Don’t let false assumptions and fear of the unknown keep you from digital advertising.
By Susan Saldibar
Years ago when PayPerClick (PPC) was in its infancy, a colleague of mine got himself into a PPC ad campaign nightmare. Turns out he didn’t calibrate his maximum daily spend correctly and, boy what a surprise on Monday when he checked in and saw that he had blown through $3k of the company’s budget. All over one weekend! But that was a while back and now, companies either have their own in-house experts or they have partners, like G5, a Senior Housing Forum partner.
I spoke with G5’s Celena Canode recently. Celena is G5’s Marketing Campaign Manager, so she’s executed her share of highly successful digital ad campaigns. G5 really does a deep dive into their PPC and other digital data and pours that knowledge into the campaigns they create and manage for clients. Having done a bit of digital advertising over the years myself, I can appreciate their level of expertise and their willingness to share that knowledge with senior living community operators and marketers.
Think digital advertising is too expensive and too complicated? Then you need a partner.
So I asked Celena what she would say to those operators who continue to shy away from exploring digital marketing. The ones who say, “It’s too complicated and we are afraid we’ll waste money.” First of all, she recommends communities shouldn’t try to do everything themselves. “Whether it’s G5 or someone else, find a partner,” she says. Here’s why:
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They know how to start small and still see results. You don’t have to throw everything you have into your digital marketing campaigns. Through careful targeting and a deep knowledge of how digital advertising works, a good partner should be able to let you start small and still get results. And, while they can’t speak for others, G5 doesn’t require communities to re-do their websites from scratch just to accommodate their digital marketing programs.
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They have industry and marketing data to help educate you about your target demographics and behavior. “We’re able to focus on a senior care client’s audience in a useful way so that they’re targeting Boomers and Gen-Xers, not spending money putting ads in front of 13 year-olds,” Celena says. They believe in educating their clients, not only about digital marketing but also how to best target their ideal prospect.
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They can track ROI every day. Your partner should have tools so that EDs and marketing managers can see, at a glance, what their ROI is at any given time.
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They will calibrate your spend to keep you within budget. In short, no PPC nightmares.
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They are accountable. No more finger pointing at the poor guy who missed the section on “budget maximum”. Celena suggests you take time to find a partner with a solid reputation for getting results. They should be able to lay out a project plan and show exactly where your money is going. While no one can offer a 100% guarantee, a good partner will be continuously adjusting ads and doing A/B testing to provide every opportunity for a strong return.
Don’t let false assumptions and fear of the unknown keep you from digital advertising.
The important thing, Celena tells senior living communities, is not to avoid digital ad campaigns for fear of either spending too much money or not doing them right. Digital advertising is one of the most successful ways of converting prospects to solid leads we have a available today. Find a qualified partner who knows the ropes and can make sure you are getting the most for your spend.
“People need to realize that there are ways to explore the digital advertising world that aren’t excruciatingly expensive,” Celena says. “It’s your best opportunity to make sure your message gets squarely in front of your ideal target audience. Don’t pass it up.”
In our next article, we’ll look at some of the eye-opening statistics G5 has compiled to help you make better use of your web presence. In the meantime, for more information about G5, you can visit their website.
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