Perhaps you’ve heard the saying “Jack of all trades.” Maybe you are a Jack, or Jill, of all trades yourself. What you may not know, however, is that the full saying is “Jack of all trades, master of none.” Senior living communities can learn from the second part of the phrase, as the issue with having a staff member with multiple job titles can be more problematic than beneficial. Often, marketing and public relations tasks are managed by the executive director, administrator or other staff member of retirement communities, if they are managed at all.
While doling out these tasks to established employees may seem more convenient, staff members with numerous responsibilities may lack the experience, time and energy to master every task at hand. These staff members will be unable to proactively think about your organization’s big picture because they have too much on their plate. To best communicate your story to local audiences who care about what you have to offer, consider using an agency that specializes in your industry. By doing so, your staff can fully devote themselves to other important tasks without feeling spread thin. Here’s why it may be time to use an agency for enhanced results in senior living:
You have the funds
The first step in deciding whether to turn to an agency is to look at your budget. It must make sense financially to hire outside assistance. While it can be much less costly than an in-house hire, it is an expense you should budget for moving forward. It is also important to consider other benefits of turning to professional marketing support. When you decide to embrace an agency, you will produce a higher volume of quality content aimed at increasing visibility and company awareness. Long term, this means more places recommending your senior living community to potential residents and their families, and ultimately, the holy grail: leads.
You need more content
If you’re always feeling behind on blog posts, press releases and other marketing content, it’s time to consider using an agency for enhanced results in senior living, especially one that has good writers on staff who know your community’s story. Not only will an agency help you create a higher volume of content, but also the highest-quality work. Individuals who work for these agencies know how to create content that will best deliver your company’s message to a broader spectrum of audiences. If someone at your company manages marketing and public relations, they likely can’t bring as much to the table as someone who has spent years working in the field. Agency professionals aren’t just useful for producing original content but also for repurposing your existing content; they will ensure your content is tailored to specific platforms as well, such as social media, blogs and email marketing.
You want to keep up with trends
Tapping a marketing agency will help you to stay updated on the trends working best for other companies in the senior living market. With so much competition, it is important to learn what works and what doesn’t so you can alter your company strategies accordingly. Agencies conduct market research and gather data from polls and surveys to see whether your current marketing and public relations strategies are having their desired impact. If not, they will work with you to modify and improve current strategies and highlight your strengths to make you stand out.
Staffing matters
Unless you’ve been under a rock, you’re aware that in senior living, staff turnover is a major issue. And this turnover is happening at all levels: The management team, including executive directors and administrators, as well as marketing and leasing team members. In today’s market, it is going to happen to the best of organizations. By hiring an agency, you ensure consistent marketing efforts over the course of staff changes. In many cases, our organization has outlived communities’ marketing directors. As a result, the communities’ marketing activities stayed constant while a new person was oriented and brought up to speed.
You want to reach a broader network
Take advantage of the connections already established by marketing agencies. Based on your company message, these agencies will know how to best connect to your target audience and meet your goals using their established network. When you use an agency for enhanced results in senior living, your company will produce more frequent and consistent content, meaning increased visibility from more audiences eager to learn about your company and its message. Over time, this will lead to more recommendations of your senior living community and an uptick in residents.
Pivot specializes in your industry and understands the challenges you face on a daily basis. If you’re interested in using an agency for enhanced results in senior living, give us a call. We’d love to discuss your goals and help you create a strategy to meet them.
