Okay, show of hands. Who bought the first house they saw? Or who bought the first wedding dress they tried on? Better yet, who buys the first of anything? Humans are hard-coded to compare, test, revisit and in general, not take the first thing they see. So why don’t we take this same approach to increase our marketing effectiveness? Using targeted data to reach the right audience when you send a postcard or mailer is common in senior living. But you’re being penny wise and pound foolish when you don’t use that same targeted data to reach that same qualified audience with email, social media, display and search ads, OTT / Connected TV ads and even programmatic radio ads. Data lists should never be a one-and-done postal list.
A Smarter Approach
Postage, printing and paper are expensive. But a postcard or mailer is also the standard go-to for most senior living marketing campaigns. And cost is why most campaigns avoid the fire hose approach of relying on ZIP Codes to determine their audience. They appreciate the ROI of precision mailings to qualified candidates achieved with targeted data, the kind of data that Sabal’s MicroModeling® Report delivers.
The targeted data in a MicroModeling® Report can double and triple the impact of your campaign when you use it to target that same group of qualified prospects with campaign messaging on the channels they prefer. Recently, we worked with a rural senior living community in Virginia. They wanted to grow their waitlist for a planned expansion. The results were better than they expected. Here’s how they did it.
- We analyzed the data in their CRM and that of their move-ins and waitlisters for the past three years to determine the ideal prospect.
- We used that analysis to create a customized MicroModeling Report for their campaign. Then the top 12,500 candidates were pulled for the target audience.
- This audience received an invitational postcard inviting them to two in-person informational events.
- Two emails were sent to support the mailer and the ad campaign.
- We conducted a 3-month campaign of social media and display ads. Retargeting ads targeted those prospects who visited the website.
- After the campaign concluded, a matchback analysis analyzed those who raised their hands to further refine the ideal audience for future campaigns.
The Results
The outcome of this single campaign exceeded expectations. While the budget was modest, the targeted data delivered impressive results.
- The community’s two events were fully booked and exceeded previous events. They had to create an additional event to handle the demand.
- As a result of the campaign, the marketing team added 75 new depositors to the waitlist for the planned expansion.
- In 2023, they had a total of 70 waitlist depositors for the entire year.
- Using the matchback analysis to identify specific prospects on the target list who took a desired action:
- The conversion rate for the list was 30%
- The sales conversion rate was 29.73%
- The move-in rate was 8.11%
Targeted Data Works Smarter
Google and Facebook’s rules for targeting prospects with ads are getting more and more complicated. That’s why it makes sense to rely on a partner like Sabal Group, who can take your targeted data list and get your ad message in front of the right audience. Because it’s more effective to have your messaging on the channels your target audience prefers. It’s why we say the value of a targeted data list makes it far more valuable than a one-and-done usage case.
Isn’t it time to supercharge your next campaign? Imagine the power of a targeted data list reaching your qualified prospects on all the channels they prefer. Email Maribeth today to learn how we can help you get the most out of your next marketing campaign.
