Content marketing. You’ve heard that phrase, right? I know, it’s still a relatively new concept in the senior care sector, but there’s a bunch of organizations making a pretty good go of it. And it’s going to change their game. In fact, let’s be honest … the idea of content marketing is so new that it hard to imagine finding the time, the content – and harder to sell needing additional resources to the top dogs.
Blogging, and other new integrated and automated digital efforts may not have the obvious bang for the buck that some of your past marketing strategies have had, but if you look – it could be your secret weapon! You know that using content marketing s key to pulling every “right” lever on the digital media panel is key to reaching the right person, at the right time, with the right message – professional or consumer.
Many of today’s customers want to have a relationship with you before they buy. And where are today’s customers? They’re online. They’re on social networks. Often, they’re sitting by mom’s bedside in the hospital searching on their smartphones to find out where on earth to take mom next … because she can’t go home. So how can you get your company’s backing to dive into the content marketing pool so you can start building relationships with clients where they already are? Help prove the ROI by sharing these five reasons content marketing makes sense for your business.
1. Content drives new and returning traffic to your website.
It’s a simple equation: more useful content on your website = more reasons keep coming back, which builds trust. It = more traffic = more eyeballs, and when watched – the leads that come in are better and close faster. Ding, ding, ding! That’s exactly what the CEO wants to hear. When you publish regular content, you create multiple opportunities to attract both new and returning visitors to your website. Once those visitors are on your website reading your content, you can encourage them to click around to learn more by linking to relevant pages within blog posts or articles, entice them to sign up for an event that can help them get to better know you, or share relevant details about how your going to get mom, or the hospital’s patient home quicker and faster! And if it’s all done right, you’re going to know more about that lead than ever before!
2. A content strategy and plan positions your company as a leader in your space.
Reputation is everything, especially in the senior-care industry. With the popularity of review sites and user-generated content, it has become easier than ever to research companies. It will only benefit you to make sure that when someone searches for your company’s name online, your own content comes up first! Writing and sharing content positions your company and its people as experts in the field – it also gives potential clients a taste of your company’s personality, culture and approach to care.
3. Content marketing can create a feeling of community.
Creating regular content about a certain topic can help to create a feeling of community – and can even create ambassadors for your company. Those ambassadors may engage with your brand on a regular basis, reading articles, sharing them on social media, or perhaps conversing in the comments section of a post. These ambassadors have the potential to become paying customers – they already believe in what you do and like what you have to say. Now they are much more primed to become paying clients because they understand your message.
4. More content increases the likelihood of social media shares and better in-house lead-gen.
It’s another natural equation – more content on your website gives you many more opportunities to promote those posts and articles, leading to an increased number of social shares. Social shares are also important because they lend that all-important third party endorsement to your work. Yes, you can (and certainly should) promote your own posts, but when someone else shares it with their audience, it gives you more credibility and helps amplify your message to help new people discover your services.
5. Regular content improves search engine results.
For example, if you were looking to improve your own content marketing strategy, you might Google keywords like “content,” content marketing” or “content strategy.” Think about words people might use when searching for care solutions, and then build those words into your posts. Using keywords and producing content on a consistent basis can help your rankings in the search engines, allowing more potential customers to discover your organization and how it can help them with what they need, now!
We Want to Know What You’re Doing!
Thanks for joining the conversation! Bailey
Design the content to answer your audiences’ questions, concerns, and give valuable know-how on topics that keep them up at night. The more you solve their pain, the more they’ll feel connected and trust you.
Hi Bailey, looking forward to SMASH 2014. be.group’s newly redesigned website goes live sometime on Aug. 11. It and http://www.MySilverAge.com are key elements of our content marketing program, which we began implementing more than a year ago. I encourage everyone to check out both sites to see an example of what Bailey is talking about.
Hi Dan,
I look forward to viewing your site on Aug. 11. Maybe you could send me an email to let me know when it’s up or post another comment here.
Thank you.
Carol Marak
http://yoursenioroptions.com
On vacation but will try to remember, Carol.
For an example of a senior living website built on an inbound strategy fueled by content, check out the reboot of our site at http://www.thebegroup.org. Now live!
I developed Alzheimer’s Speaks back in 2009 to be a leader in the industry where information is shared freely with all audiences dealing with dementia. This means businesses, families , those diagnosed with dementia as well as advocates and those wanting to learn more about the disease . Our focus is primarily how to live with the disease not as it.
In 2012 Sharecare and Dr Oz recognized us as the #1 influencer online for Alzheimer’s .
Our site housies a variety of platforms which are accessible 24/7 using different medias to engage – blog, radio, webinars, resource directory and more.
We understood a long time ago many companies don’t have the time, money, energy or expertise to create their own nitch market, so we decided to share our audience with those interested in expanding thier brand through content marketing. If you are interested in learning more contact me through http://www.AlzheimersSpeaks.com
We believe together we can have more impact sharing knowledge and resources .
Thanks, Dan, for letting me know it’s live!
Dan, My silverage looks incredible… I poked around and saw great materials. Kudos – and the familes and seniors will love it!
b
I’d also like to add anyone providing great serves products or tools for those dealing with dementia or caregiving are welcome to add themselves in to our resource directory. It’s free. Just contact me and I’ll send you info how to added your company.
My pleasure!
Thanks Bailey! Be sure to take a look at our redesigned corporate site as well. We relaunched on Monday, and it’s much more content-intensive like MSA.