Is a Digital Presence Important for the Senior Living & Housing Industry?
Having a digital presence in this day and age is mandatory and it goes beyond just having a website. You need an ongoing presence that can include a blog, Facebook page, Twitter account and more.
Studies have shown that as anywhere from 67% to 94% of people research products and service online before purchasing. This includes not just consumers, but also B2B (Business to Business). If there is no website, or it is outdated, lacking in information or unprofessional, that potential customer or client will move on. Yes, it is that important. In addition to your website, added value comes from blogs, newsletters and other social media content you provide.
additional information about social media, specifically in the senior housing and living industry, take a look back at some of MDS’ previous posts that outline the need for blogs and social media:
Planning is Key
Now is the time to start planning your Newsletter, blog and social media calendars. Every resource will tell you that planning is key. You should be planning content for approximately 6 weeks out minimum and, ideally, 12 weeks out. And you need to know the specific message you want to get across to your members (if you are a state or national association), your residents (if you are a community) or your clients (if you are a business). To maintain a regular and consistent message, it takes planning.
There are many resources available to help with this such as online calendars and books available on Amazon. No matter what resource you use, start planning your Content calendar now. Waiting until the last minute can lead to missed deadlines, incomplete or inaccurate content or messages that are inconsistent with your intended theme. Following are some considerations for the planning process:
- What is your platform? Are you just using a company website anchored blog? Will you be expanding into social media such as LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram or Pinterest. The specific makeup of your target audience (consumer versus business) will influence which platform you would choose.
- How often do you plan to post – daily, weekly, somewhere in between?
- How will you track your effectiveness? Also available are many stat trackers, some are free and some come with a fee. How much you depend on your digital content may dictate what level of tracking detail you need.
Be a valuable resource
So regardless how big or small your company or community may be, a digital presence is imperative. We are in the technology and information age and that is exactly what people want – information via technology. If you can be the source of their information you become a valuable resource. By becoming a valuable resource, people or companies will want to do business with you and your organization.