Posts

secret to better senior living direct mail

The Secret to Better Senior Living Direct Mail Marketing

/in , /by

Looking for the secret sauce to better senior living direct mail marketing? Well, the secret involves a mix of several key ingredients rather than one magical spice. Below, we share the recipe.

Make sure your branding is consistent across all media.

You don’t want someone to experience a disconnect when they go from your direct mailer to your website to your community itself. The brand you present on the direct mailer must align with the brand you’re portraying everywhere else.

Keep in mind, however, that your senior living brand is so much more than a logo and color palette. Yes, those things inform your brand identity, but so do the words you use, the messages you share, and the way you want people to feel whenever they engage with your brand.

Make it easy for someone to take the next step.

Your direct mailer should have one goal—and this goal should be clearly conveyed in the call to action (CTA).

What’s your reason for sending the direct mailer in the first place? Some examples:

  • Are you driving people to a specific landing page to download a free guide on how to finance senior living?
  • Maybe you’re inviting people to a “lunch & learn” event or to take a tour.
  • Or maybe you want people to call a phone number to request a brochure.

The “ask” should be clear, direct, and easy for someone to do.

Connect your senior living direct mail marketing to your larger marketing plan and ongoing campaigns.

Effective marketing doesn’t happen in silos. Your various campaigns should work in harmony as part of a strategic marketing plan or initiative.

So, for example, if you’re sending a direct mailer inviting people to have “Lunch on Us,” it should be part of a larger “Lunch on Us” campaign that has a strategic plan for promoting the event (print, web, social), executing the event (swag, brochures), and following up on the event (lead nurturing, tour invites).

Be hyper-focused when developing your mailing lists.

You might think it’s always better to cast a wide net. Wouldn’t mailing 10,000 people be better than mailing 2,000? Not necessarily. There’s a reason why direct mail response rates have historically been on the low side. Direct mail companies would often cast a super huge net, knowing that the response rate might be only 1% or 2%. They’d have to cast that big net in order to have the ROI they were looking for.

But marketing has become a lot more sophisticated over the last twenty years. Even though direct mail marketing is still considered an outbound marketing method (meaning you’re sending materials to people who haven’t self-identified a need for your services), that doesn’t mean you can’t take an inbound approach to the development of your targeted mailing list.

It all starts with understanding your ideal buyers and creating a persona for each buyer that includes detailed demographic info—info that a reputable mailing house can use to create a targeted list.

This means you’ll likely be mailing a much smaller number of direct mailers (and we realize printing and postage aren’t inexpensive). But the chances of converting people will be greater, provided you have the right messaging and the right call-to-action, which brings us to our next point.

Match the message to the audience.

There’s no such thing as one-size-fits-all messaging. For example, one of your personas will likely be an adult child. And if you’re really good with your persona development, you’ll break that down into adult daughter and adult son.

The messages that resonate with the adult daughter will likely be different than the messages that resonate with the adult son. That’s basic Psychology 101. While you might think you can use the daughter message for both audiences (or the other way around), resist the temptation. You WILL get better results if you customize the messaging to each audience you send direct mailers to.

And remember: Your senior living direct mail marketing isn’t happening in a vacuum, right? The messaging you develop should be used elsewhere, like website pages, blog posts, paid online ads, social media, and email marketing, for consistency’s sake.

Don’t skimp on design and layout.

If you’ve invested in custom messaging, but you turn to DIY tools when it comes to graphic design, well . . . you’ve just wasted your investment. Sure, if you have legit graphic design skills, have at it. But if you don’t, you’re better off working with someone who does. Or you can use our SMART Brand product suite where we have ready-made templates created by professional designers, including direct mailers—templates that allow you to easily add in your logo, colors, and custom messaging.

Need help rocking your senior living direct mail marketing?

That’s what we’re here for! We can help you navigate inbound and outbound marketing methods so that they’re always working in harmony. Get in touch and let’s chat.

Does Direct Mail Still Have a Place in Senior Living Marketing?

/in /by

When it comes to senior living marketing in the 21st century, everyone talks about digital marketing, and rightfully so. Today’s buyers begin their searches online. And this most definitely includes the senior living audience.

So if things like websites, pay-per-click ads, and social media are where the marketing magic takes place, doesn’t that answer our question regarding direct mail?

Not so fast!

We believe there is indeed a place for direct mail when done right. (That last bit is important.) Allow us to explain . . .

People do read or at least scan snail mail, including direct mail pieces. (And yes, they convert on the offers, too.)

According to Small Biz Genius, 42.2% of direct mail recipients either read or scan the mail they get, and most households keep advertising mail for 17 days on average. This is important to know, especially in senior living marketing.

Small Biz Genius goes on to say that direct mail offers a not-too-shabby 29% return on investment. And Lob, a business that uses automation to help companies send smarter snail mail, notes that 66% of people have bought something because of direct mail.

Direct mail can be a great way to get your brand on people’s radar.

Piggy-backing on the above stats, if you want to start planting the seed about your senior living community, direct mail pieces can be a great way to do exactly that.

Imagine sending a series of over-sized postcards over 12 months — bright, cheerful, glossy cards with one focused message and your logo front and center. You’ve probably heard the adage that it takes 7-10 touches before a brand begins to resonate with a consumer. A direct mail strategy can be a good way to prime the pump.

Direct mail could be an excellent way to reach adult children.

One stat from Small Biz Genius stood out to us in particular: “Consumers aged 45-54 are the demographic group most likely to respond to direct mail pieces.” That demographic is a sweet spot for adult children who might be helping their older loved ones find appropriate senior living. (By the way: We’ve designed a turnkey marketing campaign specifically for adult children — get in touch if you’d like to know more.)

Direct mail can supplement and reinforce your digital marketing efforts.

Just as we always preach that you need to make sure your marketing and sales efforts are in alignment, the same is true for inbound marketing and outbound marketing methods. Don’t think of it as an either/or scenario, but rather one more tool you can include in your trusty senior living marketing toolbox.

We can help direct your inbound and outbound marketing efforts, including direct mail.

We know the ins and outs of digital marketing, and we regularly create turnkey marketing packages through our SMARTbrand program that include elements from both, including direct mail pieces that you can easily customize. Learn more about SMARTbrand. Or get in touch and we can show you some great senior living marketing ideas that’ll work for your community!

Let’s Chat!

5 Quick Ways to Turn Around Low Lead Generation

/4 Comments/in /by

1.) Increase Sales Calls To Professionals

  • Identify Your Top 10 Referral Accounts & 10 New Target Accounts
  • Pre-Call Planning is key to have effective, scheduled, and purposeful interactions rather than low quality drop by’s.
  • End every sales call with a scheduled next step to continue to build the relationship.

2.) Resident & Family Referral Reward Program

  • If you already have one in place, take it to the next level with improved incentives and improved promotion (make it a topic at every resident counsel meeting, celebrate successes, call families with good news, and reinforce that the best compliment is a referral!).
  • If you don’t have a program in place, create one today!  Word of mouth recommendations from families and friends remain the primary motivation for selecting a community – and it is the least expensive lead generation!

3.) Embrace the Internet

  • Organic leads will increase as you tweak your website to be a resource to families.  Review your website to understand the user experience and ensure that your site is easy to navigate and invites users to take action.
  • If you are not using lead generations/ referral agencies to generate leads (subscription, pay-per-lead or pay-per-move-in), you are missing out!  The best results come from companies that employ advisors to work directly with the families.
  • Use review sites to increase leads.  Prospects are drawn to communities with robust reviews (it is ok if not all are five star!), Reviews are out there about your community today, so it is important to monitor and respond to them – and post the best ones on your website!

4.) Increase Events

  • Monthly events for your lead base & Professional referral sources.
  • Create a buzz – send out “Save the Date” to create anticipation and be creative with your themes to keep people interested and intrigued.
  • You will increase your attendance if you follow up with personal phone calls and /or visits after sending the invitation.  Be proactive in getting RSVPs.
  • Execute well and follow up quickly to turn good will into good referrals!

5.) Direct Mail Campaigns & Advertising

  • If the well has run dry and you have mined your database completely, it may be time to generate new leads through purchasing qualified mailing lists that match you community demographics.
  • Well messaged advertising with a strong call to action is worth a try when looking to expand the radius of your market reach.

If you need more help, just reach out to Senior Living SMART!