Social media is being increasingly embraced by organisations operating in the aged care sector, from major private providers, not-for-profits, to new online start-ups linking consumers directly with support professionals. It goes without saying that with such an enormous disparity of budgets available, the reach and impact of social differs for effective digital marketing in aged care.
However, the beauty of digital marketing and social media is that even with a small (or very small!) budget, organisations can reach the right audiences and at the right time, with content that matters to them, and incites them to act.
Start with managing your online community.
Not including resourcing, community management in fact can be free. It’s the process of setting up your organisation’s Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Pinterst account – the list can go on – growing your audience, and sharing content that appeals to them.
Engage your audience on their platform.
You don’t need to utilise every social media platform to get results. Choose a platform that offers the best potential for reaching your ideal audience. According to the 2016 Sensis Social Media Report, 91% of social media users between the ages of 50-64 have a profile on Facebook. Instagram is reported to be mostly used by an even spread of males and females aged 18-29 and LinkedIn’s usage remains higher among males, working full-time, earning a high income and aged 30-64 years old.
Less is more; if you don’t have the resources or bandwidth to be really good on every platform, be awesome on one or two of them.
Grow your social media follower base.
This can be a paid or free exercise, depending on your organisation’s budget. It is however a step that cannot be ignored, it is critical to an organisation’s social media success that your online community sees and engages with your compelling content. It is highly suggested that you also share content to improve engagement.
Let your online presence reign supreme.
This involves the process of sourcing and scheduling content that appeals to your audiences, reviewing social media insights to see what’s resonating, and consistently refining to ensure success. It also involves:
- Responding to comments, questions, and messages (and moderating, if needed).
- Liking aligned organisations on behalf of the page you manage – local groups, clubs, industry bodies etc.
- Managing social media advertising; boosting posts, reviewing and refining adverts.
- Managing risk; social media can go wrong, and effective community management requires preparation in the face of backlash.
- Keep up with changes to Facebook algorithms
Launch a digital campaign.
With on-going sector reform, it is critical to ensure that an organisation has a clear value proposition in the market that will stand out from the competition: to build brand recognition, raise awareness of new service offerings, acquire customers and build databases that feed sales funnels.
For smaller organisations, the concept of a digital marketing campaign may seem out of reach. However, smart efficient and successful campaigns can be run on nearly every budget. You don’t need a large budget if you are targeted in your tactics.
Embrace digital as a competitive advantage. Talk to us about successful digital marketing in aged care.
