This is a perfect example of senior living content marketing.

This is an article I have long intended to write. One I actually wrote several months ago, but ended up not liking how it read so I trashed it. It is by far and away the most important of the whole series of content marketing stories I have written over the past few months. A Number of Months Ago . . . A number of months ago I met John Rauls, Vice-President at Southeastern Retirement Management Inc., a Georgia-based, family owned senior living provider. We had some great conversation and he started sending me regular emails that contained short articles he was writing and that were being published in the local newspaper each week (something he pays a nominal amount to make happen). They are folksy and warm; they make you feel like you know John; that John is deeply invested in and a part of the local marketplace community. Here is an example:

The Best Coffee in Marietta! The column today is not one singular story about life’s truths but about a journey that takes place right here in Marietta, Georgia on Whitlock Avenue at Winnwood Retirement Community every Friday morning. Is it a club meeting? Maybe the genealogy society is studying up on our beloved councilman Johnny Walker? Or maybe the food committee at Winnwood is starting a coup de ta? I see fog and people with rakes held high in the air.  Wait! No, it is dark and I see um! I see two residents, Charles and Wes, and they are carrying lit candles! They are pushing a cart with a shiny metal object in it, down the night-covered hallways of Winnwood. Wait, those aren’t candles (duh) they’re sternos! The shiny thing is a stainless steel pan of sausage biscuits! In fact, they were homemade straight from Winnwood’s amazing culinary team. Our chefs make me want to invent an air freshener and call it “sausage biscuit”! Lol. Think of the possibilities??(I see a copyright coming, Paige) Every Friday since my (John P. Rauls employment at Winnwood Retirement from Assistant Director to currently Vice-President) almost sixteen years straight at Winnwood, the resident men have gathered in the Winn coffee area to share in “Breaking Bread”. The great event I have been writing about is the “Men’s Coffee”. And yes, we do have a marvelous Women’s coffee every Tuesday! Through the years I have heard EVERY topic imaginable debated and discussed! The topics blossom based on what’s going on at Winnwood, the city, the state, the USA and the World. Also, the chemistry of the gentlemen from one week to the next can change the discussion topics.  Most stories are funny but there are a few every now and again that remind you that you are only human and your teary eyes show it.  I will tell you there are stories everyone reading my column today should hear. Occasionally, the story telling has gotten so loud the air traffic controllers and pilots at Dobbins Air Force Base and Lockheed Martin have asked Winnwood to lower the decibels so they would not interfere with the F-22 Raptor and the F 35’s complex Stealthy Radar System. I am sworn by my loyalty to Juan Baldez (guy on TV years ago holding coffee bean sack and wearing a straw hat.)  I gave an oath to my fellow Winnwood Men’s Coffee drinkers not to speak of specifics of the laughter or meetings. Only Wes and Charles can OK such an inquisition. Let’s just say I take the 5th (The 5th rule in the resident/employee handbook) I cannot tell you all the members names but I do know they are just like you! The Winnwood Coffee Drinkers are: Masons, Shriners, Veterans, Professors, Business Owners, Bankers, Astronauts, Sailors, Managers, Doctors, Administrators, Nurses, Dentists, Engineers, Firemen, Police Officers, EMS, Teachers, Car Makers, Textile workers, Jewelers, Religious Clergy, Carpenters, Photographers, Electricians, Homebuilders, Newspaper Owners, Rocking Chair Companies, Real Estate Agents, Farmers, Dog Walkers etc. etc. Any and Every person that becomes a Winnwood Resident gets a free membership. Their friends are allowed to join in as well just give us a little notice. Thank you to all the staff and residents that put on daily events and activities. A special shout out to Laura and Melissa! Thank You very much! I would like to dedicate today’s column to Robert “Bob” Larson who went to Heaven. Bob was a good man, father and husband. I would like to say on behalf of all the Winnwood residents and staff our prayers go out to all the families whom have a departed loved one. God Bless. John. [email protected]

John has recently started posting his articles on a blog that is linked to his senior community web page. What’s The Point? If you lived in Marietta Georgia and . . . you needed senior living and . . . you read your local newspaper you would make sure to include John’s building as one of your options. You would want to see for yourself if the community is as warm and wonderful as he makes it sound. You would want to check out his senior community and see if it is as warm, friendly, caring and compassionate as represents it to be. Making It Work It only takes two or three hundred words to make this happen though it is safe to go to about 500 words. If you are not a great writer or don’t think you are . . . just give it a try and then ask someone else, or a few people, to read and edit it. When they do, don’t be defensive: learn from them. Do it just once a month to start. Then, when you have polished to the point of being “good enough”, send it out as an email to everyone, residents, prospects, resident families’ vendors and volunteers. Even better you should have a blog where people can find what you have written. Tips

  • If your company has an email protocol, follow that.
  • If your company has a lead management email system your job is a lot easier. If not, I am a big fan of Mailchimp. It is fairly easy to use and set and they will allow you to use their service for free if your list contains less than 2,000 email addresses.
  • Make sure you have a way for people to easily opt out of your email list.
  • Some posts will be better than others, so if one flops don’t sweat it, just write another one.

Finally, if you post those articles on a blog site that is linked to you your website or embedded in your website every article will keep paying dividends long after it was written. If you start I would love to see what you have written. You can find the Content Marketing Articles at the Senior Housing Forum Pintrest Page Steve Moran

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