Question

Topic: Advertising/PR

Getting The Public In My Facility

Posted by Anonymous on 4/12/2008 at 4:55 PM ET 50 Points
I am the Marketing Director for a large nursing home facility in IL. I am looking for some creative ideas for getting the public in my facility. I have tried open houses, with poor turn out. Any creative suggestions
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RESPONSES

  • Posted by CarolBlaha on 4/12/2008 at 6:49 PM Accepted
    Well if you are only doing open houses-- what is their reason to visit. An open house for the sake of open house doesn't give a compelling reason to come to the facility. Combine it with a reason-- a bingo, an educational seminar or other reason to set you apart.

    Sell Well and Prosper
  • Posted by Jay Hamilton-Roth on 4/13/2008 at 9:29 AM Member
    Are you looking for traffic to make the space interesting for the residents or are you looking for traffic to make people aware of your facility itself?

    The general public won't be interested in seeing the public - only people who have relatives that may be needing the facility soon would be. Sponsor a senior fare (where you bring vendors and therapists, etc.) under one roof for a few hours and get the word out about that. That'll attract your demographic.

    If you simply want traffic - movie nights, offer some of your rooms as a public meeting room, etc.
  • Posted on 4/13/2008 at 9:45 AM Accepted
    I guess it comes down to your overall strategic marketing objectives and budget, which dictate how you can identify and align tactics to them.

    For example, if a goal is to build awareness of your facility while fostering a perception that you are part of the community and a "good neighbor," you could offer some of your conference rooms as available for local club or association meetings. Also consider good weather "events," like a fair, ice cream social or craft marketplace, that would encourage people to visit the facility and also allow able residents to interact with visitors. Such events can occur on a seasonal basis.

    You also could sponsor lectures for the general public on topics related to aging and finances. Particularly with the large number of retiring Baby Boomers, subjects like the pros and cons of long-term care insurance, navigating Social Security and Medicare and financial/estate planning are hot these days. I would make sure to structure it as objectively as possible, perhaps inviting experts for a panel discussion and a diversity of views.

    If you have a web presence, you could also leverage that for targeted promotions. For example, you could run email/direct mail campaigns from your site to targeted lists of those who've inquired in the past or those in an age group who may have aging parents. You also could communicate via email newsletters with the children/families of your residents. While this doesn't necessarily "bring people in," it fosters a connection of sorts to a wide range of people for word of mouth and future business.

    If you don't have a website, I know of a firm that builds cost-effective marketing sites specifically for the assisted living and nursing home marketplace. You can check it out at www.getlifesites.com.


    Good luck
  • Posted on 4/15/2008 at 8:16 PM Author
    To give everyone a bit more detail. I am a 144 bed skilled facility (central IL) with specialized units for short-term rehab and alzheimer's care. We have had various community events such as charity dinners, easter egg hunts, and openhouses, but the main attendants are our current residents and their families. We did have a successful health fair this spring, and I am planning to do this again in the fall.

    I like the fireworks idea you talked about. Did the facility actually provide the fireworks or did they just open their grounds for public and families to view from there.

    I am toying with the idea of an car show in June. Any thoughts on this?

    Thanks for the good ideas....
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