Do You Need a Senior Living Marketing Plan, System, or Both?
If you’re one of our regular blog readers or podcast listeners, you might have heard us talk about the importance of having a marketing system. But what is a marketing system? How is it different from a senior living marketing plan? And do you need both?
Below, we explore this topic by drawing from our podcast with Sarah Nay, the COO of Duct Tape Marketing. (Listen to the full podcast here.)
What is a marketing plan?
A senior living marketing plan outlines specific tactics and actions designed to achieve your marketing objectives. While a marketing plan is crucial for identifying what your team must do daily, weekly, and monthly, it will fall short if it doesn’t integrate into a broader, more dynamic strategy.
The main issue? Too many marketing plans list tactics like blogging, emailing, posting to social media (and so forth) without taking that all-important step back to understand the “why” behind each item.
What is a marketing system?
A marketing system, on the other hand, is a comprehensive, strategic framework that guides all marketing efforts. Before getting into a list of day-to-day or month-to-month tactics (i.e., your marketing plan), the marketing system delves into a cohesive marketing strategy that aligns with your overall business goals.
This strategy work includes things like:
- Analyzing your community’s online presence
- Doing competitor research
- Conducting resident and family interviews
- Defining and creating the prospect-to-resident journey
- Developing buyer personas
- Creating messaging that will resonate with the personas
Once you understand those things, you will have a much better grasp of the “whys” behind your marketing efforts and how those efforts will help the community achieve its business goals (for example, increasing revenue by X percent year over year).
Why your senior living community needs a marketing system and a marketing plan
Here’s why you need both to effectively market your senior living community.
1. Strategic Direction and Tactical Execution
A marketing system provides strategic direction, ensuring your efforts align with your business goals. The marketing plan, on the other hand, outlines the specific tactics and actions needed to execute this strategy. Together, they ensure that every action you take is purposeful and contributes to your long-term objectives.
2. Consistency and Flexibility
A marketing system ensures consistency in messaging and branding across all channels, creating a cohesive experience for your audience. The marketing plan allows for flexibility, detailing the specific actions to be taken and adjusted as needed based on performance metrics.
3. Comprehensive Coverage
While a marketing plan focuses on immediate actions, a marketing system ensures that these actions are part of a larger, integrated strategy. This comprehensive approach covers every stage of the customer journey, from awareness to conversion and retention.
4. Improved ROI
By integrating a marketing system with a well-crafted marketing plan, you can track and measure the ROI of each tactic more effectively. This transparency allows for better resource allocation and more informed decision-making, ultimately driving higher returns on your marketing investments.
Key differences between senior living marketing plans and marketing systems
1. Scope and Depth
- Marketing Plan: Typically more tactical, focusing on specific actions to achieve short-term goals.
- Marketing System: Holistic and strategic, encompassing the entire customer journey and ensuring all marketing activities are interconnected.
2. Approach
- Marketing Plan: Often a static document outlining what needs to be done.
- Marketing System: Dynamic and iterative, adjusting strategies based on ongoing performance metrics and feedback.
3. Integration
- Marketing Plan: Might include isolated tactics without a unifying strategy.
- Marketing System: Ensures all marketing efforts are integrated and support a unified strategic direction.
Bottom line: Think marketing system first, marketing plan second.
Relying solely on a tactical marketing plan will not yield the results you want. To drive occupancy and build a thriving community, you need a smart strategy that informs your marketing plan.
The marketing system provides the strategic backbone, while the marketing plan outlines the specific actions needed to achieve your goals. By integrating these two elements, you can create a cohesive, dynamic marketing approach that delivers consistent, measurable results.
Need help with your community’s marketing strategy, plan, or both? Get in touch.
