I’d like to share the story of 93-year-old Clara Cannucciari, who has become an Internet sensation.
Clara, who lived through the Great Depression, started making videos (with the help of grandson Chris) for her family, and then Chris posted the videos on YouTube.
Now, Clara is hosting her own cooking show called “Depression Cooking with Clara” and it airs on YouTube!
Her show was No. 13 in terms of the most subscribed-to YouTube channels this month! Along with her YouTube show, Clara also has a blog and is on Facebook. You can become a “fan” of Clara by going to her fans’ Facebook page.
Clara has been on Good Morning America and the subject of several newspaper articles, proving once again that you don’t have to be a youngster to make full use of social media.
Do you have any residents at your community who are Internet stars like Clara?
The latest issue of GlynnDevins’ News You Can Use was released today. The issue focuses on social media and how seniors are using these new networking tools. There are also articles on direct mail campaigns and why it’s important to not ignore your waitlists.
Get more senior living insights by reading News You Can Use.
I was a reporter for 15 years, and covering a grand opening was typically the last assignment any reporter wanted to cover. It certainly wasn’t going to be the lead story. At a client’s recent grand opening of an assisted living community, I wished for a moment I was a reporter again and had gotten the assignment to cover it.
I’ve been to many of these types of events before, but this time the true meaning of the event rose to the forefront. There were politicians, neighbors, family, business people and residents in attendance. This new assisted living community suddenly had a life and a very strong purpose. In fact, one of those who worked so hard on the development talked about the soul of the community.
That soul was so evident in the faces of all in attendance. There was a strong sense of pride that there is a new community where older adults can live and know that care is available. There was pride in knowing that the community came together to make the dream of this new building a reality. There were speeches, certificates, good food, entertainment and most of all – a room full of smiles.
I believe that so often people forget why a community for older adults is so important. It is more than shelter; it is a place where all that is good for people comes together.
On this day, I would have gladly accepted the assignment to cover the grand opening. It was “the lead” for this community on this day, and rightly so.
I received a message the other day, “Agnes Keller has added you as a friend on Facebook.” Not so surprising, right? I get messages like this every day. Except that Agnes is my 96-year-old grandma.
Some research into this strange phenomenon revealed that my cousin had set up Grandma’s account and she’s really not comfortable using it yet. But Grandma joining Facebook has spawned a virtual family reunion the likes of which the Kellers have never seen. My parents, aunts and uncles, and second cousins – all 65+ – from coast to coast are sharing photos, joining groups, connecting and communicating, and having great fun doing it.
And it’s not just my family. More and more people 50+ are joining Facebook every day. In fact, people are now spending more time on social networking sites than email.
What does this mean for those of us in the field of senior living? The possibilities are endless, but the gist is we have exciting new opportunities to reach seniors and their adult children. By embracing and adapting to changing technology and media usage, we can be leaders in this exciting new age of digital marketing.
I was reading a marketing blog recently and came across this statement – it’s easier to get someone to eat a Big Mac than it is to convince them it is a smart food choice. The point being it is easier to change behavior than attitude. We all exhibit behavior that runs contrary to what we might believe or admit is the “best choice” in a perfect world. But the occasional Big Mac, or pull at the slot machine, or even the upgrade to the red convertible are all part of what makes life, well … life. It’s why marketers spend millions of dollars on advertising, because as consumers we are all susceptible to making choices because it just sounded like a good idea at the time. So if it is easier to change behavior than attitude, shouldn’t that be our focus in a time of strained marketing budgets where every dollar counts?
All this got me thinking about how to apply this to senior living marketing. What’s the attitude and what’s the behavior? We certainly know the attitude – “I’ll never live in one of those places,” “That’s for old people.” “I’m not ready.” But what’s the behavior? For senior living marketers, I’d suggest it isn’t necessarily a move to the community as it is the action of exploring it in the first place. Our ads, invitations and web sites aren’t going to change their minds, but they can get them to ask for more information, come to a seminar, call for pricing or attend an event. We can attack the behavior of putting it off by giving them reasons to do something now. This is why event hosting, and, yes, free lunches, are such strong tools in senior living marketing.
How can you amp that up in these tough times? Can you find an interesting speaker, can you hold your event at a trendy restaurant, can you provide access to valuable information or can you help them help a charity? Ask yourself, what will it take for someone to say, “Okay, I’ll try that,” even if they are still thinking, “But I’ll never move there.”
And think about the lesson of the Big Mac. Just because I say they’re not good for you doesn’t mean I haven’t eaten my fair share and enjoyed every one!
