Senior living sales and marketing teams launched a digital transformation during Covid-19.
Providers realized the importance of paid and earned social media to drive lead generation. Virtual tours became the norm as communities across the country contended with lockdowns. And investment in digital platforms continues to increase.
Messaging has also evolved at a fast pace. Sales and marketing teams are using video to craft personalized introductions with prospective buyers and their families, create custom content highlighting the inner workings of communities and the lifestyles that await if a prospect commits to a move.
These were among the main takeaways from a recent webinar hosted by Dallas-based senior living tech startup OneDay, featuring leaders from digital marketing software firm G5 and MBK Senior Living.
Irvine, California-based MBK, which operates 33 communities in six states, reported the most move-ins in its history in March 2021. And April’s move-in numbers are expected to eclipse that, Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing Christy Van Der Westhuizen said.
She credits MBK’s success to a digital shift involving personalized video, data analysis, improving the “speed to lead” time between when a prospect’s contact information is captured and first contact, and controlling its message during a time when early news reports conflated senior living with higher acuity care settings such as nursing homes.
MBK also re-imagined the five stages of the buyer’s journey: awareness, interest, consideration, decision, and advocacy.
Importance of video
One of the pillars of MBK’s digital sales success involves the use of personalized video platforms such as OneDay. The startup saw business double from the onset of the pandemic in March 2020 to June 2020, and created over 100,000 videos during that span.
OneDay allows providers to create customized videos for prospective residents, including sales team introductions, updates from communities on operations and Covid-19 safety regulations, behind the scenes looks inside communities based on a prospect’s interests, and testimonials about what it is like to live at an MBK community from current residents.
MBK uploads its videos to its social media channels, as well. This provides opportunities to measure engagement based on clickthroughs, new follows and the length of time a video is viewed. The provider uses G5 to explore analytics including organic search results, Google AdWords, Google My Business, and engagement from paid social media platforms.
The use of video as a storytelling device is essential for prospects and their families to understand the lifestyle that senior living has to offer. Video content is also committed to memory better than traditional print-based marketing materials, said Michael Blodgett, marketing manager for OneDay.
He cited studies showing that people retain 95% of a message when they view it on video, versus 10% if they read it in a text. Van Der Westhuizen concurs.
“We love video at MBK. It’s better than [photos], and photos are better than texts,” she said.
Video can also establish the interest a prospect has in moving to senior living, educate residents on financial options to facilitate a move, show variances in rents and unit size, and move a lead from the top of the sales funnel down, said Craig Branstad, solutions architect for G5.
It is a lesson that was not lost on MBK. The provider is in the process of overhauling its web presence to include a video “knowledge library” of what to expect when moving to a community and how to prepare for a transition. At the end of each video will be a call to action where basic information can be captured, and sales teams can reach out as soon as possible.
“It’s important for us to meet [prospects] where they are, and then provide an avenue for them to get connected with us, so we can help them through [the sales process],” Van Der Westhuizen said.
Personalization
Sales and marketing teams adapted to Covid-19’s impact on in-person tours by using their digital presences to capture as much basic information about prospects as possible on their websites, via virtual sales assistants, 24/7 live online chat availability with sales associates, and through social media platforms.
This information is used to customize introductory videos based on a prospect’s interests, health, and level of need for senior housing, and incorporates any family members involved in the decision.
MBK prioritizes speed to lead, once basic information is gathered. Almost immediately after a prospect’s information is gathered — regardless of where it was obtained — an automated email is sent out informing prospects that their information was received and a sales associate will soon reach out to them, via their preferred method of communication.
MBK uses OneDay to create personalized introductory videos, telling prospects why they are receiving the video and relaying the basic information that was shared at the point of entry. This establishes a baseline of trust, ensuring the buyer that their concerns are being taken seriously.
Customization continues throughout the buyer’s journey. MBK enlists leadership at its communities for videos, giving prospects a glimpse into a community’s operations. The sales team at Hacienda Del Rey, a community in Litchfield, Arizona, recorded a video for prospects showing how the building’s executive chef prepares bananas foster, as an example of the lifestyle awaiting them if they decide to move to the community.
And MBK enlists residents in the video process. The provider has a “Real Residents of MBK” series in which residents discuss what daily life is actually like, from their perspective. Sales teams also identify residents who share similar interests to prospects, and pair them together via videos.
Making the sales process personal early leads to better results. A 2018 report from management consulting firm Epsilon showed that 80% of consumers are more likely to make a purchase when brands offer personalized experiences.
“Long gone are the days of the cookie cutter emails that say, ‘Here is a laundry list of things my community has to offer,’” Van Der Westhuizen said.
As successful as MBK has been with video, she acknowledges that there is more to be done to fully maximize its usefulness as a tool. She also advises providers considering similar pivots to put in the effort, financially and with sweat equity.
“You need to know what you’re getting into,” she said.
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