15 Marketing Ideas for Nursing Homes in the Digital Age

Digital marketing helps nursing homes attract prospective patients with a more extensive reach than non-digital campaigns. Your nursing home should focus on marketing strategies that effectively establish you as an authority in your industry and promote a trusting relationship with your prospective patients. These 15 digital marketing ideas will help your nursing home create that engagement with your prospective residents and will assure them that your nursing home is the perfect choice for their needs.

1. Create a Mobile Friendly Website for Your Nursing Home

A professional and optimized website is necessary to attract the target audience to your nursing home. 68% of senior living marketers say their website is their most effective marketing channel.

• The patient or the families of the future resident will visit various nursing home websites during their search.
• Create content for your website which showcases your nursing home's strengths and what makes it unique.
• Many people are using their cell phone to conduct their online searches, so make your site mobile-friendly.

2. Feature Your Staff and Medical FAQ Online

Write a simple FAQ section on your website to answer common questions prospective patients may have.

• Feature your staff on your website with biographies for each.
• Allows prospective patients to become familiar with the team.
• Show that you are transparent about all aspects of how you run your nursing home practices.

3. Call-Only Campaigns

Call-only ads only appear on devices that can make a phone call, giving potential customers direct contact with your sales team.

• Be it for themselves or family; people prefer to speak to an actual human about choosing the right nursing homes.
• 88% of healthcare appointment are scheduled by phone.
• You can also contact your old patients’ and caregivers at periodic intervals on call for follow-ups and ask them for referrals.

4. Create an Activity Calendar

Having a “choice of activities" and "activities that amount to something" is essential to improving a sense of independence" in nursing home residents.

• Create an activity calendar filled with options all residents can enjoy.
• Share this calendar with current residents on your website and social media or as digital content.
• Communicate with your residents and staff when creating activities.

5. Well Designed Brand Content

58% of all marketers believe original content delivers the best reward from marketing ideas for your nursing home, original content extends your nursing homes online reach.

• Create well-designed brand content for your target demographic and apply it to each level of your business.
• Content Marketing costs 62% less than traditional marketing, it's useful for a variety of marketing ideas for nursing homes from your website to social channels.
• Present your nursing home in a way that appeals to prospective patients.

6. Create informative Video Content

Watching online videos surpasses watching TV, making video creation a top marketing idea for nursing homes looking to increase digital reach.

• You can utilize video in every step of the sale process.
• From nursing home information to a tour, show prospective patients instead of telling them.
• Video allows you to communicate with current and prospective patients in exciting and engaging ways.

7. Virtual Nursing Home Tours

With Covid-19, fewer prospective patients want to take an in-person tour of a nursing home; a video tour can capture your nursing home's features better than a photo.

• Across all levels of care year to date, initial tours were down an average of 27%.
• Create a video tour of your facility to show to potential residents online.
• This will give your platform a different source of content, so you can stand out from other nursing homes.

8. Patient Experience Is a Priority

In today's day of options, you cannot just provide primary care but need to have a staff that cares for your patients and wants the best for them.

• When a senior joins a nursing home, they are joining a community.
• Make your community a lifestyle wellness center that offers care options, not the other way around.
• Pride yourself on having staff that love taking care of their patients.

9. Establish a Relationship with Your Community

While this may not immediately take place in the digital space, its effects ripple online.

• Get involved in community events like hosting an open house or attending your chamber of commerce.
• Gain awareness by taking part in local events.
• When working on community projects, document them online with tags and photos.

10. Be Active on Facebook

Facebook is the most used social network in the world and is utilized by potential nursing home clients.

• Target potential patients as well as their caregivers through quality content and campaigns.
• Interact with people when they interact with you. Reply back to comments and messages!
• A Facebook paid ad for a call-only campaign is one way you can generate more inquiries via social media.

11. Build your Brand through Online Reviews

88% of consumers trust online reviews when making a purchase, even when coming from a stranger.

• Ask patients who give you a verbal review to put it online.
• 92% of consumers say they read online testimonials before a purchase.
• Use positive reviews online as marketing tools for your nursing home.

12. Referrals from Other Institutions

Reviews from fellow respected institutions are as respected as patient reviews.

• Get reviews from industries you work with and patients whenever possible.
• Ask for reviews early on in the relationship when the support of your nursing home is at its highest.

13. Be Visible to Google

With most people researching businesses digitally, it is essential to rank on the first page of keywords to implement successful marketing ideas for your nursing home online.

• Create content for your online platforms with Search Engine Optimization (SEO) in mind to improve online rank for specific keywords.
• Use Google My Business to ensure your nursing home appears in local searches.

14. Contribute to Online Health Care Publications

By talking about and solving problems in the nursing home community with other providers, you will begin to be seen as an expert in the field.

• Use online forums to help residents and fellow nursing homes.
• By sharing help and marketing ideas of nursing homes on relevant platforms, you will become an authority in the field.

15. Build a Personal Connection with Your Patients

From the moment you meet your patients, you want to create a lasting relationship.

• A personal connection is the best way small nursing homes can set themselves apart.
• Listen to your patients, and respond to their concerns.
• Use not only words but then action to prove that you care about your patients.

Use proper nursing home marketing ideas to succeed in the digital age. Use these tips to ensure your nursing home utilizes some of the most effective marketing ideas available in 2021.