When selecting a senior living marketing partner, whether that is an in-house marketing manager or an agency, there are a few key questions to ask.
- What kind of research do they do? Research may come in the form of survey data, market research, competitor analysis or online assessments. Ask marketing firms what kind of research they do to create your marketing plan before diving right into their recommendations. This creates efficiencies and continuity in your marketing for years to come. With research as a foundation, the strategy comes naturally, which brings us to the next point…
- What is the strategy behind their marketing? The firm you hire needs to provide marketing tactics backed by strategy and should be able to articulate in writing exactly what that strategy is. That way, everyone on your team is clear on what goals the marketing is set to achieve, why you are moving in a certain direction and exactly how you will get there. With a strategy, your team has direction and purpose behind all marketing tactics.
- How are milestones measured? When interviewing firms, ask questions like these:
- “Will I receive a timeline for this project?”
- “Will I be able to approve progress along the way?”
- “How will I know when something is complete?”
- “How will I know when it’s working?”
These kinds of questions will give you insight into how they operate, how organized they will be, and how expectations will be set up for success.
- How are results reported? Individuals and agencies will have different ways for measuring results, but the important thing is that they are measured consistently and clearly. You should be able to see month over month exactly which marketing tactics ran and what came from those tactics in quantifiable terms like increased production and/or occupancies. It is important to note that you and your team are key players in measuring your results. The marketing agency can measure and report new resident families, but only your front office staff can ask and record how new occupancies found the practice, and only your internal department can run reports detailing actual new occupancies. For assistance with tracking new residents, fill out this form and enter the code TRACKING in the message field to receive a complimentary tracking tool.
- Will I be able to see what’s happening with my marketing? It is important that the firm you hire is willing to regularly share insight into what’s happing with your marketing so that together, you can gauge what’s working and what’s not. With that said, it is important to not get too granular. The best marketing plan is a mix of 5 to 7 tactics that work together to get you to your goals, not one or two that are obsessively tracked and measured on a daily basis. Still, you should be able to see as much information as you would like, as it’s your If there is something you’re curious and want to learn more about, the marketing expert you hire should be open and willing to educate you.
Have a question about your marketing? Contact us today and we’ll get you an answer.
