During normal times marketing is more than selling products and services to our target market and existing clients. Yet, during these uncertain days, a clear marketing strategy is vital to maintain client trust and build strong relationships.
Do Your Clients Trust You?
Did you know that trust ranks above price and innovation in the client decision-making process? In fact, it is said that more than two-thirds of adults make purchasing decisions based on whether they trust the company. If this is true for consumer products, consider how much more this impacts senior living communities.
In recent years, consumer trust (that is to say, the number of consumers who state they trust businesses) dropped to less than half of consumers. When you consider that most people make purchasing decisions based on trust, but less than half of people trust businesses, we see a disconnect that marketers must overcome.
Relationships & Personalization
Today’s seniors use technology. Therefore, senior living marketing strategies must maximize online messaging, including websites, articles, emails, social media and more. However, it’s not enough to merely maintain an online presence.
Consumers desire personalization. Investment in data-driven, relationship marketing produces results. In fact, research has shown that personalization in marketing communication produces up to eight times greater ROI with a ten-fold increase in sales. Use your marketing budget on strategies that work.
As you navigate the current event landscape, use targeted data to develop insights into your client base. Create communications and marketing materials that reach out to clients in a personalized way. Also, build trust with reassuring and fact-based information.
Lost Trust
Just like in personal relationships, lost trust with customers doesn’t recover easily. The decrease in trust experienced over the last few years led to an estimated loss of over $100 billion in revenue. Senior living communities already experience a long sales cycle. Losing trust only lengthens that cycle.
Avoid the pressure to push out meaningless content. Instead, prioritize a trustworthy marketing strategy with clear, relevant and factual communication. Educate the consumer on exactly what your senior living community has to offer. Answer client questions and concerns with simple and reliable messaging in the formats they most want to receive.
Irrelevant or exaggerated messages create distrust. Don’t over-promise to close the deal or build false reassurance. Instead, use data to determine what information the client wants and what works to best inform and reach the client.
For example, data demonstrates the effectiveness of calls as a key for senior living marketing strategy. Make calling easy and invest in trained staff to answer the call and provide valuable information. These targeted strategies support trust.
If you offer a number to call and leave a message, but the client doesn’t receive a response, that hurts trust. As a result, you may have lost the best kind of lead: one that takes the time to call you.
Position your senior living community to foster trust with personalization and targeted marketing. Avoid the costly recovery from lost trust. Awareness of the importance of trust when executing your marketing strategy will help keep client trust intact.
A Trusted Partner
Sabal Group is a trustworthy partner to provide the data our clients need. We know data that’s clean, accurate, and on target leads to effective marketing for you to build a trusting relationship with your best audience.
In the short-term as our world faces unprecedented challenges, partner with Sabal to create a data-focused approach to marketing. The stakes are too high not to develop a detailed and data-based communication plan. We are here to help guide you. Together we’ll navigate the unmarked road ahead.
Contact Maribeth today to discuss the best multi-channel and data-focused marketing strategies for your senior living community.
