Let's face it... online marketing for Assisted Living Facilities is not easy. At first, glance, considering all the options available for a marketing playbook, it can get overwhelming. The options include Search Engine Optimization (Organic, Maps, Pay-Per-Click), Social Media (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn), Paid Online Directory Listings (A Place for Mom, Caring.com, BOTW, FourSquare, Yelp.com, etc.), and Paid Online Lead Services.
To maximize their lead flow from the Internet, Senior Living Centers need to develop a plan which covers each of these online marketing opportunities. That is why Mitch Alverson, Founder, and CEO of Aveta Marketing, literally wrote the book on Senior Housing Marketing. The purpose of Aveta’s new book is to outline a plan that will transform these centers from online marketing novices to the dominant players in their local areas.
Order the book here: The Book on Digital Marketing for Assisted Living Facilities
Throughout the book, Aveta Marketing lays the foundation to:
- Map out a senior housing marketing plan (Website, SEO, PPC, Pay-Per-Lead services, etc.)
- Start with the fundamentals (Market, Message, Media) before jumping headfirst into the Digital Marketing Strategy
- Setup a website
- Understand how search engines work, and learn the differences between the paid, organic, and map listings
- Optimize with Search Engine Optimization - How to optimize a website with keywords that are most important for its particular business
- How to conduct keyword research
- Aveta’s list of the most commonly searched keywords broken down by industry
- How to achieve the maximum result by mapping out the pages which should be included on the facility’s website
- How to optimize a website for ranking in the organic listings on major search engines
- How to improve a website’s visibility to rank on page one for the most important keywords
- List of link building techniques and strategies that are proven to enhance rankings even in the post-Penguin and Panda Era
- Content marketing strategies for maintaining relevance in the Senior Living space
- How to conduct keyword research
- Optimize Google Business Profile - How to get ranked on the Google Map in one’s area
- Sample Review Request Email
- Sample Review Us landing page for the website
- The fundamentals of Google Business Profile ranking (NAP, Citations, Consistency, and Reviews)
- How to establish a strong name, address, and phone number profile
- How to properly claim and optimize a Google Business Profile Local Listing
- How to develop authority for one’s map listing via citation development
- List of the top citation sources for a business organization, according to the industry standards
- How to get real reviews from customers in the true service area
- Sample Review Request Email
- Understand Website Conversion Fundamentals - How to ensure that websites convert visitors into leads in the form of calls and web submissions
- Understand Mobile Optimization - How to optimize a website for mobile visitors
- Utilize Social Media Marketing - How to utilize Social Media (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and other social platforms for maximum effect.
- Use Video Marketing - How to tap into the power of YouTube and other video sharing websites to enhance visibility and drive better conversion
- Leverage email marketing tools (Constant Contact, Mail Chimp, etc.) to connect with customers on a deeper level, receive more reviews, get more social media connections and ultimately get repeat and referral business.
- Understand and capitalize on Paid Online Advertising opportunities
- Use Pay-Per-Click Marketing (Google AdWords and Bing Search) - How to maximize the profitability of Pay-Per-Click Marketing efforts
- Why PPC should be part of the overall online marketing strategy
- Why most PPC campaigns fail
- Understanding the Google AdWords Auction process
- How to configure and manage a Pay-Per-Click campaign for maximum ROI
- Why PPC should be part of the overall online marketing strategy
- Use Paid Online Directories - What paid online directories facilities should consider advertising in (A Place for Mom, Caring.com, BOTW, Spoke.com, Yahoo, Yelp, Foursquare, Yellowpages, etc.)
- Manage Pay-Per-Lead and Lead Services - How to properly manage Pay-Per-lead services for maximum return and long-term gains
- Sample lead follow up email sequence
- Sample lead follow up email sequence
- Track, Measure, and Quantify - How to track an online marketing plan to ensure the company’s investment is generating a strong return
Online Marketing Channels
- Search Engine Optimization (Organic Listings and Map Listings)
- Search Engine Marketing/PPC on Google Ads and Bing Search Network
- Social Media Marketing (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, LinkedIn)
- Video Marketing
- Email Marketing
- Free and Paid Directory Marketing (BOTW, Spoke.com, Yahoo, Yelp, Foursquare, Yellow Pages, etc…)
- Paid Lead Services (A Place for Mom, Caring.com, Emfluence.com, Fuellead.com, Intellibright.com, etc…)
Search Engine Optimization for ALFs
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the process of increasing a company’s visibility on major search engines (Google, Yahoo, Bing, etc.) in the organic, non-paid listings as consumers are searching for the products or services that the business offers. There are three very critical components of Search Engine Marketing:
- Paid Listings – The area along the top and side that advertisers can bid on and pay for to obtain decent placement in the search engines
- Organic Listings – The area in the body of the Search Engine Results Page
- Map Listings – These are the listings that come up beneath the paid listings and above the organic listings in many searches
Search Engine Optimization involves getting a website to show up in the Organic and Map Listings. These listings account for a majority of the search volume. As depicted in the illustration below, about 70% of searchers click on the Organic (non-paid listings) rather than the paid listings.
When most people think of “Internet Marketing,” they think of Search Engine Optimization. However, SEO is only a small piece of the MUCH BIGGER “Internet Marketing” puzzle for business owners.
Search Engine Marketing / Pay-Per-Click for Senior Housing
Google, Yahoo, and Microsoft/Bing all have paid programs that allow any business or individual to BUY listings associated with their keywords to be placed in designated areas of their sites.
There are three really important benefits of PPC:
- Keyword listings will appear on search engines almost immediately
- Payment is processed only if the ad is clicked – hence the term Pay-Per-Click Marketing
- Ads can show up on national terms in the areas/cities in which a facility operates
PPC Marketing works on an Auction system similar to that of eBay. A facility must simply choose the desired keywords and propose a bid of what they would be willing to pay for each click.
Several factors determine placement which is discussed in detail in the PPC for Businesses chapter of the book. But, in the broadest sense, the one who is willing to pay the most per click will be rewarded the top position in the search engines, while the second-most will be in the second position, etc.
PPC Marketing is a great way to get a company’s website to appear at the top of the search engines right away, driving qualified traffic to the website.
Social Media Marketing for Assisted Living Facilities
It is naive to try and deny Social Media’s reach and influence (Facebook, TikTok, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube). But how can it be utilized by an Assisted Living Facility which is just starting? Some don’t even attempt to. But Aveta recommends these people reconsider. Just look at the staggering statistics for Facebook:
- More than 2.91 billion monthly active users (4th quarter 2021)
- 79% of monthly users log on to Facebook on any given day
- The average user has 130 connections
- People spend over 700 billion minutes per month on Facebook
Aveta suggests using social media to engage with the Facility member’s spheres of influence, past and new customers. By doing so, they can solidify and maintain existing relationships, remain top-of-mind, and ultimately increase repeat and referral business.
Video Marketing
YouTube is the second-most used search engine on the market. Millions of people conduct YouTube searches daily. Most business owners are so focused on SEO they completely neglect the opportunities that video and YouTube provide.
By implementing a Video Marketing Strategy, Assisted Living Facilities can get additional placement in search results for keywords, enhance the effectiveness of SEO efforts and improve visitor conversion.
Email Marketing for Senior Housing
Similar to Social Media Marketing, email marketing is a great way to remain top-of-mind with customers and increase repeat business and referrals. Compared to direct mail and newsletters, email marketing is by far the most cost-effective means to communicate with customers.
As Aveta marketing discusses in the Email Marketing for Businesses chapter of our book, “email marketing can be used to effectively draw customers into the facility’s own social media world.”
Paid Directory Marketing
Several Online Directories are important for businesses and specifically for Assisted Living Facilities:
- BOTW (Businesses of the World)
- AboutUs
- Spoke
- Yelp
- Foursquare
- YellowPages
Paid Lead Service Sites
There is an array of services that will sell leads on a “pay-per-lead” basis or a flat monthly fee.
- Emfluence
- FuelLead
- Intellibright
Specifically for Assisted Living Facilities, the bigger players are:
- A Place for Mom
- Caring.com
While these leads tend to go to several different providers and will be less qualified than other sources, these Pay-Per-Lead services can be a profitable online marketing channel if executed correctly.
Aveta’s Here to Help
To order the book and get more in-depth with a Senior Housing Marketing plan, visit this link: The Book on Digital Marketing for Assisted Living Facilities
To get a jump start on getting an assisted living facility on the right track, schedule a discovery call with Mitch Alverson today.
