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80 year-old's are not your ideal target!
If you are in the elder care industry your target market is between 50 to 65. It could be a little younger or a little older depending on your particular service. There is a good chance they are or have been a family caregiver.
And Service Is the Key.
Most of you are not selling a widget. You provide a service. It may be Elder Law, home care, assisted living, hospice, medicare or funeral planning or another senior related industry.
You Are Passionate and Want to Help
Chances are you joined this industry because you have a real passion for helping the elderly and disabled. You may even have a personal story, a reason why you are so passionate.
So How Do You Reach Your Desired Audience?
It's not so easy is it? You go to senior fairs and trade shows. But the problem is most of the people attending are the ones you will serve but not the ones who will buy your service. While you enjoy talking to these seniors and giving them information, is this really the best use of your time?
Stop and think about how much time it takes to prepare for an event, the time at the event and the overall cost of time and materials. ( You need giveaways for these events :-)
This Is A Unique Industry
You are not selling your service directly to the end user. Instead, you are selling your service to an influencer. Most likely the adult child is who you need to target.
So Where Is This Adult Child?
They are probably still working. They are busy. Some may still have children at home. You may sometimes be able to connect with them through their church or their employer.
You can try offering talks. But the truth is most of them are too busy to attend, even when they know they should. Don't get me wrong. You will get a few new clients by giving talks in the community.
But You Want To Reach More.
This is where social media comes in. Your target audience is hanging out on Facebook and on Linked In. The great news is they are spending about 45 minutes a day on FB alone. This is because they can drop into Facebook from their phone, while they are waiting in line somewhere or just relaxing at home.
This is a Marketer's Dream!
You now have a captive audience who may see your information and your brand over and over. That's what it is all about, isn't it? Furthermore, you can post helpful information, blogs, videos and memes to attract your ideal client. You can educate and reach far more people than at most local community events.
But They are Not On FB To Be Sold To
They are hanging out with their friends. Let's face it. In our face paced world we rarely have time for ourselves much less to meet up with all of our friends. So we check in on Facebook in between getting together. That's how we stay connected. That's how we keep up with what is going on in each other's lives.
The Key Is To Post Relevant, Helpful Information
Is this something my audience would want to know about? Is it helpful, entertaining or inspiring? Or does it feel intrusive and salesy? Put yourself in their shoes.
Do You Have A Facebook Strategy?
Or are you just throwing up a bunch of posts and hoping people will see them? Like any marketing plan you need to have a clear strategy. And it is so much more than just posting good stuff. Here are a few questions that may help you develop a strategy.
1. What kinds of products, services or activities is your target market interested in? Get inside of their head. You are looking for things here that have nothing to do with your service.
2. Join Groups- Is there a group your target may be hanging out in? This is not a place to try and sell your service. Big NO,No! Rather it is a place to connect and to gather information about your target.
3. Sharing Is Caring- It is not all about you. Your FB page should reflect that. There should be a combination of your unique posts and sharing other people's posts.
4. Consider sharing posts from companies you network with. Your referral partners should be the first places you look for quality content to share.
Sure there are some really good articles on Huffpost or Forbes but sharing a post from a referral source will show that you care about their business also and want to help. Helping a fellow business owner in your industry by sharing their information just makes sense. Think- Who can I help today?
5. 30 Day Challenge- Connect with Someone New Every Day
For the next 30 days find a way to connect with someone new each day on Facebook. You can start by looking through your business contacts and either inviting them to become a friend on FB. And if you just want to keep it business that's okay. Connect with their business page and invite them to connect with your business page also. you could also post something and tag them in the post.
(Read my Linked In article on tagging first)
Read more of my articles on Linked In here.
Follow Marketing Your Care on Facebook.
Kathryn Watson is a Social Media Strategist. Her focus is on Content Creation, Facebook and LinkedIn Strategy.
Schedule a complimentary 30 minute consultation with Kathryn to see how she can help your business.