Real-Life Marketing Automation Examples Senior Living Communities Can Use

Any senior living community that wants to stay competitive in an industry poised for explosive growth knows that effective marketing is one of the keys to success. 

From deploying automated email campaigns and lead nurturing to devising a social media marketing strategy, the ways senior communities generate new leads, reach potential customers, and increase occupancy have changed with marketing automation.

Automation in senior living is here to stay

Any hesitation about using marketing automation tools ended with the pandemic when their effectiveness within customer relationship management software (CRM) became abundantly clear. 

This is particularly true in the assisted living industry, where the process is more nuanced. Senior living marketing is complex, involves various parties, and often spans multiple years. This sector caters to diverse audiences with unique needs, so marketing to older demographics can be tricky.

This article looks at marketing automation through the lens of senior living. We'll share tips and real-life examples of how your community can leverage a marketing automation platform to increase conversions and retention rates.

Ways Senior Living Communities Can Use Marketing Automation

Senior living operators can tailor their approach to automation based on their community's specific needs. From traditional email marketing and landing pages to creating a customer journey and personalized experience, a marketing automation strategy allows different techniques to unfold simultaneously and optimally.

Let's consider a few ways senior communities can leverage the technology to their advantage: 

Use automation to personalize and curate content marketing

The customer experience is critical to today's increasingly internet-savvy seniors, and content curation is a top practice for marketing automation in the assisted living sector. However, personalization goes beyond creating templates for a text message or using a custom subject line for a welcome email. 

By freeing up your sales team and leaving the time-consuming work to automation tools, you can curate relevant content for existing customers and potential new ones in a whole new way. 

Here are a few examples:

• Using email marketing automation to connect with audiences through robust engagement 
• Sending notifications about new products to an email list with a customized Call to Action (CTA)
• Deploying AI tools to make customer experiences with chatbots personalized and engaging
• Creating a referral network with pricing incentives for lead generation

Want to know more? Check out this on-demand webinar on the senior living marketing trends Eldermark is watching.  

Let marketing software streamline repetitive tasks and workflows

It's no secret that marketing is a repetitive business that requires constant attention on multiple fronts, and traditional marketing teams spend a lot of time ensuring their communications are compassionate and effective.

However, as occupancy rates increase and keeping up with growth becomes too much for a small team, automation can save considerable time and money while effectively reaching a broader audience. 

Here's a sample of the tasks that can be added to marketing automation workflows:  

• Sending SMS messages 
• Onboarding new residents
• Lead nurturing and scoring 
• Writing a personalized email to follow up on a referral 
• Using ecommerce and software as a service (SaaS) platforms for automatic invoicing 

Check out this comprehensive guide for a deeper look at how your senior community can leverage marketing automation software.

Leverage analytics to scale marketing operations and increase conversion rates 

One of the biggest 2023 marketing automation trends was using data analytics to scale and optimize digital marketing efforts. Machine learning algorithms can analyze vast swaths of data to provide unique insights into customer behavior, allowing senior living communities to tweak and tailor their marketing approach. 

Here are some examples of how automated data collection and analytics can directly impact a senior community's marketing strategy: 

• Using churn and open rate metrics to improve lead scoring
• Analyzing user behavior to determine the optimal time for win-back or re-engagement campaigns
• Flagging shopping cart abandonment and sending potential new customers an abandoned cart email to follow up on their inquiry
• Curating messaging to address pain points based on user feedback and demographics research

To learn how your community can save money and increase occupancy through marketing automation, check out Eldermark's free eBook Turning Numbers Into Actionable Sales & Marketing Insights!

Real-Life Marketing Automation Examples

Let's consider some examples of marketing automation in a senior living context:

1. Automated email marketing campaigns for lead nurturing

Looking to break into a larger market, a new assisted living community uses an automated system to generate and nurture leads, increasing occupancy and establishing itself as a new top option in the Bay area. 

Immediately after making an online inquiry, prospects receive welcome emails with additional information and options for the next steps. Based on open rate metrics, the system automatically scores the leads and sends top prospects a series of personalized follow-up communications as the marketing funnel is refined.

2. Personalized content delivery based on user behavior

As online users engage with a large Texas-based senior living community, marketing automation software uses website analytics to track their behavior and preferences. Based on the data, the platform then customizes marketing communications content to reach different demographics.  

As the systems gain more insight, further integration of individual preferences improves the user experience. For instance, if a visitor spends time on a site dedicated to memory care or dining options in a community, they automatically receive further details along with success stories and an invitation to watch a webinar or visit a site.

3. Automated social media campaigns for brand awareness

B2B marketing automation is one way a medium-sized senior living community in Minnesota leverages technology to raise brand awareness. They do this by periodically publishing curated content across multiple platforms, including resident activities, health tips, staff spotlights, and amenities updates. Additionally, by using automation tools to analyze engagement metrics, the system optimizes posting times and content variety for maximum exposure and increased interaction.

For more examples of marketing automation software, check out this free webinar on Mount Angel Tower's success using Eldermark software solutions.

Eldermark | Senior Living Marketing Solutions That Work

Commercial companies may opt for generalized automation software, such as the ones offered by HubSpot, to help with marketing efforts. However, assisted living isn't just any business. Senior living communities are precisely that—communities where engagement, quality of life, and resident well-being are fundamental to success. In this context, marketing strategies must be genuine, robust, and sensitive without feeling transactional.

Integrations of Eldermark's marketing automation software will achieve just that. With three decades of specialization in the senior living sector, our experts and software engineers have developed digital solutions that speak directly to the industry's unique needs. 

Contact us today for a free consultation and demonstration of how Eldermark Marketing Automation can help expand your senior living community's operations.