Don’t think in parts

Even a growing market (like assisted living) is affected by the down economy. In this type of environment, those with a more effective marketing plan will attract a larger share of available moves. Those with weak plans will suffer. Be instrumental in refining and strengthening your plan. One way to do this is to weave integration into the strategy.

What do I understand by integration? The commonly designed marketing plan is designed to be piecemeal… plan elements are treated independently and executed separately. For example, a marketing manager will visit professionals in the community and hand out her “win?” referrals When the visit is over, they can send a thank you card and schedule their calendar for the next visit. (After all, it is the visiting part of their plan.) But rarely will they think to interview the professional while they’re there and include that professional’s expertise in an ad for their facility or on their website.

If they did, they would acquire valuable content (along with your credibility) for your ad and/or website. At the same time, they would also be building a stronger relationship that can turn a professional into an ally, and even a key referral source. And the new information on their website would help them serve their community. This single effort would inject continuity and synergy into your plan, making it more dynamic and effective. The end result, more people take notice, are attracted and referred. That leads to removals.

Flow from one element to another

There are seven key elements to any assisted living marketing plan:

1. Development of reference sources
2. Advertising
3. Outreach and Community Outreach
4. public relations
5. Visits and Excursions
6. Consultation and family member “Keep in touch”
7. Website and Internet

When executed well, each item can lead to removals. However, when organized as a team, each one can become more powerful and increase their results. For example, what is shown on a facility tour will be remembered and trusted more if it has already been seen on the company’s website. When a variation is also seen on a community bulletin board or in a follow-up email, the level of trust is further increased. (FYI: Trust is critical to the assisted living sales process.)

Put the website at the center of the plan

The website is often considered an expanded brochure and a stand-alone item. Big mistake! It should be the center of all marketing. Most (if not all) strategies should start on the website or return to the website. Some should do both. The added dynamics of continuity and synergy, as well as the use of technology that the market expects, results in a more effective plan. In addition, staff can save a lot of time in the creative process and can even reduce execution costs. Here is an example of what I mean.

• Visit and interview a local professional who cares for the elderly and/or caregivers…
• That leads to adding your information and a sample of your experience to the “Support Services” page on their website…
• That leads to including that sample of your expertise in an ad in the local newspaper for your community event…
• That leads to the community outreach event involving the same referral source…
• That leads to a story published in the local media…
• The event is also added as an “Activities Scrapbook” entry on your website…
• The scrapbook entry is easily converted to a new, quick, printed inner booklet…
• That leads to follow-up mailings and emails to event attendees, family members, and referral sources…
• And the new flyer is also added to the community bulletin boards you’ve set up.

This strategy combines six of the seven key elements of the marketing plan: referral source development, advertising, outreach or community outreach, public relations, “stay in touch” consultation, and the website. You can also share prints, design elements, and photos, saving time and money. Note: Of course, to do this effectively and efficiently, systems must be in place that take advantage of the technology.

train me

Adding integration is similar to managing a team sport. You have to recognize and understand the individual players at your disposal (marketing elements and people), then combine them into a cohesive unit that performs better as a team than as individuals. When you design a plan, you should look at your list of key elements, and then weave (at least) a few of them into each campaign. They could work together or drive each other. The goals of this integrated team include:

• Creating additional credibility.
• Build trust faster with the help of continuity and synergy.
• Provide tools to those who wish to promote it.
• Saving time and/or saving money.
• attracting more questions.
• Provide more incentives to offer referrals to your center.
• Improve consultation/delivery/moving rates.

This concept of integration is not new, but it is underused. A big reason is that it requires an organized leader who sees things differently, has the ability to combine positive people attributes and marketing elements, and works within a company culture that allows change in what has been done in last. Is it worth the effort and the change? I think it provides a marketing edge that shouldn’t be overlooked or underestimated. An assisted living company that uses integration properly will emerge from this down economy with additional market share and be well positioned to grow in better times.