Subscribe by Email

One of the reasons I love the digital world is because it changes every day! At GlynnDevins, we talk a lot about technology and what the future holds. What will have the biggest impact in terms of digital next year? We have quite a list, but I’ve narrowed it down to 10 key insights to be thinking about in 2012.

1. Tablet growth is explosive and brings much opportunity for seniors and for senior living sales teams.
The larger size of tablets makes them appealing to both seniors and sales consultants . There’s nothing like having siteplans, floorplans, videos and other data at your fingertips while you walk around the community on a sales tour. See what older adults are saying about tablets.

2. Mobile changes everything.
Statistics show that smartphone sales will surpass computer sales in 2012, and in only a few years mobile will be the primary form of Internet consumption. I talked about this earlier in the year, but if you haven’t already, test your website on a mobile phone, because adult children will be looking at your community via their smartphones. You want to make sure they can find and read the information they’re looking for. Learn more about mobile.

3. Content will be versatile.
No longer will you create content for only one use. Content like a video can be used in an e-mail, a website, a mobile site, in an iPad app, in a sales consultation, as a call to action in a direct mail piece or print ad, on tv and on a social media platform.

4. We can create experiences we would have never been able to create before.
The tools we’re using are changing the experiences we can create. Communities can now show someone exactly what the interior of his or her new home will look like, down to the sunlight that will shine through the windows at any time of day.

5. Managing and curating your brand on the Internet will be increasingly important.
As search, social and online media converge, there are many opportunities to tend to your brand on the web — make sure you’re paying attention to what you’re promoting online and what others are saying about you on the web. You have to be active in the conversation.

6. Your website doesn’t just sit on a desk anymore.
Digital designs will shift due to the increase in platforms (tablets, smartphones, touchscreen computers/kiosks, etc.) available to view content. Thumb-based designs are prominent, and design teams will need to consider all consumption venues when thinking through digital usability and design.

7. Your smartphone will become your wallet.
Love this one! Ask any of my friends…my wallet has been referred to as the George Costanza wallet for years. Here’s a flashback to the “Costanza” wallet.

8. Location-based marketing will provide opportunities to provide highly targeted, personal offers that users will opt in to receive.
Are there any communities out there using Foursquare or Facebook check-ins? Are you extending any special offers? If so, I’d love to hear your stories.

9. Search continues to evolve.
The rapid evolution of voice search, such as Siri on the new iPhone 4S, is making it easier for people to search the web on their mobile devices. Fewer people are calling information to find a number. Mobile search results are driven by local listings and online directories. Search engine marketing has moved far beyond just on-site optimization and paid search.

10. Data rules in the digital world.
As always, data provides you with the insight to know if a program is working, to invest or not invest in a digital initiative, and to understand key influencers/publishers to better interact with them via the web.

We can’t predict the future, but we’re looking forward to even more unexpected technologies to surface in 2012. And I bet by 2013, we’ll wonder how we ever lived without them.

Print-Friendly Version

It’s my favorite time of year, when inboxes are filling with season’s greetings and creativity seems to get a reboot. If you’re lucky enough to get paid for coming up with holiday sentiments, like I am, then you know it’s always fun to come up with a good idea — but rarely is it easy.

Tip #1 for Holiday Magic: Collaborate with the right people.

When tasked with creating this year’s annual holiday e-card, I worked with two of my favorite idea partners here at GlynnDevins: Digital Art Director Chris Wilson and Video Content Specialist Jill Sundgren. That was the first step to success, because we shared a common view of the task at hand.

Tip #2 for Holiday Magic: See if you can get away with it.

The actual goal was to deliver a holiday greeting that demonstrates how much fun we have serving our clients every day. But Chris, Jill and I saw another opportunity, too: the chance to relive a childhood dream and star in a music video.

Tip #3 for Holiday Magic: Have fun.

A healthy dose of childlike enthusiasm is always good to bring to the table when your job is to “be creative,” but when you’re working on a holiday card that requires staff members to revisit the ’80s, and dance like no one’s watching, then it’s crucial.

Happy holidays, everyone! Here’s to a season full of creativity, with a little holiday magic from GlynnDevins.

Print-Friendly Version

We’re arming you with 10 powerful, surprising, startling and interesting statistics in the field of senior living. We hope you can use them to inform those around you and make the case for why community living may be the best option.

1. Many ignore the reality of long-term care.
You may have heard the statistic that nearly 7 out of 10 Americans over age 65 will need long-term care, but did you know in a study by Genworth Financial, more than half of all respondents (55%) reported that their greatest fear regarding a long-term care illness or event was being a burden on their family. In fact, they reported being five times more concerned about being a burden than dying.

However, more than 90% surveyed have not talked about critical long-term care issues with their spouse/partner, aging parents or adult children. Perhaps this is why AARP recently launched its Decide.Create.Share.^sm  program to provide planning education and tools.

2. BINGO and sewing are not favorite activities among seniors.
At Exploritas, formerly known as Elderhostel, the proportion of travel adventurers over age 85 has increased more than 70 percent since 2004. In another study, seniors reported their common activities were reading (71%) and pursuing religious activities (53%). Other popular activities included bicycling, gardening, talking on the telephone and watching television. Even tennis, swimming, golf and exercise classes were more frequent forms of recreation than bingo or sewing.

3. Socialization is still a key to healthy aging.
Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) researchers found evidence that elderly people in the U.S. who have an active social life may have a slower rate of memory decline. In fact, memory decline among the most sociable was less than half the rate among the least sociable.  Senior author         Lisa Berkman, chair of the Department of Society, Human Development and Health, went on to say, “We know from previous studies that people with many social ties have lower mortality rates. We now have mounting evidence that strong social networks can help to prevent declines in memory. As our society ages and has more and more older people, it will be important to promote their engagement in social and community life to maintain their well-being.”

4. Many families are affected financially and emotionally by long-term care.
The cost of long-term care extends beyond the senior. In one study, 83% of primary caregivers contributed financially during a long-term care situation – an average $8,800 for out-of-pocket care expenses. In the same study, 44% of primary caregivers experienced increased stress with their spouse during a long-term care situation.

5. Occupancy trends are looking up.
According to the National Investment Center for the Seniors Housing and Care Industry, the average occupancy rate for senior housing properties was 88.1% during the third quarter of 2011, up 0.2% from the previous quarter, showing occupancy rates continuing to recover. In fact, the senior housing average occupancy rate has risen in six consecutive quarters.

6. Staying active is important.
A study at Hebrew University Medical Center and Hebrew University Hadassah Medical School  reported that seniors who do any amount of exercise appear to live longer and have a lower risk of disability. In addition, the benefits associated with physical activity were seen not only in individuals who maintained an existing level of physical activity, but also in those who began exercising between ages 70 and 85.

7. “I wish I’d done this sooner” is still a popular phrase.
According to the 2009 Independent Living Report by the ProMatura Group, LLC, research shows that when you become part of an independent living retirement community, you’re more likely to make new friends and try new things — most report a better experience than they expected.

8. If you’re over 70, owning your house may not make as much sense as it once did.
As a long-time homeowner, maintenance costs are sure to be a future necessity. We’ve researched several websites and found the following cost estimates for maintaining your home, which may vary depending on what area you live in. According to CostHelper.com, it costs approximately $10,000 to replace your furnace and central air conditioner system. Lawn care for 10 years is approximately $25,000, according to The-Lawn-Advisor.com. Depending on size, shape and quality, CostVsValue.com says replacement windows for an average home is $11,000, and the average roof replacement using composite shingles costs roughly $20,000.

9. Not everyone dreams of retiring.  
In fact, some people are rejecting retirement all together and continuing to work into their 90s.  According to the U.S. Department of Labor statistics, there are 1.2 million people 75 and older who work full- or part-time. By 2019, more than 40 percent of Americans 55-plus will be working, making up over 25% of the U.S. labor force.

10. How does your community compare?
Washington, D.C. tops the national average cost for assisted living at over $5,700 per month. To see where your community stacks up in assisted living, nursing, adult day service or home care, check out this great resource by MetLife.

Print-Friendly Version

I’ve been managing direct mail marketing campaigns for more than 20 years, and I’ve seen many new strategies throughout the years. Here are 10 key tips to keep in mind when planning your next campaign. Look for future blogs from us, in which we’ll discuss these direct mail fundamentals and other strategic ideas.

1.  Mail to the right people.
Having a strategy in place before building your mailing list is the most important key to any direct mail marketing campaign. Think about those who have the most potential to become residents of your community, and base your process of building targeted lists on geographic trends, competitive locations, perceived or real barriers to where people will move in your local area, financial means necessary to live at your community, and a likely age when people will first consider a move to your community.

2.  Be sure you have a clean list for best results.
Mailing to the right people means not only selecting those most appropriate for what you’re offering, but also not mailing to those who have requested to be removed from your list. Consider what processes you currently have in place to keep your lists clean and free of duplicates and people who have requested no further contact. Regularly keeping your list up to date means that your information will actually be reaching your audience.

3.  Create enticing copy for each audience.
Make sure your message is compelling, engaging and appropriate for your audience. For example, events are a great way to draw people in for the first time, while a letter about special offers or discounts might be better suited for those already familiar with your community.

4.  Don’t bury your message.
It’s important to capture your readers’ attention quickly, or else it may soon wind up in the trash bin. Consider ways to highlight the call to action and make it easier to find and read. Graphically pleasing and clean pieces help draw attention to your message.

5.  Pique interest with teaser copy.
Consider ways to make people want to open each envelope or mailer. Remember, if they don’t open the piece, they won’t see the message that’s inside. Adding teasers to the envelope is a good way to pique interest from the start.

6.  Make it personal by using variable data.
People are drawn to their name being used in the copy of a mailer they receive. In fact, research has shown that this tactic generates response rates 3 to 10 times higher than traditional mass mailings.

7.  Create a sense of urgency.
Don’t forget to give someone a reason to respond to you with a specific and timely call to action. For example, you could ask them to RSVP for an upcoming event or call by a deadline to receive a special offer. It’s important to capture their attention immediately and encourage them to act today, instead of waiting for tomorrow. 

8.  Understand the importance of color and font size.
The use of color and font size are two critical things to consider when putting together direct mail pieces, especially for older adults. Having the right mix helps ensure that more people will see and read your mail piece. Check out Through a Senior’s Eyes, Literally for more details about designing for older eyes. 

9.  Create ways for your mail piece to live on in other media.
A unique web URL or QR code that connects to another medium not only supports the interactive experience, but it drives people to a page on your website (event listings, testimonial video, photo gallery or simply the home page) to learn more about your community. This can easily and cost effectively be done with a unique URL (ILoveDirectMail.com, for example) in keeping with the theme of the piece – plus an added bonus of being able to track traffic driven by the piece. 

10.  Track response. Measure success.
We recommend tracking metrics based on “buying unit” or household response totals, rather than, for example, the total number of people who come to an event you mailed an invitation for. Your response percentage numbers will be more accurate using this approach – not skewed by guests or how many attendees brought a spouse or guest with them. Over time, this data will prove valuable in making decisions about how to best spend future marketing dollars.

Print-Friendly Version

In the field of senior living, there continues to be a growing interest in hopping on the social media bandwagon. Here are 10 things to keep in mind when using any of the social media tools available for your community or organization:

1.  Make sure you have a strategy.
It’s one thing to set up a Facebook business page, but it’s another to have a plan in place on how you’re going to use it. Posting items that are all about “you” will create a distance between you and those who “like” your page. Remember, it’s supposed to be about conversation and engagement.

2.  Learn who your “likers” are.
The best way to engage with those who are following your organization or community is to get to know who they are. The administrator of the page can do a bit of research and look at the profiles of those followers. Are they interested in the arts? Are they fans of the local college team? Knowing more about them helps you post items they’re interested in and ultimately builds relationships.

3.  Ask your followers for their thoughts and ideas on various topics.
If you only broadcast information through your posts, you’re not encouraging conversation. Questions in most cases help elicit comments. They’re more likely to stick with you if you value what they have to say, too.

4.  Share insights relevant to your followers’ lives.
Think of all the experts that you have within your organization or community. Use their experience and knowledge to share with your followers. Perhaps a recipe from the chef or fitness tips from the wellness director. There should be plenty of information that’s topical, timely and worthwhile to your followers. Sometimes comments don’t even have to be about your community! 

5.  Post events the public can attend.
Use social media to let others know about events being held at your community. It could be anything from the Veterans’ Day celebration to a prospecting event for new residents. Calendar listings can be very popular.

6.  Think visual.
While reading a post is quick and easy, photos and videos draw much more attention. There’s no better way to see and hear what’s going on at your community than through the use of images and video. Plus, if you can get a follower to “share” those photos and videos, it helps generate overall exposure to your content. 

7.  Integrate social media with your other marketing plans.
If you want to have people find you on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, etc., you have to let them know you’re there. That means using the icons on direct mail pieces, in your ads, and links on your website. 

8.  Use LinkedIn for professional networking.
This site is the perfect place to share thoughts and ideas with others in your field. LinkedIn has a number of different groups where those in senior living can become engaged in conversations with others. Some groups are private; others are open to the general public. This is a great place to learn! 

9.  Measure for results.
You won’t know how successful you are unless you measure for success. Set goals and timelines, and then begin to look at the metrics. Are you getting followers? Are the followers engaged? Are people going from Facebook to your website? Are comments received positive? Negative? These are all things you should be looking for and measuring.

10.  Have fun with social media.
Using social media isn’t a scary thing. It’s about having conversations and building relationships. The field of senior living is about people. If you enjoy interaction and conversation, social media can be a big step toward creating more awareness for your community.

Print-Friendly Version