>Writing powerful marketing plans

>Building census with little team support

>Ideas for effective brochures and advertising

>Building a dominant brand

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Writing Powerful Marketing Plans

Even if you paid $85,000 for a marketing plan created by a top marketing firm with precise information, perfect direction, and ingenious strategy – it can still flop miserably.   One of the most important elements of a marketing plan is simply doing the action steps of the plan and recording the results.   Make sure you're able and willing to complete all of the marketing plan action steps.

We have a simple structure for marketing plans.   Its based on four questions; where are we at now? (Situation analysis) Why? (Situation analysis)  Where would we like to be? (Goals)  How do we get there? (Action steps)   Write your marketing plans so a sixth grader with a short attention span can read and understand where your coming from, where you’re going, and exactly what you’re going to do step-by-step to obtain your goals.

Remember to keep it short.   The people that read this plan will want to read it from cover to cover in 10 minutes or less. 

Outline the big picture.   Identify your internal strengths and weaknesses. Note your external opportunities and threats. What is the distant vision for the company? How will the marketing efforts help the company reach their goal?  Break the big goal into small steps. Create a marketing plan for the next three months.  What are your goals for the next three months? Make sure your goals are measurable and time specific.  (For example: Goal #1, Maintain or surpass 45 inquiries per weekly by June 9, 2015.)

Next, identify your action steps for the goal. 
- What things are you going to do to realize your goals? 
- Who needs to be involved and what does each person need to do?  
- What is the timeline?  
- What resources are needed for the action steps? 
Write each task or action step that you are personally responsible for in your day planner, with a deadline for completion.  

For more marketing plan guidance and action step ideas read the e-book,

“Easy & Inexpensive Ideas for Increasing Census”

Click here to order

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Building census with little team support

Many long-term care organizations set unrealistic workload expectations.  Consequently, most long-term care employees assume that high census means more work, problems, and greater risk - with little, if any, benefit to them. 

Long-term care organizations seldom provide sufficient census-building support. There seems to be little time or energy to be marketing focused with all of the pressures exerted by the - crisis of the day, compliance issues, staffing challenges, and budget cuts. Most facility leaders plan to start marketing offensives when they have a more stable environment. And that day rarely ever comes. 

It's difficult for administrator’s to remain focused on census building. They are overwhelmed with hundreds of distractions. Marketing managers need to lead the charge, reminding the staff of the importance of census building. They need to first partner with the administrator. The odds of success significantly increase when both the administrator and marketing manager make census building a top priority.

Winning marketing and sales support from your staff is critical to your success. For more information on obtaining support for census building read the e-book, “Easy & Inexpensive Ideas for Increasing Census”

Click here to purchase e-book.

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Ideas For Effective Brochures & Advertising

Many long-term care marketers tend to rely too much on brochures.   The brochure won’t make the sale.   The brochure won’t become personally involved with the customer or build trust with the customer. The brochure won’t discover the customer’s specific problems, frustrations, and fears.  The brochure won’t personally demonstrate how your facility can give the customer peace of mind for their personal challenges.   Sales work is a separate, powerful part of the admissions process that should not be allocated entirely to your brochures or ads.  When a prospective customer calls, don’t make it your goal to send a brochure.  Rather, get them to visit you personally so you can sell your services.   I suggest putting more emphasis on your sales effectiveness than you do on your brochure.  To learn more about enhancing your sales effectiveness, read the e-book
“Easy & Inexpensive Ideas for Increasing Census"

What you can expect from your brochures and ads is to build awareness, enhance image, promote your specialty, generate interest, inform, and ultimately get a phone call or visit.  Your customers are moved by emotions.   I suggest appealing to your customers’ emotions via your copy and visual elements.   Sell the positive effect you’ll have on prospective customers in your brochures and ads.  Show them how you will help them find peace of mind.  Tell them the story of how you’re going to help them.   Tell them why you’re different that your competitors.  Find multiple ways to promote  your specialty.  Don’t worry about writing too much copy.  People in need are interested in valuable information.  Give it to them.  I recommend hiring a professional photographer who is familiar with long-term care.  Professional photographs can powerfully tell your story.   I also suggest hiring a graphic designer who understands long-term care marketing.  Your ads and brochures need to sell.  They need to spell out what you’ll do for the customer.  The more you know about selling long-term care services, the better your ads and brochures will be.  A great first step is to read the coaching tutorial on "Quick Census Growth". The e-book will give you valuable insight on how to improve your marketing and sales efforts. 

To purchase the census building e-book click here…

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Building a dominant brand

Become known for one thing, and one thing only.  When you read the names of these products or organizations what thought comes to mind:

• Heinz Ketchup - thick
• Rolex watches - wealthy
• Starbucks coffee - premium
• Energizer batteries – “keeps on going"
• Mayo Clinic – leading healthcare experts
  

Each of these companies has become famous for one thing that is of value to their customers.  Also, did you notice that each of these companies has top-of-mind awareness recall? Meaning, they are usually the first company or product that comes to mind when you think of their industry or product category.  For example, if I asked you, “name the first ketchup that comes to mind?” what would you say?  Most would say Heinz.  Each of these products or organizations has created their business around one simple, powerful concept. 

Create a unique specialty for your facility that will be of value to your customers, and make it difficult for your competitors to copy it.  After you’ve identified what one thing your facility will be known for, then you need to build it internally and be committed to the specialty for the long run.   You’d never hear the Rolex Watch Company say;  “this year we’re the cheap watch for everyone”.  That would destroy their specialty image and credibility.

When your facility is actually different than all of your competitors, when your niche is a real value to your customers, and when it’s truly unique, then you can tell the world your story.  This is where a media budget comes in handy.  You can talk to the vast majority of your target market in just a few days if you have money allocated for advertising.  If you don’t, it will take longer to make your prospective customers aware of your distinctiveness, but you can still do it. 

Businesses with specialties are typically more effective and profitable.   I suggest developing and promoting a specialty to help make your admissions work easier.  Specializing works.  Being known for one thing is a powerful marketing concept because it’s easier for prospective customers to associate your business with just one thing.  Most businesses try to be too many things to too many different people.  Standing out amongst your competitors as a specialist will win sales and market share.  Learn more about building your census with the e-book,

"Easy & Inexpensive Ideas for Increasing Census"

To purchase the e-book click here…

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