Hardly a week goes by without someone in our industry telling me how different the senior living industry is from all others. And I agree. Helping a family through the senior care decision journey requires education, empathy, good listening skills, and an ability to help with finances. We know it is a heart sell, not a hard sell. This is a complex decision that may literally mean the difference between life and death. But there are some pieces of the senior care decision journey that really aren’t that different from other big decisions. Just when I think our industry is finally beginning to understand and embrace how much consumer behavior has changed, I have a few conversations with new or prospective clients that make me realize what a steep hill we still have scramble up.
Here are just a few snippets I scribbled down to share…
“We don’t want to put a lot on our website because we want them to call us.”
“We aren’t focusing on internet leads. They are of poor quality because they take too long to move in.”
“We want to educate people about senior care options in person. Not on our website because we want to build a relationship with them.”
Seriously. These are real conversations with smart people who still don’t accept the shift in consumer behavior. It isn’t about what WE want. It is about what family decision makers want: Education. Information. To get ‘em to call you, you gotta give ‘em what they want!
People expect to find the answers to their questions online. For 3 of every 5 shoppers in all areas of consumerism, the decision process begins online with a search. Usually a Google search. So by the time they actually reach out to you as a provider, we should assume they have researched you online. While we know the senior living industry is one where some forms of interruption marketing still work, we have to accept that families want to hear from you online. They expect you to provide information that will help them with their eldercare struggle. And what a great opportunity that is to position your company as the expert.
One of my favorite quotes right now is from Jay Baer, author of Youtility and a great blog I read regularly. His explanation is beautifully simple, “Content is an information annuity.” Don’t you just love that? It says it all in 4 little words.
What are you putting in your content annuity today? Tomorrow? Next month?
Shoot us an email if you have any questions or would like to arrange a free phone consultation. We’d love to help you get your content annuity rolling…