CareNotes

9 Ways to Improve Your Marketing Today

This is a guest article by Amy McLain, Marketing & Outreach Coordinator at GISI Marketing Group, an OHCA business partner member and headline sponsor of the OHCA Marketing Symposium. GISI helps clients build successful marketing solutions on the creative side and print and produce materials in their print house.

Marketing used to be different. You ran a display ad in the newspaper or made a few phone calls and the phone would start ringing. Salespeople held all the cards. If you needed a service, you called a sales rep. Now, with the speed at which technology is growing, it is no surprise marketing tactics are also changing rapidly.

Below are a few simple, actionable steps to improve the response to your marketing messaging.

1. Be Consistent

How seriously are you taking your branding?

Companies that follow design best practices grow faster than those who don’t—often twice as fast! One of the simplest design rules to follow is consistency, and your customers expect it.

Start by developing a consistent look, feel, and brand voice. Design elements should always align and compliment your established brand identity.

Brand consistency across all facets of your marketing – internal and external – develops trust in your audience. Make sure your print, digital, apparel, signage, and related branding elements are consistent.

Your overall marketing design should be engaging without being a distraction. Starting with a simpler design theme with a straightforward call-to-action will make it easier to develop consistent designs on an ongoing basis.

2. Secure Your Website

If your website is still listed as “http” instead of “https” then you need an SSL certificate for your site to protect your site and data. This is an easy fix that is hurting your search ranking and putting your website and other data at risk. Review options for adding an SSL certificate to your website with your IT team and website vendors.

Don’t overlook this quick win!

3. Be Distinct

Are you touting your unique contributions?

Don’t fall into the trap of mimicking your competition. It’s far better to stand apart and promote your unique value than to copy others.

Your content should tell your story and highlight what makes your services unique.

Do you provide a special level of care? Do you give back to the community? Share stories of how your organization has impacted the surrounding area and how your potential clients can make a difference as well.

4. Know Your Audience

Do you know the needs of your customers and the messaging they care about? What are their pain points and how can you fix them?

Searching for long term care is difficult for families. Knowing your audience’s experiences will help you develop effective, customer-focused content.

Tone and brand voice will be easier to develop as you learn more about your audience. Define and develop your voice for a more purposeful and effective message.

5. Engage Your Audience

Are you responding to online reviews (from Google, Glassdoor, Facebook, Indeed, and other sites) or engaging your customers on social media? More than 80 percent of customers expect you to communicate through social media platforms.

Social media offers an informal and inexpensive avenue for communicating with prospective residents and their families. Consistent messaging provides an opportunity to develop trust and credibility with frequent glimpses into the community and residents you represent.

6. Be a Thought Leader

How can you help others succeed?

Now that your audience is engaged, provide educational content rather than sales-focused content. Your knowledge and experience will help establish you as a leader in your industry, and it is more effective than focusing solely on promotional messaging.

Again, knowing your audience will simplify the content generation process. As yourself and your team:

• What do your clients value most?
• What do their families need?
• What are the most common questions about long term care?

Share your experiences at trade shows and community events and through social media, print media, blogs, and community newspapers. Make it clear that you are proud of your industry, and your unique perspective will be a valued resource when it’s needed the most.

7. Optimize Your Website

Is your website slow or unresponsive? Are your users confused or frustrated? If so, you will find yourself losing the search engine competition.

Your website should be fast to load content and provide users with clear navigation and messaging.

A user-friendly website builds trust and serves as the most visible element of your brand identity. In other words, your audience’s experience with your website is what they believe to be true of your organization.

8. Invest in Local SEO

Are you thinking about your search engine optimization?

Google searches are influenced by proximity. Ensure your organization is optimized for local search.

Creating specific, localized content and managing your local listings are integral for optimizing your local search engine success.

9. Maximize Your Marketing Campaign Reach

Are you being efficient with your marketing budget?

Combine the reach of digital marketing with the response rate of direct mail for more successful advertising.

Create campaign-specific landing pages as a destination for your print and digital marketing promotion. Track analytics to determine how the campaign performs and make changes frequently to hone the overall strategy.