The way these increasingly influential baby boomers seek out and research potential communities for their parents is vital to staying in the game.

The adult children of seniors seeking or needing care and housing have always played an instrumental role in the decision-making process, but as our resident-base ages, so do their children. Positioning for the way these increasingly influential baby boomers seek out and research potential communities for their parents is vital to staying in the game.

Will They Find You

Newspaper and radio ads, flyers and direct mail may always hold a place in a well-rounded marketing and sales campaign, but a new generation of decision-makers is coming online and going online to find you. Will they? Iโ€™ve written previously about the need to optimize your place in Internet search results, but I am still struck by how many providers have yet to prioritize this critical tool in todayโ€™s competitive market.

As more and more adult children โ€“ over 70% of whom are adult daughters โ€“turn to the Internet to seek and research communities for mom and dad, it is imperative to be โ€œdiscoverable,โ€ relevant and credible in this virtual world. A community failing to ensure they can be found, and โ€“ as importantly โ€“ found with good, cohesive online content (including pricing) and reviews, is comparable to a community of 20 years ago failing to have a listing in the yellow pages. Can you imagine that?

Well . . . We Have a Website

Yet, as a consultant for the senior housing industry, I am consistently talking with communities and companies that do not yet realize the value, and have yet to grasp the importance, of having a strong online presence. โ€œWell, we have a website.โ€ 

Even with the numerous articles and wealth of data pointing to the increasing numbers of this current wave of decision-makers using the Internet to gather data, compare choices and make first contact with prospective senior living communities for their parents, little more than a standard website and lip service is all too often paid by a large number of providers.

And not knowing how to go about this process isnโ€™t an excuse anymore, not with highly specialized senior living growth strategy companies like Sage Age Strategies at the ready to lead companies through this new cyber frontier via search engine optimization, marketing, branding and promotion. Sage Age provides innovative and proven marketing strategies to counsel and guide their customers resulting in:

  • Effective lead generation
  • Sales growth
  • Customer retention.

Additionally, studies show that online referrals, reviews and comments (positive and negative) about businesses of all types are used more than the prepackaged marketing materials and glitzy websites in the decision-making process. Heck, even I look at online comments and reviews from former guests before booking any hotel โ€“ donโ€™t you? I donโ€™t care if itโ€™s a name brand hotel or not, if the most recent guest comments are negative relating to the hotelโ€™s facilities, cleanliness or service, I move on! Itโ€™s as easy as โ€“ well โ€“ scrolling down a webpage. Why then, are so many of us in this industry so slow to position ourselves not only for todayโ€™s decision-makers, but for tomorrowโ€™s? Have we not learned yet from the travails of Hem and Haw?

Can we not embrace the lessons taught by Spencer Johnsonโ€™s, โ€œWho Moved My Cheese?โ€

Change happens. Move with it quickly. Extinction is a very possible alternative; just ask any Blockbuster Video Rental outlet or Sonyโ€™s Betamax division. Well my friends and colleagues, the cheese is moving. Staying well-fed and happy will only come as a result of adapting to changes in our market and in the habits of the decision-makers. Sniff and Scurry are waiting. Are you moving yet?

For more information on how to customize website content and social media strategy to appeal to the unique needs, preferences and shopping behaviors of todayโ€™s highly influential adult children, contact Sage Age Strategies. Yes, they have a website and great reviews too. What are you doing to reach this new generation of decision makers?


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