According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Americans over the age of 65 will make up more than 20 percent of the U.S. population starting in 2030. National Senior Campuses, a national nonprofit, claims that at least 7% of all seniors require some level of personal care, and that number continues to grow. These were trends pre-covid and the pandemic has only exacerbated the need for elder care. These figures should be promising to senior care facilities and home healthcare agencies, but in fact, there are marketing challenges that impede on many senior care organizations.
We know demand is at an all time high for senior care, but long term senior living communities had record low occupancy rates in 2020, according to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. This was trending in 2019, pre-covid, but became worse amid covid fears. Many people turned to keeping their loved ones at home with home healthcare agencies. But the grass is not always greener, and that industry too, is seeing their own challenges, from finding and retaining qualified staff, to lack of credibility in a crowded landscape. So what is the best way to capitalize on this growing market? Reaching seniors and decision makers with the right message is crucial. Recruiting qualified staff is of equal importance. What’s that message, and how can you best get it across?
Basic marketing principles tell us the ideal marketing solution for senior care requires a mix, from some traditional audio (radio or streaming audio) video (broadcast or connected TV) followed by display ads to drive interest in the middle of the funnel and paid search and retargeting at the bottom to drive conversions.
If you think seniors don’t use the internet, you should think again. Unlike previous generations, technology isn’t as intimidating to baby boomers. Tons of seniors have been using technology for quite some time and more than half actively use Facebook. We also can’t forget, the entirely separate segment of adult children decision makers that are looking into care for their loved ones OR to learn how they can be trained to give that care. Finally, another segment is targeting skilled and licensed healthcare professionals.
People on the hunt for the best HHA’s or long term living facilities are going to be looking for your brand to have an online presence and established brand equity. Digital marketing is essential for companies looking to prove they are top of the line for consumers, as well as potential employees. Older adults and their grown children often turn to online reviews and research to evaluate services and facilities, as do prospective caregivers.
Targeting seniors online often requires different marketing strategies as many baby boomers want to be given information and details early on. Orange 142 has a wide array of solutions to help our partners connect with seniors and their adult children. Native advertising is a great way to educate the older demographic. Targeted display advertising, utilizing the O142 DMP allows us to take data insights and reach seniors and/or their decision makers. We can also use these tools to target the skilled caregivers with a separate message. Social media advertising continues to change, but stays a strong way to reach seniors and their families. A solid retargeting campaign, allows you to touch your most qualified consumers, and bring them back to convert. Finally, Orange 142 also has the ability to give access to programmatic streaming audio and connected TV for larger branding campaigns that can still be targeted.
If you’d like to learn more about how Orange 142 has successfully leveraged these and other tools to reach seniors, adult children and caregivers, contact us today to speak with our senior care digital managers.
