With everything the industry has absorbed in the last couple of years, many senior living communities feel as if they’re forged like steel at this point. But as proud as any community should be for weathering such a long and devastating storm, the road ahead is still filled with countless uncertainties.
Which communities are going to differentiate themselves and step ahead of the pack? And more importantly, how are you going to establish the competitive edge you need to continually drive occupancy rates upward?
The answer largely revolves around your community's brand and, as I’m about to discuss, effective video content just might be the secret branding ingredient you've been looking for.
1. Showcase Your Community's Personality to Increase Your Brand Awareness
When a prospective resident and their loved ones are familiar with your brand, the chances of them selecting your community dramatically rise. That's the magic of brand recognition and awareness, making both critical to your success.
It's not a coincidence that video is especially powerful in increasing brand awareness. When your target audience can see how passionate you are through facial expressions and hear the conviction in your voice, word spreads about your genuine commitment to providing the best quality of life possible for your residents.
My advice is to start establishing your community's brand by defining two things – your voice and the right channels. The ideal voice is one that aligns with your community's mission and values. Are you uplifting and empathetic? Sincere and genuine? There's no right or wrong answer here, just what's true to your community.
Once you've defined your voice, then you should choose channels that will allow your video content to shine brightest in the eyes of your audience. That can include social media, email newsletters, embedded video on your website, or any outlet that provides a direct connection between you and prospective residents.
2. Create Engaging Video Content
Building on the concept of brand awareness, the more you engage your audience, the more your community will stand out from the competition. This is yet another area where video far surpasses any other format, driving more engagement and forming faster bonds with prospects and their families.
But how, exactly, can you use video to maximize engagement and, therefore, brand awareness? That's an easy one – simply be yourself when you're on camera. People don't want to see robots in your video messaging. It's your humanity that they connect with, flubs and all, that will ultimately bring out your authenticity.
If you're creating a video that doesn't lend itself to being in front of the camera, make sure your narration is compelling enough to keep the audience plugged in. Of course, it also doesn't hurt to make your videos as 'shareable' as possible, so be sure to keep them short and endearing to maximize your exposure and reach. As an example, LinkedIn users are 20 times more likely to share content when it's video-based.
3. Use Social Media Algorithms to Your Advantage
Social media platforms have a single overarching goal that dictates every strategy they create and move they make – keep users engaged for as long as they possibly can. The longer someone is on a platform, the more ads that platform can serve to the user, thus generating maximum revenue.
As I said before, video is the most engaging of all the content formats. Therefore, social media algorithms naturally love video content because it keeps their users tuned in for a longer amount of time. And what happens when those algorithms take note of your videos? They draw more attention to them, significantly expanding your total click-throughs and views – not to mention brand awareness – along the way.
4. Video Appeals to the Modern Buyer’s Journey
Prospect and family expectations have changed dramatically in recent years. While part of this change stems from the pandemic, much of it comes from the technology that’s become so prevalent in today’s world.
People want the exact information they’re looking for at their fingertips, and they don’t want to wait long to find it. Those heightened expectations have completely transformed the buyer’s journey, making it critical that your senior living community conveys the right message at the right time.
Video is an ideal way to meet the many needs of this redefined buyer’s journey. With video, you can create content for the top of the final that provides essential information as your audience researches different communities.
Likewise, you can create additional content for the middle and bottom portions of the sales funnel that progress the viewer toward conversion every step of the way. Obviously, an efficient and satisfying buyer’s journey also does nothing but improve brand awareness, loyalty, and reputation for your senior living community.
5. Use OneDay to Fully Harness the Power of Video Content
So where does OneDay fit into your video content and marketing strategy? That’s another easy one. With OneDay, senior living marketers have the industry’s most powerful, efficient, and convenient video marketing tool sitting in the palm of their hand.
Specifically, your marketing team can produce and distribute personalized, high-quality videos in mere minutes. And given the topic of this discussion, OneDay also provides templated themes that make it simple to edit and incorporate your community’s brand into every video you make.
OneDay videos aren’t just for sales and marketing, though. They’re just as effective in turning your team into true storytellers through Resident Stories as well as internal communication and recognition across your employee base.
The bottom line is this – OneDay lets your content marketing campaigns fully leverage the significant power video content brings to your internal and external messaging. Ultimately, that ability propels your brand to new heights, helping you connect with prospective residents, families, and even potential employees. And that’s a win-win if there ever was one.