Assisted living marketing is about connecting your services, amenities, and expertise with the people who need them most. Some tactics include creating a modern website, optimizing your website for SEO, designing informative brochures, sponsoring senior-friendly activities, and hosting trial classes and events for non-residents.
In this article, we’ll go through what marketing for senior living is, and we will provide you with some marketing ideas handpicked by Artonic’s expert marketing team. Keep reading to learn more.
What is Marketing for Senior Living?
Marketing for senior living is all about connecting your community with the people who need it most. It includes the steps you take to attract attention to your community and build interest in your services. When done well, marketing shows the true value of your community and helps families feel confident about choosing you for their loved ones.
There are many ways to share the value that your community can provide. These fall mainly into digital marketing and traditional marketing.
The Importance of a Marketing Plan for Senior Living
A clear marketing plan helps your senior living community stay visible, competitive, and full of happy residents. Here are some signs you may need a strong marketing plan:
- Lack of new residents: If your occupancy is low, you need strategies that bring in steady interest and fill empty rooms.
- Your competitors are taking your residents: Other communities with a stronger presence may look more appealing to families searching for options.
- You just opened your community: New communities need a well-structured plan to introduce themselves and build credibility quickly.
- You notice that possible residents only come by once: A single contact is not enough. Without follow-up, families may forget about you and choose another community.
- You have a poor online presence: Many families begin their search online. If they cannot find you easily, you may lose them before they ever call.
- Your branding is inconsistent: Mixed colors, logos, or messaging can confuse families and weaken the professional image of your community.
- Your customers don’t understand your offerings: Families need clear information on services like memory care, dining, and activities to feel confident to make the right decision.
- The reputation of your community is suffering: Negative or poor word-of-mouth can discourage new leads unless you actively manage your reputation.
- Events and activities are not drawing attention: Hosting events without promoting them can lead to missed opportunities.
Essential Elements of a Marketing Plan for Senior Living
Every successful senior living community needs a strong marketing plan that outlines clear goals, identifies the right audience, and uses the best strategies to achieve results. Here’s an extremely simplified version of the steps involved in creating an independent living marketing plan, just for reference.
1. Setting Marketing Goals & Objectives
Your marketing goals give direction and allow you to measure success. For senior living communities, the number of residents is the most important goal, since occupancy directly impacts growth. Goals should always be realistic and measurable.
2. Identifying Target Audiences
To market effectively, you need to understand exactly who your potential residents and their families are. That means outlining their demographics, needs, and habits. For assisted living, statistics from AHCA/NCAL provide valuable insights that you can use to identify your target audiences:
- Gender: 67% of residents are women and 33% are men
- Age: 53% are 85 and older, 31% are 75-84, 10% are 65-74, and 6% are under 65
- Payment methods: Most residents use private financial options like long-term care insurance or personal savings and assets to cover their expenses
Additional stats:
- 96% of baby boomers use search engines, while 95% use email (Forbes)
- On average, baby boomers spend 27 hours online each week (SmartInsights)
Other important factors to consider include:
- Marital status
- Race
- Income level
- Education
Defining your audience is not an exact science, and it can vary from facility to facility depending on their specific goals.
Here’s an example of a target audience:
“Resourceful seniors in Michigan who are 65 or older, financially able to pay for assisted living since they possess a variety of financial assets for covering their expenses, and who are also looking for a premier quality of life that includes certified aides and nurses, 5-star dining experiences, and personal trainers.
Their families may also be involved in the decision-making process, but they are mostly independent and prefer platforms like Facebook and Instagram for research and connection.”
3. Marketing Tactics Research
Once you know your audience, you need to explore the full range of marketing tactics available to you. Traditional methods like print and radio still have a place, but digital tools often deliver the most measurable and cost-effective results.
During this stage, the idea is to research all the possible marketing tactics you can take advantage of without leaving anything on the table. This way, you can make sure that you understand what options better align with your audience.
4. Planning
With research in hand, you can map out your strategy. Choose the tactics and channels that will help you reach your goals and connect with your audience. Keep an eye on your competitors and adapt when new trends or platforms appear.
For instance, if your target audience spends time on Facebook and Instagram, creating a strong social media presence on these platforms through high-quality content marketing and paid ads would be a great idea.
5. Defining a Timeline & Budget
Your marketing plan should include a clear timeline and budget that covers the entire period. Schedule your promotions, events, and campaigns in advance, along with a breakdown of costs to avoid any surprises down the line.
A flexible plan is essential because your strategy should evolve as your community grows and the needs of your audience change.
41 Curated Marketing Strategies for Assisted Living Facilities
There are countless ways to market your senior living community. Here are some marketing strategies for assisted living facilities by Artonic’s expert marketing team.
1. Create a Website
A website is extremely important because it serves as the center of all your marketing efforts, giving you a place to truly showcase your services, highlight amenities, and provide detailed information about your community. It is also the first impression many possible residents and families will have of your community.
In fact, by 2023, 71% of businesses already had a website, so having a strong online presence is essential to stay competitive. Chances are, your competitors already have one!
2. Optimize Your Website for SEO
Search engine optimization helps your community appear at the top of Google searches when families look for senior living options in your area. This visibility makes it easier for them to find you instead of your competitors.
Learn more by visiting our article on: Senior Living Community SEO.
3. Build Local Landing Pages for Each Facility Location
If you have more than one location, dedicated landing pages can improve organic local search traffic. They also allow you to tailor messages to the unique qualities of each facility. This helps families feel connected to the location nearest to them, instead of seeing a generic description that may not reflect their local community.
At Artonic, this is one of the methods we often use to improve the organic traffic of our senior living clients.
4. Provide an Immersive Virtual Tour
A virtual tour gives possible residents the ability to explore your facility from home. This is especially helpful for out-of-town leads who cannot schedule a visit right away. Virtual tours increase transparency, build confidence, and can be shared easily with family members who are part of the decision-making process.
5. Integrate Live Chat to Assist Visitors in Real Time
Live chat provides instant answers to questions. It helps keep visitors engaged and prevents them from leaving your website to look elsewhere. According to a survey, Live chat software can also help improve website conversions by about 20%.
For assisted living facilities, however, it might be better to consider using live chat software for simple questions about your company, while leaving more complex questions to human agents so that you can provide a warm, human touch to your critical interactions.
6. Use Scheduling Tools to Simplify Appointment Booking
Online booking tools reduce back-and-forth phone calls and make it easy for possible residents to set up tours or consultations on their own time. This is especially useful for saving precious time that you could be using to improve your services.
7. Take Advantage of Social Media
Social media can be very powerful when it comes to building trust by showing the day-to-day life in your community. Posting regularly about activities, meals, or resident celebrations helps prospects feel the warmth of your community, and paid social ads can also extend your reach to local audiences who may not yet know about your facility.
8. Post Video Tours & Testimonials on YouTube
YouTube is one of the most popular social media platforms, and videos give an authentic view of your facility and allow current residents to share their experiences.
You can create a mix of facility walkthroughs, staff introductions, and real testimonials from residents and families. These videos can also be repurposed for your website and social media channels.
9. Send a Weekly Newsletter With Resident Stories & Updates
Newsletters keep users connected and provide insight into the vibrant activities happening in your community. They also nurture long-term relationships and can be a useful tool for distributing exclusive deals and promotions to qualified prospects.
Beyond updates, you can use newsletters to share educational content, highlight upcoming events, or spotlight staff members. This keeps your community top-of-mind for families who may not be ready to make a decision yet.
10. Write Blog Posts Answering Common Family Questions
Blog articles provide helpful information and position your community as an expert resource. Topics might include financial planning for senior care or tips on transitioning to assisted living. By consistently publishing content that addresses their concerns, you build trust and increase the chances that they’ll reach out to you when ready.
A few title ideas include:
- Tips for Choosing the Right Assisted Living Community
- How to Talk to Loved Ones About Moving Into Assisted Living
- What Families Should Know About Memory Care Programs
11. Submit Guest Articles to Senior Care Publications
Publishing articles in trusted industry publications boosts your credibility and introduces your community to a wider audience. These placements help position you as an authority in senior living and connect you with prospective residents and families who may not have discovered your community otherwise. They also provide valuable backlinks to your website, which strengthens your SEO.
12. Publish Original Research on Aging & Wellness
Research reports or surveys demonstrate thought leadership and can gain attention from prospective residents, families, local media, and healthcare providers.
By sharing data-driven insights, your community shows commitment to improving the lives of seniors. This type of content often gets shared widely, increasing your visibility and building trust in your expertise.
13. Distribute Press Releases About New Programs or Milestones
Press releases are a tool that allows you to share exciting updates such as staff expansions, new amenities, or awards. Local media coverage also increases visibility and credibility.
They also provide great material to repurpose for newsletters, social media, and your website’s news section.
14. Start a Podcast Featuring Staff, Residents, & Family Interviews
With many prospective residents and families consuming content on the go, podcasts offer a unique way to reach them. Episodes can cover topics like wellness, caregiving tips, or behind-the-scenes life in your facility, making your brand feel approachable and relatable.
15. Create Interactive Tools
Interactive content helps prospective residents and families evaluate their needs and explore your services in a personalized way. These tools also provide valuable insights into what people are looking for, allowing your team to tailor follow-up conversations. When prospective residents and families feel understood, they’re more likely to trust you with their care decisions.
A couple of ideas include:
- “Can you afford senior living?” tool
- “Find your ideal senior care solutions” tool
16. Share User-Generated Content From Families & Residents
Encouraging your residents to take photos and videos not only strengthens your storytelling but also builds a sense of community pride. Sharing these moments shows that residents and families are happy and engaged in your facility, which can contribute to attracting prospective residents.
17. Join Trending Conversations Around Aging & Eldercare
Participating in relevant discussions shows that your community is up-to-date and engaged in the broader senior care conversation. This can include commenting on news stories, joining social media hashtags, or contributing expert opinions to online forums. It demonstrates thought leadership and keeps your community visible to prospective residents and families who are paying attention to industry-related topics.
18. Keep Your Content Fresh & Relevant
Updating blogs and social media feeds regularly ensures prospective residents and families see an active community. Prospective residents who see recent updates are more likely to feel confident that your community is thriving.
19. Highlight Resident Success Stories & Milestones
Birthdays, anniversaries, or recovery milestones can be shared across newsletters, social media, and your website. They not only make current residents feel valued but also give prospective residents and families a clear picture of the caring environment you provide.
20. Run Informative Webinars
Webinars allow you to educate prospective residents and families about senior living topics while positioning your team as trusted experts.
Topics might include financial planning, understanding care levels, or wellness programs. Hosting Q&A sessions during webinars also helps you build direct connections with prospective residents and families, addressing their concerns in real time.
You can also repurpose these webinars and turn them into short-form content for social media platforms, saving you valuable resources on content creation.
21. Develop a Warm, Memorable Visual Identity for Your Facility
Your branding should reflect the warmth and professionalism of your community. A memorable logo, consistent color palette, and thoughtful design across all materials help prospective residents and families recognize and trust your facility. Strong branding also helps set you apart from your competitors.
22. Design Professional Brochures & Business Cards for Tours
Brochures and business cards are take-home reminders of your facility. When designed professionally, they reinforce your brand, highlight key services, and give prospective residents and families an easy way to remember and contact you after a tour.
In addition, these materials are also valuable tools for referrals. Families often share brochures with relatives who could not attend the tour, extending your reach and strengthening your credibility through professional presentation.
23. Invest in Good Photography & Videography
High-quality images and videos showcase your facility in the best possible light. They allow prospective residents and families to picture themselves in your community, highlighting your amenities, staff, and overall lifestyle in a way that words alone cannot achieve.
Learn more by visiting our blog post on: Photography in Digital Marketing: Why is it Important?.
24. Include Branded Items in Welcome Packages
Small branded gifts such as mugs and tote bags make prospective residents and families feel welcomed while keeping your brand present in their lives long after their visit. Including practical items in these packages also encourages daily use. Every time a family member uses your tote bag or coffee mug, they are reminded of your community.
25. Provide Formal Training for All Sales Team Members
Well-trained sales staff can answer questions confidently and show empathy during difficult conversations. Formal training ensures they communicate your community’s value effectively and provide a compassionate, professional experience to prospective residents and families.
Training also prepares your team to handle sensitive situations, such as families who are uncertain or struggling with the transition.
26. Track Every Lead Interaction
Monitoring how prospective residents and families interact with your website, emails, and tours gives you valuable insights so that you can refine your approach, improve conversion rates, and meet the specific needs of your audience more effectively, making it an essential step in any senior care marketing strategy.
This data-driven approach allows you to identify which marketing channels work best. For example, if email campaigns drive more tour bookings than social media ads, you can reallocate your budget to maximize results.
27. Launch Automated Email Campaigns to Nurture Leads
Automating your email campaigns ensures no one falls through the cracks. Even if your sales team is busy, leads will still receive thoughtful follow-ups that guide them toward booking a tour or asking for more information.
28. Ask for the Sale With Confidence & Empathy
While it’s important not to be overly pushy, failing to ask for the sale can cause you to miss opportunities with prospective residents and families.
Showing confidence in your community while maintaining empathy helps you strike the right balance. A simple question like “What do you need to see or experience to move in sooner?” can open the door to valuable conversations.
29. Tailor Your Messaging to Resonate With Families & Seniors
Different audiences often have different priorities. Seniors may want to hear about community life, activities, and friendships, while families may be more focused on safety, healthcare, and quality of staff. Tailoring your messaging ensures both groups feel heard.
30. Keep Communications Uplifting & Solution-Oriented
The decision to move into senior living can feel overwhelming. Keeping your communications positive, encouraging, and focused on solutions helps ease concerns and inspires confidence in your community. Uplifting language shows that your facility is not just a place to live but a supportive and hopeful environment where residents can thrive.
31. Enable Digital Document Signing for Convenience
Digital document signing saves time and reduces stress for both your staff and prospective residents and families. It allows important paperwork to be completed quickly, even if family members live far away.
32. Set Up a Customer Referral Program
Word-of-mouth is one of the most powerful marketing tools in senior living. A referral program encourages current residents and families to recommend your community by offering small rewards or recognition.
33. Monitor Online Reviews & Reputation Closely
Monitoring reviews across platforms like Google, Facebook, and Yelp ensures you stay aware of what people are saying about your community. Responding quickly and thoughtfully to both positive and negative reviews demonstrates that you care about feedback.
Did you know that around 63% of consumers are likely to check reviews on Google Maps and Search before visiting the physical location of a business?
34. Participate Actively in Community Events
Attending and sponsoring local events increases visibility and shows that your facility is an active part of the community. From health fairs to senior expos, these events create opportunities to meet prospective residents and families face-to-face.
35. Sponsor Senior-Friendly Activities & Wellness Programs
Sponsoring activities like fitness classes, health screenings, or educational seminars positions your community as a champion of wellness and healthy aging. These events can be a great way to attract attention to your community.
36. Host Classes & Events for Non-Residents
Inviting the public to attend classes or events at your facility introduces prospective residents and families to your community in a relaxed, engaging way. This could include cooking demonstrations, art workshops, or educational talks.
These experiences allow people to interact with your staff and residents before making a commitment. The more positive experiences they have, the more likely they are to consider moving in when the time comes.
37. Be Transparent About Your Services & Offerings
Being open about pricing, care levels, and services ensures prospective residents and families know exactly what to expect, and on the other hand, hiding details often leads to frustration and broken trust later down the line.
38. Apply for Business Awards
Awards highlight your excellence and give your community credibility in a competitive market. Winning or even being nominated for awards shows prospective residents and families that your facility is recognized for quality and innovation.
Awards also provide powerful marketing content. You can feature them on your website, in brochures, and across social media to showcase your achievements and build trust with your audience.
39. Offer Personalized Care Recommendations Based on Lifestyle
Personalized recommendations show that you see each resident as an individual, not just a number. By understanding a prospective resident’s health, preferences, and daily habits, you can create care plans that feel tailored and supportive.
This personal touch builds trust with families as well. When they see that you consider lifestyle and unique needs, they feel confident that their loved one will be cared for with compassion and attention.
40. Offer Exclusive Programs or Trial Stays to Attract Interest
Exclusive programs or limited-time offers generate excitement and urgency among prospective residents and families. Examples include seasonal wellness packages, unique social activities, or discounted short-term stays.
41. Invest in Paid Advertising to Boost Visibility
Paid advertising helps you reach prospective residents and families who are actively searching for senior living options. Platforms like Google and Facebook allow you to target specific locations, demographics, and interests. The precision of digital ads ensures your message is delivered to the right audience at the right time.
Get Started With Assisted Living Marketing With Artonic
Since 2005, Artonic has been an industry leader in measurable digital marketing, effective web design, and impactful brand development. We focus on offering an open and transparent communication with every client while building websites that go beyond expectations and creating strategies that achieve real marketing goals.
Ready to get started with assisted living marketing? Get a free consultation today or explore our digital marketing services.