In the aftermath of COVID-19’s massive disruption to the senior living industry, many communities continue to struggle to maintain their occupancy levels. In fact, a recent survey shows nearly half of communities have offered rent concessions in an attempt to attract and retain residents. As communities seek ways to stabilize occupancy in this ongoing crisis, effective marketing strategies remain critical in the fight to gain leads and push them forward through the sales cycle.
Retargeting campaigns offer a vital strategy at this critical time in the industry. When you reach your target audience, either in response to an outgoing marketing message or through an inbound connection, retargeting can be a powerful tool in keeping your audience engaged.
What is a Retarget Campaign?
It’s happened to all of us. You visit a website, click on a product, and then leave the site. No matter where you might go next in your online consumption of content, that product starts to show up as an ad. That’s retargeting.
Retargeting, also referred to as remarketing, provides a seamless way to guide your target market through the sales cycle by getting additional messages in front of them on search, relevant websites, and social media. Retargeting also works to re-engage prospects that have left the sales funnel with strategic reminders based on their specific behavior patterns and other data analytics.
The approach with a remarketing campaign is to reach out to individuals who have previously responded to marketing initiatives or engaged with your organization in some way, like visiting your website or requesting a brochure. Here, online advertising and customized lists combine to keep your marketing resources focused on the right people for retargeting.
How to Use Retargeting?
Data analytics help you reach the most qualified leads through the most effective channels. For example,you can track each visitor to your website and use their online activity to gain an insight into their interests and behaviors by gathering data (which pages they visit or which links they follow). Then, you can use that data to track them as they visit other websites by placing ads for them to see that promote your brand. These ads are customizable based on how the visitor navigated your website.
You can create targeted lists based on how users interacted with your website, then group these prospects based on similar behaviors and demographics. With these scientifically compiled lists, marketing becomes more personalized and far more effective. This data allows you to determine which channel works best for each type of prospect. For example, certain market segments engage more through social media ads than other types of website ads. By paying attention to this information and serving ads where your audience prefers to spend their time, you can deliver a more effective marketing experience to your audience.
The Impact of Retargeting
The senior living sales cycle is a long cycle because it takes an average of 25 touches before a prospect converts. We know most senior living residents begin their buyer’s journey online with 75% using search engines for research. That’s why we believe retargeting is highly relevant for senior living; it keeps your brand top of mind from the beginning of their search journey all the way through to conversion and moving in as a happy resident.
Retargeting moves the focus away from how many opens or clicks an email receives to activity that is directly related to conversion. Activity that can be tracked and measured, such as whether a visitor followed a link to the website to view a specific product or page, or requested additional information by submitting a form or joining a mailing list. With each action you have an opportunity to extend the conversation by tailoring it to the visitor’s needs. Remarketing revitalizes the ongoing connection all senior living communities need to establish and develop to transform visitors into residents.
Close the Gap with Remarketing Campaigns
At Sabal Group, we can build efficiencies into your marketing strategies by using high-quality data to create customized marketing solutions. We understand marketing budgets are shrinking at a time senior living communities need to actively engage with their audience. That’s one reason why we believe an effective omnichannel strategy, with a retarget campaign, is an excellent way to connect your brand to the right audience. If you’d like to learn more about our approach to marketing, we’d love to speak with you!
