7 Secrets for Cost-Effective Home Care and Elder Care Marketing

Aren’t we all looking for the MOST cost effective home care and elder care marketing strategies? Wouldn’t it be great if the postcard mailers really pulled the numbers they used to? Everywhere I turn, folks who serves the senior market are looking for the magic bullet that improves their lead conversion. Is it seminars? More postcards? Newspaper ads? Online marketing? Who should you listen to, and where should you begin? Lots of questions.

Here are some real answers.

I would say that 90% of us would do a lot more business if we would take the time to understand the dynamics of successful internet marketing. I know that very few of you are internet gurus, and very few of you have the time to learn a completely new skill. However, just a few tweaks of your website, and a few hours spent each month reaching out to consumers on the internet will TURN those LEADS into CLIENTS.

There is no magic bullet. If you aren’t interested in spending a lot of marketing money these days (and who is?) then you will need to spend a little time and focus on education.

Here is what I would have in my arsenal of marketing tools without question:

1. A short (professional, not goofy) video on my business customized with my name, picture, logo, phone, website etc at the end.

2. I would have that video in a DVD format (for handing out to seniors and their family members) and in a MPEG or WMV file for posting on the internet.

a. Side note on the video: If you don’t sound professional, please let someone else do the video for you, do not do voiceover work if you don’t know what that means. Want a good example? Go to www.youtube.com and type in home care or elder care. Look at some of the WORST videos that have ever been put together on the subject. Get a good laugh. While you are there, note that there are some really well done videos. Take a lesson from those who have done a professional job.

b. Once I have my video put together, I would post it on every video website on the internet using a title like this: “Elder Care for Seniors in St. Louis, Missouri” The reason I added my location is because when an individual surfing the web does a search for “Elder Care St. Louis, MO”, my video is likely to come up first in their search results. Make sense? I don’t care to serve the entire country, I just want clients in St. Louis, MO. This is called using long-tail key words.

3. A 30 minute recorded “radio show” on CD, again, professionally done, great host, great voiceover, great interview. This builds credibility and trust instantly with seniors and adult children of aging parents. Have it on your website for download and on CD for distribution to prospects and referrals.

4. My Articles: I would write at least 5 articles or more (350 words each) on elder care. Think of the top frequently asked questions, and write an article on each. Submit those articles to every service on the internet that accepts free article submissions.

5. My Website: I would certainly look into a website makeover. Eliminate the clutter. Eliminate the 5000 options for people to click on. Focus on ONE thing: getting that lead’s information. Don’t give away good stuff until the person visiting your website gives YOU their name and email address. If you have an unprofessional looking website, or if you have dozens of information options on your website, it’s time to redesign it, make it simple, effective and compelling. Make people WANT to give you their information. Use great headlines, great titles, and great content.

6. My FREE OFFER: Every ad, every website, every presentation, everything I hand out would have a free offer attached. That could mean a free e-book, or a free DVD, free radio show CD, free booklet, free report, free vial of life, free discount prescription drug card, free something. NOT a FREE CONSULTATION. The free consultation is over-used, and completely ineffective. Everyone offers a free consultation. Take those words out of your vocabulary and off of your ads. It’s a given. Think of something tangible and compelling that will educate your prospect and make them believe that they would be absolutely CRAZY to do business with anyone else but you.

7. My monthly newsletter: Every month without fail, a newsletter should go out to your prospects, clients, past clients, and referral sources. I’m not talking about a 4-color slick expensive newsletter, don’t waste your money. I’m talking black and white, 2-sided, fun, interesting factoid kind of newsletter. Something that makes people smile. Don’t put long boring articles about elder care or alzheimer's research or Medicare in EVERY issue. Keep it simple. Just a small reminder that you cared enough to say hello is all it takes for a senior and their family to respect and acknowledge that you are a kind and thoughtful professional. When they decide to move forward with the care management process, you will be tops on their list (and on their coffee table) for that first phone call.

In a nutshell, those are the 7 steps to dominating your local market. All of the suggestions are easy to afford, easy to duplicate, and cost more of your time than your money. If you are sitting around without appointments, get busy and learn the secrets that successful marketers already know: education, content, trust, credibility- show the consumers in your local area that doing business with you is a no-brainer. Can’t do it all yourself and need help? Reach out to those of us who do this all day long. We are always glad to point you in the right direction.

Valerie VanBooven RN BSN is a Senior Service Marketing Expert. www.MySeniorService.com

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