Apr 16, 2024
The Power of Responding to Senior Living Reviews — 5 Tips for Engaging WellIs your community's online reviews profile helping or hurting your ability to attract and convert new customers? How well are you responding to online reviews?
Consider this scenario (while illustrative, still common in real-life too):
"Best Assisted Living has been such a blessing. Dad hasn't been this active and happy in years", said Mary. This glowing word-of-mouth recommendation came at a crucial time for Susan, who was in the process of looking for the perfect community for her mother.
Later that evening, Susan went to her laptop to explore The community further. She imagined her mom participating in community activities, making new friends, and enjoying her days in a caring environment. However, as Susan began to sift through the online reviews, her optimism waned. Amid a healthy amount of positive feedback, she couldn't help but notice several less-than-stellar reviews. Critiques on meal quality, staff responsiveness, and community maintenance peeked through.
But what truly gave Susan pause was not the existence of these criticisms; it was the silence that followed them. No replies, no reassurances, no signs of proactive engagement from The community's team. This lack of response stood in stark contrast to the vibrant, caring community Mary had described. Could it be that the issues raised were not taken seriously?
Susan's heart sank. The decision to move her mother into a senior living community was not just about finding a place with a good reputation; it was about finding a place that felt like home—a place that cared enough to listen and respond to its residents' needs and concerns. The unanswered reviews cast a shadow of doubt over the community, making Susan question if her mother would truly be heard and valued there.
As she continued her search, Susan came across another community. Despite a few mixed reviews, each one had been met with thoughtful replies from the community team, acknowledging the feedback and outlining steps for improvement. This open dialogue, this commitment to transparency and care, resonated with Susan. It wasn't about being perfect; it was about being present, being attentive, and striving to be better.
The contrast was stark. While Mary's personal recommendation of the community held weight, the silence in the face of criticism online spoke volumes. In the end, Susan realized the importance of a community that not only celebrated its successes but also openly addressed its challenges. A community's willingness to engage, to listen, and to evolve became the guiding light in her decision, leading her toward a place where she felt confident her mother would be not just cared for but truly heard.
This story, while a blend of imagination and reality, underscores a vital truth for families navigating the complex world of senior living: the power of responsiveness.
In today’s digital-first world where online reputations can significantly influence decisions, the value of acknowledging and responding to your reviews cannot be overstated. It's a reminder that, beyond amenities and accolades, the heart of your community is reflected in how you respond to your residents' voices, ensuring that every concern is a step toward creating a more personalized and attentive experience.
Let’s take a quick look at 5 tips to help you engage more deeply with current and prospective families, learn from their feedback, and showcase your community's commitment to excellence and care.
Being informed about new reviews is crucial for managing your community's reputation effectively. This proactive approach enables you to address feedback—whether it's praise or criticism—promptly, ensuring your community's image remains positive. In the digital age, reviews can appear anywhere, from Google and Facebook to industry specific sites like Caring.com. Manually tracking all these platforms is not only challenging but time-consuming.
Enter reputation management platforms like SAVANT. We streamline the process by aggregating reviews from numerous sites into a single dashboard, equipped with timely notifications. This not only simplifies monitoring but also empowers you to respond quickly and thoughtfully, turning potential issues into opportunities for improvement and positive engagement.
What if a prospective family visits a review site like Caring.com today and sees a few negative reviews about your community that don’t have responses? This isn’t a good look and could potentially push them to a competing community. Showing potential residents and families that you're actively engaged by acknowledging and responding to your reviews shows you cae about your residents and respond to issues in a timely manner.
With Caring.com, responding to your reviews is equally as important - especially any negative reviews. The Caring Stars program disqualifies communities from receiving the prestigious award if the community’s Caring.com profile has any negative 1-star and two-star reviews lacking published responses - encouraging the importance of timely, thoughtful replies.
Pro Tip: Designate a team member who is trained on how to respond to reviews. If nobody is assigned to this important task, then nobody is accountable for it.
Acknowledging a review publicly is just the first step. For non-anonymous feedback where specific issues are raised, moving the conversation offline shows a genuine commitment to resolution. Remember, the moment a review is posted, the clock starts ticking - a whopping 93% of consumers expect a business to respond to their reviews!
Prompt outreach not only demonstrates your community's dedication to service but also conveys a deep respect for the resident's experience.
Thank them for their review, empathize with any issues expressed, and provide resolutions. Not only does this make them feel heard and valued, it also creates loyalty, can increase length of stay, and drive referrals - hello wait list!.
Pro Tip: Caring.com doesn’t publicly date your response (nor alert the reviewer), so it’s never too late to respond to the older reviews on your Caring.com listing to be considered for their Caring Stars award.
Every review, whether glowing with praise or pinpointing areas for improvement, can be a treasure trove of insights. Embrace these perspectives as invaluable opportunities for growth. Whether the feedback applies broadly across your community, pertains to a few residents, or addresses the experiences of just a single resident, each review can hold a key to elevating the resident experience.
Actively involving your team in the review process is crucial. Share both accolades and criticisms, fostering an environment where feedback fuels progress. This open approach not only cultivates a sense of pride and accomplishment in what you're doing right but also instills a collective responsibility to address and learn from any shortcomings.
Sharing your community's reviews is a powerful strategy to build trust and attract prospective residents. Highlighting positive feedback on your website and social media reassures families that they are making the right choice. This can significantly increase the likelihood of in-person tours, directly contributing to higher occupancy rates.
With SAVANT’s website widget - built exclusively for senior living communities, sharing your Caring.com and other online reviews can be as easy as installing a simple line of code on your website. This widget not only streamlines the process of showcasing reviews but also ensures that your community’s achievements and the quality of care are front and center for all site visitors.
We hope you find these tips to be helpful and you're inspired to elevate your online reputation!
To learn more about review alerts, response tools, and showcasing your Caring.com reviews on your website and social media pages, please visit SAVANT or email me.
Editor’s note: Caring.com also recently hosted a review response webinar with SAVANT tips and more.
Mar 14, 2024
FAQ Module on Caring.com Listings Supports Senior Care Search — Use Partner Portal to Answer Prospects’ Common Senior Living QuestionsWhen families search for senior living in your area and are narrowing their options, they have a variety of questions about your community that may or may not be currently answered on your Caring.com listing.
Determining which questions to include on your listing can seem overwhelming if you aren’t sure what the families are searching for. However, including an FAQ on your Caring listing can make a big difference to care seekers who are on the fence about which community they should tour.
There is no standard set of FAQs a community should include on their listing. When considering questions to add, think about questions families may have asked on tours during the last year. Expanding on topics like ways to pay for care, what is located around your facility, safety measures and staff-to-resident ratios are good places to start.
Based on our data and interactions with care seekers, we do have a few best practices when it comes to FAQs on your listing.
Include between 2 to 4 questions – you don’t want to overwhelm with too much information upfront.
Add some personalization to your answers to help set yourself apart from other listing FAQs
Highlight what makes your community stand out among the competition. What is unique about your community?
Our new Partner Portal makes it easy to add or update FAQs for your community. To adjust the FAQs within the Portal:
Click on the community in which you want to answer any questions about in Portal.
Go into Listing Types and select the listing type you wish to answer, such as assisted living.
Scroll down until you reach the FAQ section, where you’ll see the questions and answers.
Once you’ve made the changes you want, scroll down to click save.
Within Portal, you can add, remove and update FAQs for your listing. An important thing to note: As consumers are coming to your listing on Caring,com, you'llwant to paint as much of a picture or provide as much information as possible. This will help answer some of their big questions and help them determine if your community is a good fit.
Any time you complete an update, the Caring team will also review and approve your changes. Please allow 48 to 72 hours for any new FAQ requests to be shown online. We have a video walking you through how to update FAQs in the new Partner Portal, which you can find here.
Mar 01, 2024
Get to Know the New Partner PortalWe are excited to share with you our new Partner Portal. We have spent time researching the best ways we can support seniors and our partners and are making shifts to serve our partners better. This new Portal is designed to give you access to more capabilities and the ability to make more changes. You will see some new changes but don’t worry, you will have access to your favorite Portal features, like reviews.
We have compiled videos walking you through how to use some of the new features, and where you can find some of the features you already use. We have also included answers to some questions you may have.
What features need to be moderated?
Currently, promotions, photos, descriptions, unique features, and frequently asked questions are moderated. These changes will take some time to appear on your profile after submitting the request via the Portal.
How to update users?
Please email partnersuccess@caring.com to add, update, or remove user access.
If you have any additional questions or need help accessing the new Portal, email partnersuccess@caring.com. If you have any review-related questions, please email reviews@caring.com.
Jan 16, 2024
10 Best Practices for Nurturing Online LeadsMore and more care seekers are discovering care options in their area through online research. To optimize these online leads, here are some of the best practices you can follow:
Schedule an immediate auto-response email confirming lead receipt with a brief "Thank you" and assurance of future contact
Recognize the diverse reasons for choosing online forms over direct calls. Be considerate of preferred communication modes and honor requests for email-only responses. Reasons for such a request can range from a busy work schedule to the need for written communication for the hard of hearing, and your respect for their needs will go a long way.
Respond promptly to each lead within the same day, addressing queries comprehensively. Delayed responses can significantly reduce connection rates, so try to get in touch while their search is on their mind.
Craft detailed follow-up emails referencing information from care request notes or phone conversations. Customize responses to common topics such as rates, availability, and care options to highlight your attention to detail and care for them as an individual.
Communicate the next steps in the decision-making process, guiding the customer towards actions like scheduling a tour or attending an event.
Identify families closer to decision-making. Factors like memory problems, medication management, caregiving hours, or recent incidents can indicate urgency.
Send follow-up emails after one and three weeks, revisiting initial topics and directly asking for further discussion, tours, or addressing additional questions.
Initiate an email nurture campaign every 2 to 4 weeks for leads that haven't progressed. Deliver valuable content, maintain warmth, and showcase your organization's personality.
Depending on your business size, manage campaigns via email clients or consider specialized tools for streamlined communication and lead monitoring.
Boost your business online by partnering with Caring. From an expanded online presence with a gold-star listing to online reputation management, Caring is here to help you maximize your sales potential and convert more leads.
Set up auto-response for all Internet leads.
Allocate time for prompt follow-ups and prioritize leads.
Create templates for common inquiries.
Evaluate the need for an email campaign tool.
Develop content for nurture campaigns.
Ensure a steady stream of Internet leads by registering for automated care requests from Caring.com.
Dec 18, 2023
How To Boost Your CensusAre you looking to expand your senior living community’s reach and fill your empty beds? As the industry continues to become more competitive, it’s important to make sure you are generating and working quality senior living leads.
A great first place to start is to create a marketing strategy that can attract interest from new potential residents. There are several ways to market your senior living community, but these tips are a great place to start.
Improve your online visibility by implementing SEO strategies on your website. SEO allows you to target specific keywords and demographics relevant to your business and improve your search result rankings. Users often see websites that appear at the top of search results as credible and trustworthy. You can put SEO in place by:
Improving your site's structure
Creating relevant content for your audience
Including industry-specific terms and phrases in your content
This not only helps with rankings but also improves the satisfaction of your website visitors. This ensures that your website reaches the right audience. When you invest in SEO, you ensure your online presence remains helpful while keeping up with industry trends and changes.
An important aspect of expanding your online presence is making it easier for seniors and their families to find you online. Do you have a website or social media page? These are a great first step and does not take a lot of time to set up.
Showcase your services, amenities, and other features you would show on a tour. You can use a social media page, like Facebook, to share photos of residents and events you offer. This gives care seekers the ability to see what living in your community looks like before they visit.
One great way to expand your online presence is through an enhanced profile with Caring! All partners can create a profile that highlights what makes their community unique, including photos, descriptions, reviews, and amenities.
In the age of digital search, using quality photos is a must to help your agency stand out. By having at least five custom photos (including staff photos), you can help give seniors a preview of your staff and services. Highlight some of the amenities and rooms (like you would on a tour) to give seniors a better feel for what it would be like to live there.
There are several ways you can create leads. A first step is knowing the kind of leads you want based on the services you offer, and the style and environment. From here, you can use digital marketing, events, lead generation companies and word of mouth from local connections to gather leads over time. Working with a lead generation company, like Caring, can help you fill your empty beds faster with qualified leads sent right to you. We help you reach interested, qualified seniors looking for the kind of care and services your community offers. It's a simple, controlled way to fill your community while crafting your other organic marketing efforts.
Your staff's interaction with potential residents plays a crucial role in turning leads into actual residents. Here are some simple tips to improve communication:
Welcome Questions: Foster an open conversation by encouraging questions. Take the time to respond with empathy and patience.
Listen Actively: Take the time to hear what potential residents are saying about their concerns and preferences. Answer their questions and guide them through what it's like to live in your community.
Customize Information: Personalize the tour to highlight how your community can cater to the specific needs and preferences of potential residents. This way, they can see exactly how your community is the right fit for them.
A great way to stay top-of-mind with your leads is to stay in touch with them via email. Consistent, timed-out emails can nurture senior living leads and help your team maintain regular communication without having to call or text senior living leads individually. What should these emails contain? Share a newsletter with updates and client stories, provide promotions, and check in to stay connected with these leads. That way, when they are ready to take the next step, your community is at the top of their list.
A great way to build trust with a potential resident is to use testimonials from current residents. Showcasing the community and why the residents love living there is a great way to remind them why they should choose your community. Ask your current and past clients to share reviews online, like on your Caring.com profile, to provide firsthand experiences.
A great way to touch base or restart communication with your leads is to utilize seasonality in your communication. You can even use things your community is already planning! Invite them to events going on in the community, share fun anecdotes, and encourage them to reach out with any questions or concerns they may have.
Dec 12, 2023
How to Generate More Home Care LeadsIn the growing home care industry, the key to success lies in the ability to attract new clients. As the demand for home care increases, it's important to craft lead generation and marketing strategies to stand out from the crowd.
Standing out in a competitive market is essential to attracting new home care leads. Here are some effective and easy ways to stand out from the competition:
Grow your home care agency’s online presence through an easy-to-use website and social media presence. Both of these make it easier for potential clients to understand your services before they reach out to you.
Identify and highlight what makes your home care agency different and the right fit for potential clients. Create selling points that help you stand out by highlighting your:
Specialized services
Highly-trained staff
Personalized care plans
Use those selling points on your website, social media channels, and any emails you send to nurture home care leads.
Showcase your stellar services through testimonials and reviews from happy clients. Reviews — both positive and negative — build trust and credibility with potential clients. If you get feedback you weren’t expecting, a timely, caring response to that review goes a long way in building trust with potential clients. Ask your current and past clients to share reviews online, like on your Caring.com profile, to provide firsthand experiences.
Another key is to create a marketing strategy that can reach more seniors and attract new clients.
Strengthen your online presence by implementing a few SEO strategies onto your website. Identifying a few top keywords for home care agencies in your area can help your website reach its key audience. Another way to boost your SEO? Partner with Caring.com! Our website ranks for tens of thousands of keyword searches, allowing your agency to perform better in searches.
Stay memorable by creating emails to nurture home care leads and maintain regular communication. Share a newsletter with updates and client stories, provide promotions, and check in to stay connected with these leads. That way, when they are ready to take the next step, your agency is at the top of their list.
Another easy and time-effective way to help expand your reach is through home care lead generation, which you can do by buying home care leads from Caring.com. We help you tap into interested, qualified seniors seeking home care in your area. It's a simple, controlled way to build your client list while crafting your other organic marketing efforts.
With online search becoming more popular among seniors and their loved ones, using quality photos is a must to help your agency stand out. Including at least 5 custom photos, including staff photos can help give seniors a preview of your staff and services. With Caring, partners enjoy an enhanced profile, which allows for multiple photos and a detailed description.
With these strategies, your home care agency can get more leads, boost online visibility, and gain trust with potential clients.
If you want to learn more about partnering with Caring.com or buying home care leads, contact us at sales_homecare@caring.com or call (855) 590-8989.
