The last two years have hardly been normal or predictable. What started out as rumblings about a virus that felt like a world away quickly turned to state-wide closures, stay-in-place orders, shaky returns to offices, and some of the swiftest vaccine advancements in modern medicine. The climate across the marketing industry leading in to 2021 seemed impossible to predict while much of the country’s future remained a question, and we weren’t exactly greeted with a year dedicated to recovery and hope.
2021 could be labeled as a year of perseverance, loss, and above all, growth. Society may not have fully returned to business as usual, but as marketers, a breed of people already accustomed to the agile demands of unexpected challenges, we look ahead to the new year optimistically. It’s more important than ever to organize a strategic plan for the upcoming year and these three marketing must-haves for 2022 will be essential in your planning process. By understanding current consumer trends, adjusting to recent shifts in buyer behaviors, and appropriately applying modern marketing strategies, you’ll set your business up for success in the new year.
Big Picture Thinking – Understanding Consumer Trends
The weight of a worldwide pandemic has shifted many priorities, leading to exponential growth in areas such as work from home, mindfulness, data privacy, and an innovative focus on the Metaverse. According to Trend Hunter, the world’s largest trend platform, we are now faced with a great, new opportunity. “The Renaissance Period emerged from the Bubonic Plague. The Roaring 20s emerged from the Spanish Flu. And now, as we emerge from a new crisis, The Roaring 20s are coming back. This is a cyclical pattern of history,” says Jeremy Gutsche, Trend Hunter CEO.
While the Trend Hunter 2022 Trend Report focuses on a variety of topics, from tech fatigue and wellness, to post-pandemic safety and environmental consciousness, an item of importance for all senior living communities should be the growing use of technology for seniors. “In many ways, senior citizens have been hit harder than other demographics when it comes to the COVID-19 pandemic,” states the report. “On top of being more likely to face serious consequences as a result of contracting the virus, they’ve also been more psychologically harmed by the isolation that’s been imposed on people around the world, particularly those who live in care homes.”
So how does this apply to your community? Seniors were previously a predominantly under-served demographic when it came to technology. Now more than ever, your seniors can benefit from the connectivity and engagement from social media, allowing them to see photo updates from loved ones far away, video call with grandchildren, and catch up with friends. In addition to social interaction, seniors are also finding enrichment from a variety of health and wellness apps, such as yoga apps targeting seniors to help with mobility. Include tech in your community’s programming to help your residents learn how to take full advantage of the many great resources available to them on phones, tablets, or computers, creating a more fulfilling lifestyle for your seniors and assuring your prospects that a move to your location doesn’t mean they’ll have to lose touch with anyone.
What Worked Before Won’t Always Work Again – The Shift in Buying Behaviors
The last 22 months have forced businesses to work harder than ever to understand their clients. Remaining successful in the current business climate requires an agile approach to marketing and sales more so than ever, focusing heavily on creating a positive customer experience and building a strong, trusting relationship. Customers are no longer tolerating businesses who simply sell to them, and instead demand much more in exchange for their loyalty.
“We’re seeing a radical change in consumer behavior,” States the 2022 Future of Commerce Trend Report from Shopify. “People are more willing than ever to buy from brands that resonate with them because of geography, company values, or sustainability.” Decision-makers are spending more time than ever researching possible solutions for larger life choices, such as who to trust with the care of their loved one.
“Businesses that not only own their customers and know who they are, but are speaking to them and listening to them, will have a definite advantage going forward,” states Robert Befumo, Head of Ecommerce, Strategy and Marketing at Parkfield Commerce. Now more than ever, senior living communities must create a customer-centric focus to their sales and marketing approaches to build strong, long-lasting relationships.
Simply demonstrating that you provide excellent healthcare to your community is no longer enough. While emphasizing an excellent team of medical professionals and an engaging monthly calendar of activities are huge for your residents, shared core values can elevate you above the offerings of your competition. Increasing recycling while reducing waste, minimizing your carbon footprint, and providing healthy meals from locally sourced farms are all ways to show you care about your local community and the environment, in addition to your residents, which are important factors for today’s consumer post-pandemic.
Staying Relevant – Appropriately Applying Modern Marketing Strategies
In the last year, new social media platforms such as Tik Tok, Discord, and Clubhouse have grown rapidly, helping feed the current trend of influencer marketing. But if you’ve never approached these channels previously, how can you apply these strategies to your marketing plan this year without compromising your brand and potentially damaging your ability to build relationships?
Creating Company Culture
Ogilvy, an agency specializing in public relations and growth, newly released the report titled “Influencer Trends You Should Care about in 2022,” where they emphasize that driving your marketing efforts with a focus on authenticity is a necessity. The best way to avoid bandwagon trends is by creating an authentic culture and focusing on customer experiences at the heart of your superior marketing strategy. “Culture is no longer something that you can plan for on a calendar,” Ogilvy’s report states. “Today, it happens serendipitously. So as audience-first trends bubble up across social media, brands need to embrace these cultural catalysts, rather than trying to forcefully wedge PR moments into the digital space.”
Looking to the Future – Customer Experience and the Metaverse
While storytelling and a consistent, organic online presence will be crucial for brands to solidify themselves as thought leaders within their industry, the customer-centric approach to marketing is expected to incorporate new technology in the future, as companies focus on improving user experiences and incorporation of the growing Metaverse. How can you capitalize on these opportunities for advancement within your sales and marketing channels? Evaluate what processes you currently utilize to build relationships, especially as customers are more concerned with safety than ever. Incorporate the use of video conferencing to include multiple decision-makers or explore what type of virtual tour options could be offered throughout your selling processes. If you haven’t yet, check out the VECTRE YourTour virtual tour platform.
Dancing the Fine Line Between Personalization and Data Protection
Finally, the last step to ensuring your authenticity isn’t called into question as you evolve your marketing efforts is to offer personalization while respecting your customers’ privacy. According to a recent privacy and personalization report by SmarterHQ, “72% of consumers say they now only engage with marketing messages tailored to their interests.” While that statistic may make it seem like targeted advertising is undoubtedly the best approach, the report continues to share that 86% of consumers are concerned about data privacy, and 79% believe companies know too much about them.
So how do you dance the fine line between customer-centric marketing and “Big Brother is watching?” While custom-tailoring your messaging may seem like the best way to create high-value, qualified leads, it’s crucial to continue to keep the customer experience at the center of your decision-making process. Collecting behavior data and executing personalization poorly can make your customers feel like their information is being used to manipulate, as opposed to serve them, and can harm any trust you may have built thus far. Focus on segmenting your leads to better provide them appropriate solutions throughout your marketing effort. Additionally, streamlining your sales and marketing processes to allow your customers to conveniently research their ideal solutions will make you their number one resource when it’s time to move forward with a decision.
Looking Ahead to 2022
While no one knows exactly what the upcoming year has in store for us, the last two years have been an exercise in agility and primed businesses to pivot their sales and marketing strategies as necessary. Preparing for the upcoming year, it’s important to take into consideration the current consumer trends, recent shifts in buyer behaviors, and the authentic utilization of the newest marketing strategies to ensure success.
Have you struggled to pivot your sales marketing strategies to fit the ever-changing demands of today’s world? It’s time to Welcome Disruption. Don’t spend the next 12 months trying to return to where you were pre-Pandemic – ADage Marketing Group is ready to help you capitalize on our Roaring 20s. Get in touch to learn how ADage Marketing Group is prepared to help you face the challenges in today’s competitive senior living industry.