To say that there is a large market for assisted living both now and in the near future is a gross understatement. The Baby Boomers are already moving into independent and assisted living communities around the country and many more are expected to do the same. For the first time in our history, the majority of seniors who live in their home will do so by themselves, a concept known as “solo aging”. Many will no longer want to take care of their home, or live alone, but rather opt for residential living. Powerful marketing is going to be needed to grab their attention.
Marketing 101: Know Your Target Audiences
Marketing in assisted living is unique and challenging because it involves not only considering the older adults and seniors who may move in, but their adult children who are likely to be online searching for assisted living options for their parents. A skilled marketer will first direct their focus on the senior living alone and aging solo and then work on digital strategies to gain the attention of their adult children.
Key Characteristics of Older Adults Seeking ALs
A good marketing plan might begin with obtaining a snapshot of people already living in 30,000 assisted living communities around the country. Out of the 818,000 older adults and seniors currently residing in assisted living:
- The vast majority (70%) are female
- Men make up roughly 30% of ALs
- Over 50% are 85 years and older
- One-third are aged 75-84
- Over 40% have a dementing illness like Alzheimer’s disease
- More than 50% have cardiac issues like high blood pressure
- Most require a little help with activities of daily living
- Many enjoy significant independence
- After a 2-year stay, more than 50% will transition to a skilled nursing center
Marketing efforts then should be geared to more females than males, those aged slightly younger than mid-70’s, seniors with neurodegenerative conditions but are still mostly physically capable, older adults with heart conditions and completely independent and active older adults. While these may seem like many features to focus on in a marketing campaign, they significantly shorten a much longer list.
Marketing to Adult Children
A different but important target audience includes the adult children of aging parents who require assisted living for some reason. Adult children will mainly search online for assisted living communities either near where their parents live or where they live themselves. Some will begin their search due to:
- A significant medical event
- Advanced Alzheimer’s or another dementing illness
- The inability to continue care in the home
- Too many demands within their own lives and not enough time to provide care
- Overwhelming emotions like stress, anxiety or depression
It is for these and many other reasons that adult children will begin their search for their parent’s next residence. Because of this, effective marketing must include a powerful digital presence, highlighting all the silver bullets associated with the assisted living community. Websites should be mobile-friendly, easy to navigate, and provide quality messaging and content that’s informative to adult children. All marketing efforts should include search engine optimization (SEO) to enhance the assisted living community’s visibility.
Final Thoughts on Masterfully Marketing Assisted Living Communities
The next 20 years or more will bring incredible possibilities for marketers in assisted living communities around the country. The largest segment of the population, the Baby Boomers, are moving in now and will continue to seek attractive living accommodations that will enhance their lifestyle and quality of life. With great opportunities comes the need for precision marketing tactics and strategies that will draw in both older adults and seniors as well as gain the attention of their older adult children searching for alternative living options online. Masterful marketing will indeed require both.