How to Effectively Leverage User-Generated Content for Senior Living Marketing
Word of mouth and referral marketing have always been powerful, but want to know what’s changed in this increasingly digital climate? The power of in-person word-of-mouth has evolved into user-generated content (UGC) online! For senior living communities, leveraging photos and videos from satisfied residents and their families can be a game-changer for your marketing efforts. Not only does it provide authentic insights into the community, but it also builds trust and engagement among potential residents and their families.
In this guide, we’ll discuss how to effectively use UGC to enhance your senior living marketing efforts, create meaningful connections in person and online, and drive occupancy rates.
Why User-Generated Content Matters in Senior Living Marketing
Before diving into the strategies, it's essential to understand why UGC is so impactful:
Authenticity and Trust: Photos and videos from actual residents and their families carry a sense of authenticity around your organization that external marketing materials often lack. They offer real, unfiltered glimpses into life in your senior care facility.
Emotional Connection: Decisions surrounding senior living locations are often emotionally charged, so seeing happy, engaged residents similar to themselves or their loved ones can evoke positive emotions and create a deeper connection with your audience, making it easier for them to want to choose your organization.
Social Proof: Social proof is the new review board. When potential residents and their families see others enjoying your community, it serves as powerful social proof. It reassures them that they’re making the right choice in selecting your senior care community for themselves or their loved one.
Cost-Effective: Utilizing UGC can be a cost-effective way to generate high-quality content while reducing the need for professional photoshoots and video production. You can simply just have your staff record edit with free software.
How to Encourage User-Generated Content
To harness the power of UGC, you need to encourage residents and their families to share their experiences. Here are some strategies to get you started:
1. Create a Welcoming Environment for Sharing
Make it easy and inviting for residents and families to share their moments. Host community events and encourage participants to take photos and videos. Ensure they know how much you value their contributions to spreading the word about your facility by offering a simple way to thank them when they create content. When people are in an environment that they are proud to live in, they’ll be much more likely to help you create content.
2. Launch Contests and Campaigns
Run photo and video contests where residents and their families can submit their favorite moments. Offer prizes people actually WANT and showcase the best entries on your social media channels and website. If you have tvs in your lobbies or common areas, this would be another great place to showcase them so people who don’t have social media can see too.
3. Utilize Social Media Hashtags
Create a unique hashtag for your community and encourage residents and their families to use it when sharing content on social media. This helps in aggregating all the UGC in one place and makes it easier to find and share.
4. Provide Simple Tools and Instructions
Not everyone is tech-savvy, especially in senior living communities. Provide simple instructions on how to take good photos and videos, and offer tools or apps that can help them share their content easily. At the end of the day, if you have someone willing to create content but they don’t know (or care about) the tech side, just have your staff members record the video!
Leveraging UGC Across Marketing Channels
Once you have a steady stream of user-generated content, it’s time to strategically leverage it across various marketing channels!
1. Social Media
Social media is the perfect platform to showcase UGC. Always include engaging captions with content you share. Facebook and Instagram Reels can be used to highlight testimonials, success stories and clips of residents enjoying various activities your organization provides. Stories are a great place to share behind-the-scenes moments of your staff and residents. Static images in your feed are great places to continue sharing pictures of your residents and staff involved in fun activities.
2. Website
Your website is often the first point of contact for prospective residents and their families while they’re researching for a senior care facility. Make sure your UGC content is prominently featured.
Homepage: Display a rotating gallery of resident photos and testimonials. Include video testimonials from residents and their families.
Blog: Content is key to building trust. Create blog posts featuring stories from residents and include photos and videos to make the posts more engaging.
Testimonials Page: Dedicate a page to resident and family testimonials. We recommend using quotes with photos or, better yet, videos to add even more authenticity and trust.
3. Email Marketing
Don’t let your email marketing get boring with just plain text. Incorporate your UGC content into your email campaigns to create a more personal connection. Send newsletters to both current residents and families as well as prospects and include a “Resident Spotlight” section where you highlight a resident’s story with photos and videos. Have them share what they love best about living there and their favorite activities that are put on for the seniors. When talking about events and activities, share photos from previous events to really show all the fun your events entail.
Best Practices for Using UGC
To ensure your UGC strategy is effective and respectful, follow these best practices:
1. Obtain Consent
Always obtain written consent from residents and their families before using their photos and videos both internally and for marketing purposes. Make sure they understand how and where their content will be used.
2. Respect Privacy
Be mindful of privacy concerns. Avoid sharing sensitive information and always respect the wishes of those who prefer not to be featured.
3. Maintain High Quality
While UGC is valued for its authenticity, quality still matters. Ensure that the photos and videos are clear and well-composed. Offer guidance on how to take good-quality content, or like we mentioned earlier, have staff offer to take the photos and videos.
4. Acknowledge and Appreciate Contributors
Show appreciation to residents and families who contribute content. Acknowledge them in your posts and consider sending thank-you notes or small tokens of appreciation.
Conclusion
Leveraging user-generated content can transform your senior living marketing strategy. By showcasing authentic, heartfelt moments from your residents and their families, you can build trust, create emotional connections, and ultimately attract more residents to your community. Encourage sharing, use UGC across multiple channels, and always respect the privacy and wishes of your contributors. With these strategies, you’ll create a vibrant, engaging marketing presence that truly resonates with your audience.
Looking for help in developing a senior living marketing plan to increase your prospective new patients? Incept Health can help! Contact us today to get a free custom campaign guide.