Trends in Senior Living
Senior living is an industry on the move. As the number of people over 65 in the nation continues to rise, the need to meet their needs, address their wants and reach them where they are in life continues to drive the industry trends. Today’s seniors are savvier than ever before. They study the marketplace. They are active and engaged in their communities, and they’re looking for a plan for their future that puts them in control.
So what are the trends we’re seeing in senior living? And what do they mean for the future of the industry?
Let’s take a look at the top trends:
- Digital marketing: Everyone has a smartphone and everyone is using it. As opposed to the younger generations, older adults are likely to spend more time on a site so mobile optimization and carefully crafted content is key. Blog posts, videos, and social media activity are vital parts of your branding message. Additionally, strong search engine optimization (SEO) that is targeted specifically to your story will help improve your organic traffic flow and results.
- Creating an experience. Gone are the days of a feature-benefit approach to senior living marketing. Today’s seniors want to experience what life is like at your community. Video content on your site that is pushed out across your social media platforms can help prospects meet their potential neighbors, experience a day at your community, and get a feel for the culture quickly. It’s also a way to show the unique attributes of your organization and set yourself apart from the pack.
- Marketing automation: This has become quite a popular trend in our industry in recent years. Marketing automation acts as a sales support tool to help reach consumers at varying levels in their journey in order to provide more “touches” than would be able to be achieved through traditional sales contact means. Marketing automation can mean anything from managing and publishing blog posts, analyzing the effectiveness of your messaging, creating an automated schedule of email marketing content, deliver scheduled social media postings, nurture cold leads, and track the digital behaviors of your audience. It’s a useful tool that is rapidly gaining traction.
- Short-term rehabilitation: For many years, short-term rehab was considered an add-on service in many communities. But in recent years thinking has changed, and communities are focusing on delivering a short-term rehabilitation experience that will have seniors considering their community for their future plans. Whereas rehab was once something you scrambled to find after an unexpected surgery, illness or injury. Today with more active and vibrant seniors, many are having preplanned surgeries and are planning for themselves where they want to recover. Providing a comfortable, contemporary, quality experience could mean the difference between a one-time visit and a future resident.
These are just a few of the trends we’re seeing. Stay tuned to our blog for more information on the latest news in senior living.