Our clients often ask us if their Facebook site is worthwhile as they don’t see a rapid increase in followers.
To justify Facebook, you may want to consider research by the Pew Research Center on social networks and how the use of technology is related to social engagement.
It’s interesting to learn that their research showed social media sites make us a more engaged in society.
They found that:
- Social networking sites are increasing in the use of people keeping up with close social ties;
- The average user of a social networking site has more close ties;
- Facebook users are more trusting than others;
- Facebook users have more close relationships;
- Facebook users are more politically engaged than others;
- Facebook revives dormant relationships.
It’s also interesting to note that 72% of online Americans use Facebook and these users are 77% women. 64% of women Facebook users are between 50-64 years of age while 48% are 65 and older.
What does this mean? Using Facebook to promote your assisted living, memory care and continuing care community is certainly an important component to a strategic marketing plan.
Here are a few useful tips:
- Content should interesting, educational, newsworthy and topical and appeal to adult daughters and grandchildren. The use of captivating event pictures that tell a story is worthwhile.
- Your Facebook page can give your community its personality. Short video clips are useful. Keep in mind that these clips don’t have to be produced by a professional videographer, they can be informal.
- People love to laugh and inspirational quotes from leaders and comics are great too.
- When writing a Facebook post, ask yourself if your audience would find the information helpful. Are you bringing something to someone’s attention that they find interesting?
- While assisted living and memory care communities typically won’t offer the discounts and promotions other businesses use, Facebook can be used to keep people posted on upcoming events they can attend.
- Asking your followers for their opinions encourages responses (i.e. Our Book Club is reading “Go Set a Watchman” by Harper Lee. Do you have any recommendations for our avid group of readers?)
- Keep using event pictures and pictures that show your community. Perhaps it’s a visual of food, a celebration, a special flower arrangement, craft project, etc. Photos are more popular than text-only posts.
- Be sure to write posts promoting local businesses and attractions and whenever possible, tag the company’s page in your post. This can help fan numbers grow. If your residents have an outing to a local mall, tourist attraction, cultural event, etc. using the name and a hashtag is useful.
- If your community is doing something that benefits a local charity such as hosting a fundraiser, sharing this content shows you are serving yours and their community.
- Did your community get featured in the local paper? Why not share it on Facebook? And, be sure to tag the newspaper acknowledging the great coverage.
For a review of your community’s Facebook content, please call 954-726-9228. We also offer marketing assessments which include social media. Call us today to learn more.