scout troop that we hosted to help them with a baking project,” she explains. “And we got a move-in from somebody who came to a piano recital. We had a grand piano and a beautiful space, and we partnered with a local music school, and we had refreshments. When you open those doors, and you create those opportunities, you never really know who’s going to be there that might have a need that you’re not going to find any other way.”

Outreach strategies that lead to better senior living referrals

Be more than simply a “cupcake marketer.”

It’s easy to fall into the habit of delivering small gifts or baked goods to professional referral sources, but that won’t necessarily help build long-term partnerships. You might look like the hero for a hot minute, but people will quickly forget about you after they gobble down the goods because you’re not delivering substance about the community.

Instead, Michael says to bring cupcakes with a purpose. What can you tell them about your community? Is there something new about your community that could help them?

PRO TIP: If you really want to differentiate yourself, instead of just bringing in cupcakes, bring in your chef with the cupcakes and have the chef talk about their approach to dining and nutrition in your community.

Identify your Trojan horse.

When he worked as a community relations director, Michael turned his community’s health and wellness director (HWD) into a Trojan horse. He had a great relationship with his HWD and would position himself as a tagalong when they made hospital or other outreach visits.

He says referral sources, especially those in hospital or rehab settings, preferred talking to the HWD.

“They would much rather hear about outcomes and [our] care to approach than hearing it from a sales director like myself,” he says. “And so I won a lot of hearts and minds, not because of my wits and my smarts, but because I was smart enough to bring us the smarter person in the room and going in and making sure that they visit the people.”

Debbie notes that this approach is another brilliant way to differentiate your community in the sea of sameness.

“Nobody else has your health and wellness director,” she says. “Nobody else has your outcomes. Nobody else has your stories or your passion or your mission statement or your values or your culture.”

Follow good sales etiquette.

Always add value to your conversations with referral partners.

Michael says there’s a saying in sales: Don’t spill the candy in the lobby.

He explains, “It’s so easy just to get a little bit nervous and then just start pitching and talking their ears off and annoying them.”

Always remember your job is to make their lives easier. What are their biggest problems? What are their biggest headaches? Which patients are they most worried about? How can your community help solve these pain points?

Go into every conversation with a way to help them rather than a sales pitch about another feature/benefit in your community.

Don’t monopolize people’s time.

You can make a big impression in five or ten minutes by focusing on adding value.

Michael says, “I think it’s super important to know that it doesn’t have to be an hour-long conversation. In fact, I don’t think they want you to be there for an hour. I think they’re like, ‘Get out of my office. I’ve got a job.’ But if it’s five valuable minutes that they can be educated about something that your community does and maybe differentiating from other competition—that’s the meat. That’s where you’re going to find a lot of value compared to just dumping everything out.”

Block your calendar to hold yourself accountable.

One of the biggest challenges for sales teams is being consistent with outreach. The best thing you can do is block your calendar specifically for these outreach appointments and drop-ins and stick to it.

Talk less, listen more.

A good way to do this is by asking thoughtful questions, such as what challenges people face, what referrals look like for them, etc. Michael says, “I think there’s a really good 70/30 rule on talking about 30 percent and then allowing them to talk the other 70 percent.”

Give your referral partners updates after someone moves in.

Keeping referral sources updated on the well-being of their referrals can solidify trust and keep the relationship strong.

Michael says you can use automation, like WelcomeHome, to trigger a reminder to thank the referral partner after a referral has become a move-in. “Sometimes, we’re so busy we forget to thank our referral partners, and we forget to update them,” he says.

Debbie agrees. “And that really means a lot to them to be able to say, ‘This is someone you referred 30 days ago when she was just coming out of rehab, and she was having these issues. And now, here’s a picture of her enjoying this activity or on a trip’. That’s going to do more than any cupcake you bring through the door.”

Bottom line: Add referral partner outreach to your sales and marketing mix.

Building a strong referral network is an ongoing process that requires both effort and attention. However, by implementing these best practices, your senior living community can foster meaningful relationships that consistently drive high-quality referrals.

More helpful reading and listening:

• Outreach and Engagement Strategies
• The Power of Outreach

There’s a saying in senior living SEO that “all search is local search.” It makes sense, right? Most people thinking about senior living probably want to remain in their local community near family, friends, and the organizations they’re active in.

The data supports this theory. Consider the search volume for “senior living near me” phrases. We’re talking thousands of monthly searches.

This is why optimizing your senior living community’s website for local search is a must.

But did you know there are actions you can take outside of your website to help improve your site’s visibility in search results, including local search?

It’s called off-page search engine optimization (SEO), and it’s all about boosting your site’s reputation so that search engines see your community’s site as reputable, trustworthy, and authoritative.

Remember, the more reputable your site seems to Google (and other search engines), the more visibility your site will have in the search results.

Below, we discuss four ways to improve off-page SEO for senior living communities.

1. Become a wiz at managing your community’s online reputation.

People rely on reviews when making purchasing decisions. This is why you must have a plan for soliciting and managing reviews, especially on the all-mighty Google.

The more positive reviews you have (especially on Google), the more reputable and trustworthy your site will seem to search engines, and the more likely your site will be served up, especially on relevant local searches.

Don’t take our word for it, though. Google says, “High-quality, positive reviews from your customers can improve your business visibility and increase the likelihood that a shopper will visit your location.”

So, how can you get more reviews? SLS’s Debbie Howard says the key is being “intentional” about your approach to senior living reputation management.

She recommends doing the following:

• Develop a proactive review strategy. Create opportunities for residents or visitors to leave reviews. For example, in your post-tour follow-ups, include a line like, “Thanks for stopping by for a visit today. We’d love to know about your experience. What did you like best about the tour? Leave a quick review here. It takes only 30 seconds.”
• Try different delivery methods. Most people have smartphones, so they can easily access email and texts. Experiment with both and see which medium converts better.
• Re-post positive reviews across multiple channels, especially social media. Share those glowing four- and five-star reviews on your site, in email campaigns, and across all of your social media channels. Experiment with how you present the review snippets. For example, create a video montage and see what it does for engagement.
• Lather, rinse, repeat. You’re never done asking for reviews because people expect to see recent ones (within the last three months or so) on places like Google.

More helpful reading:

• How to Respond to Reviews
• How to Handle Bad Google Reviews

2. Embrace link building.

Earning high-quality backlinks to your community’s website signals to Google that you have a site worth serving up in search results.

Some links will happen organically. For example, a news site might link to one of your guides about funding senior living. But other links require a strategy. Semrush offers some good (but time-consuming) suggestions for generating backlinks.

Here are some other link-building tactics that might be more accessible and that can help with local search.

• Whenever your community is involved in a sponsorship, request a backlink to your site from the sponsor’s website.
• Pay attention to local businesses’ websites and collaborate with those that are a good fit and have good Domain Authority. Make sure you cross-promote and cross-link.
• Create valuable local content that naturally attracts links. For example, highlight local attractions, like museums and theaters, in blog posts or “fun stuff to do” content.
• Make sure members of your team who appear as guests on podcasts, videos, and blogs get a link back to your site in the show notes or bio blurb.

3. Ensure consistency in local citations and directories.

Building consistent citations across the web helps establish your community’s credibility.

• Make sure your community’s name, address, and phone number (NAP) are consistent across all online directories.
• List your community on relevant local directories and senior living-specific platforms.
• Claim and verify your listings on major sites.

At SLS, we use BrightLocal to clean up our clients’ online business listings. We usually find that 75% are inaccurate or unclaimed.

4. Optimize your Google Business Profile and continue giving it TLC over the long haul.

We feel like we talk about this tip A LOT. And yet, whenever we think we can ease up on this directive, we come across a Google Business Profile that needs a ton of work. (Or that hasn’t even been claimed yet—yikes!)

Google is still king when it comes to search, and there’s a good chance people will come across your community’s GBP before they make it to your website. Treat it like a microsite that you keep updated with current info, real pics (not stock images), and videos. And as we mentioned earlier, pay attention to reviews, too.

Need help? Check out these resources:

• Marketing Tips for Your Google Business Profile
• Google Business Profile Audit

Remember, off-page SEO for senior living is a long game.

SEO is never done, so don’t treat it like a box on a to-do list that you check off once. Instead, include SEO in your ongoing marketing strategy. Need help? Our dedicated SEO team can assist you with all aspects of your senior living search engine optimization.