Posts in the ‘Home Care Marketing Tips’ Category
Louisville: A Burgeoning Hub for Aging Care
Louisville is a designated hub for businesses providing lifelong wellness and aging care—and, corporations making a big difference in the lives of those who wish to age independently with the latest services available, are choosing to locate here. Oddly enough, since I started one of the nation’s first non-medical care managed in-home care companies, I am still in the thick of aging care and keeping key insights into today’s eldercare world. My 17 years of experience as a geriatric care manager and agency owner dovetail nicely with my now 14 years of marketing those services for a variety of aging care providers and vendors to that industry.
In fact, with the advent of so many web-based marketing tactics, aging care providers across the country—from care agencies to senior living facilities—are exploring new marketing practices because the way they have previously received business and referrals is changing. An emerging trend in the industry, and one that has strong roots here in Louisville with Humana and Senior Bridge, is the new alliances forming between insurance providers who are managed care companies and home care and care management companies. These alliances create hybrid forms of a variety of services for the elderly.
Tackling the new business referral issue in this changing environment is an important topic that I educated home care agencies about during the New York State Association for Health Care Providers industry meeting on January 31 of this year. I addressed the conference attendees about planning and adapting to new marketing strategies with the goal of securing a spot on coveted and narrowing referral lists.
My experience spans nearly all aspects of the aging care industry—from owning and operating a home care agency to serving on national boards and influencing political leaders on home care issues. I serve as a home care marketing thought-leader and provide expert counsel to national organizations and businesses on aging and care issues as well as strategic marketing for products aimed at those targets. Additionally armed with strategic knowledge of the latest developments in mobile technology and social media, a new frontier for leaders in aging care, I am introducing, with the talent of my corecubed staff, a fresh marketing perspective that is relevant to businesses and their targeted audiences today.
Eldercare as the Unexplored Continent
No matter how many times eldercare issues are explained, explored and discussed, when a person has an eldercare issue with a family member, it seems like the first time anyone ever had this problem. Education and resources abound, but when the need arises, the befuddled adult child always asks, “Where can I turn for answers?”
Recently I had the fortune to go on an expedition to Antarctica. While there, and prior to going, I learned about the early explorers to the White Continent and the hardships they suffered. I read about the efforts of many to chart unknown waters and to trudge through icy and snow covered mountains filled with unsuspecting crevasses. Alone with the penguins and whales, normal life seemed a million miles away, and should I have needed help from the mainland, none would be forthcoming. Antarctica is a long way away from anything else and unreachable except by a 2 day voyage across treacherous waters.
The White Continent
This lost and alone feeling is the same that people experiencing elder care issues for the first time feel. And they also feel the crevasses and the treacherous waters that keep them from safe harbor. So, how can those who offer elder care services make the journey less fearful, less painful, and more warm and fuzzy for the adult child? Education that is specific to the need. An active listener who actually hears the fear and the unknown and can pinpoint the issues and help solve the problems. Now, I am feeling rather dramatic as I write this, but searching for answers is the first step. And, having a great website that targets specific issues is one of the answers. Not the complete answer, but a start. Won’t you join us for an educational webinar on our award winning MOST program? That is one, simple way for agencies to have all the information needed to respond to the lost adult child, and to start developing a website that is chock full of safety nets for those who feel lost in the wilderness of eldercare issues.
Increasing Mobility in the World of Health Care
It’s pretty simple. The world has gone mobile. Smart phones and tablets have given individuals the ability to search for services, purchase products and conduct business from wherever they happen to be. As a shining example, this 2011 holiday season saw a significant increase in online sales, and an exponential increase in sales made from mobile devices, particularly on Christmas Day. In fact, Christmas Day online sales jumped 16.4 percent from last year, likely owing a lot to tablets like the Kindle Fire, iPad, and Nook being hot items on many people’s wish lists.
According to TechCrunch.com, “Sales completed from mobile devices grew, reaching 14.4 percent versus 5.3 percent on Christmas Day 2010, representing an increase of 172.9 percent. In terms of specific mobile devices, the iPad led all mobile device traffic to retailers at 7 percent, followed by the iPhone at 6.4 percent and Android at 5 percent.”
So what does all this mobile use mean for health care? A lot, actually. Mobile technology is being used across all areas of the industry, with big names like Verizon and Sprint getting in on the game with remote patient monitoring devices. And, with customers and potential clients spending so much time on their mobile devices, it’s important for health care industry professionals to have a mobile-enabled website to increase sales and awareness of services, locations served, as well as brands.
A surprising number of businesses have still not taken the steps to make their websites mobile-friendly, so many, in fact, that Google recently sponsored an effort to encourage businesses to make sure they offer websites that work well on mobile devices. The bottom line is simple. Similar to the retail industry, increasing numbers of potential clients will be searching for their health care needs – doctors, local home care agencies, independent living aids – from mobile devices. If a company’s site is not mobile enhanced, chances are the customer will search for what they need elsewhere. (more…)
How to market home care services?
Catering to those who need home care services can be gratifying and fulfilling work; however, marketing these services may present a tough challenge for home care agency owners. Home care is an “at need” service because people do not pay attention to these services until the need arises. The key to home care marketing success is being called when the need arises.
So, how do you get people to call? You give them a reason, based on their need for information. You stay in front of them on a regular basis so they remember your agency name. Unfortunately, the needs for home care often come at unexpected times, and what home care means may not be totally understood. Be the local, approachable resource for information and be a comfort during a time of tough decisions for your audience.
As a former home care agency owner myself and a marketing expert with today’s technology, I know from working experience that growing an agency means:
- Having the right information available in a variety of online ways;
- Interacting and responding appropriately, online and directly;
- Integrating all outreach, communication efforts with online inbound efforts.
My next post will explore finding your target audience and referral sources. In the meantime, check out MOSTSM, our coveted monthly turnkey marketing communications program designed for home care agencies—so you can put my strategic marketing practices into play immediately.
Home Care, home care marketing, Homecare Marketing, homecare marketing plans, marketing strategy, monthly communications
