Underdog Advertising® Secrets to Successful Advertising on a Limited Budget

Two Core Concepts: 1.Be Compelling 2.Be Visible

Be Compelling: Delivery of Your Advertising Message Demonstrate Value Be Focused Be Consistent

Demonstrate Value Your Goal: Get into your prospect’s consideration set

Demonstrate Value Message must be relevant More than features and benefits Must clearly explain why your center is different and better than other senior housing options Present reasons a prospect should take the time to visit you

Demonstrate Value Demonstrate your relevant message quickly 87% of prospects will check you out online, before making contact 50% will decide whether to include your center in their consideration set before they leave your website’s home page 50% will only look at 1-2 options

Demonstrate Value Net Takeaway Present your center so that it creates value that your competition cannot match

Be Focused Lack of Focus: The biggest mistake underdog advertisers make

Be Focused Karl Von Clausewitz

Be Focused “Keep the forces concentrated” Geographically –77.5% will relocate from within 15 miles –79.5% already live close to their families

Be Focused “Keep the forces concentrated” Right Audiences –Prospective residents –Their children Influence 78% of parents’ purchase decisions

Be Focused “Keep the forces concentrated” At the Right Time –Peak holiday periods 25% increase after Thanksgiving 58% increase after Christmas –Time of Day 8:00-noon 1:00-6:00pm Thanksgiving & Christmas in red

Be Focused “Keep the forces concentrated” Message –Don’t try to tell too much –Multiple messages subtract from each other

Be Focused Net Takeaway It is better to overwhelm a few rather than underwhelm many

Be Consistent Lack of Consistency: The second biggest mistake underdog advertisers make

Be Consistent Effective Reach Sales Cycle –65% make senior housing decision in first 3 months Assisted Living – less than 45 days Residential Senior Apartments – less than 75 days Probably shorter for Adult Day Services Must stay visible throughout the decision process

Be Consistent Net Takeaways Maintain a consistent message Maintain contact throughout the decision process

Be Visible: Maximizing Your Marketing Communications Budget Be Findable Be Clear Be Patient

Be Findable Your advertising must be findable… When your prospects are looking for you Where your prospects expect to find you –Print –Direct mail –Referral sources –Internet

Be Findable The Low-hanging Fruit Search Engine Marketing – 79% of senior housing prospects start their search online –Organic Search –Paid Search 73% start with a general search term –“Adult Day Service” –“Senior Day Care” –“Assisted Living”

Be Findable Search Engine Marketing Be on the first page of search engine listings Pay-per-click ads (Google AdWords, etc.) –Bid for position Messaging must clearly say who you are –Different and better than competition Geographically-targeted

Be Findable

Net Takeaway Make sure your advertising message is where your prospects are going to look, when that need for adult day services arises

Be Clear Message directed to Caregiver Look and feel of message directed to Senior

Be Clear Vision Changes Contrast Colors Sharpness of detail Implications –Larger type size/common fonts Medium or bold face type –Minimize use of italics –Avoid reversed type –Maximum contrast –Uncluttered/generous margins Left justified text

Be Clear I know this looks like a lot of text to read. But I could only think of one way to explain my point, and that’s by asking you to read a large block of text. If you think this is difficult for you, imagine what it’s like for an older person with weak vision. Especially, if your sentences are long and complex, not to mention they are introducing new or complex concepts, which are foreign to the older reader. Now imagine printing this on a color or patterned background. Or even better, using italics or reversing the message out of black.

Be Clear I know this looks like a lot of text to read. But I could only think of one way to explain my point, and that’s by asking you to read a large block of text. If you think this is difficult for you, imagine what it’s like for an older person with weak vision. Especially, if your sentences are long and complex, not to mention they are introducing new or complex concepts, which are foreign to the older reader. Now imagine printing this on a color or patterned background. Or even better, using italics or reversing the message out of black.

Be Clear I know this looks like a lot of text to read. But I could only think of one way to explain my point, and that’s by asking you to read a large block of text. If you think this is difficult for you, imagine what it’s like for an older person with weak vision. Especially, if your sentences are long and complex, not to mention they are introducing new or complex concepts, which are foreign to the older reader. Now imagine printing this on a color or patterned background. Or even better, using italics or reversing the message out of black.

Be Clear I know this looks like a lot of text to read. But I could only think of one way to explain my point, and that’s by asking you to read a large block of text. If you think this is difficult for you, imagine what it’s like for an older person with weak vision. Especially, if your sentences are long and complex, not to mention they are introducing new or complex concepts, which are foreign to the older reader. Now imagine printing this on a color or patterned background. Or even better, using italics or reversing the message out of black.

Be Clear I know this looks like a lot of text to read. But I could only think of one way to explain my point, and that’s by asking you to read a large block of text. If you think this is difficult for you, imagine what it’s like for an older person with weak vision. Especially, if your sentences are long and complex, not to mention they are introducing new or complex concepts, which are foreign to the older reader. Now imagine printing this on a color or patterned background. Or even better, using italics or reversing the message out of black.

Be Clear I know this looks like a lot of text to read. But I could only think of one way to explain my point, and that’s by asking you to read a large block of text. If you think this is difficult for you, imagine what it’s like for an older person with weak vision. Especially, if your sentences are long and complex, not to mention they are introducing new or complex concepts, which are foreign to the older reader. Now imagine printing this on a color or patterned background. Or even better, using italics or reversing the message out of black.

Be Clear I know this looks like a lot of text to read. But I could only think of one way to explain my point, and that’s by asking you to read a large block of text. If you think this is difficult for you, imagine what it’s like for an older person with weak vision. Especially, if your sentences are long and complex, not to mention they are introducing new or complex concepts, which are foreign to the older reader. Now imagine printing this on a color or patterned background. Or even better, using italics or reversing the message out of black.

Be Clear I know this looks like a lot of text to read. But I could only think of one way to explain my point, and that’s by asking you to read a large block of text. If you think this is difficult for you, imagine what it’s like for an older person with weak vision. Especially, if your sentences are long and complex, not to mention they are introducing new or complex concepts, which are foreign to the older reader. Now imagine printing this on a color or patterned background. Or even better, using italics or reversing the message out of black.

Be Clear I know this looks like a lot of text to read.

Be Clear I know this looks like a lot of text to read.

Be Clear I know this looks like a lot of text to read.

Be Clear I know this looks like a lot of text to read.

Be Clear I know this looks like a lot of text to read.

Be Clear I know this looks like a lot of text to read.

Be Clear Websites/Online 4 Biggest Complaints –Unable to find what they want –Difficulty reading the text –Messaging is unclear and/or confusing –Unable to navigate/operate the website

Be Clear

Unable to Find What They Want Scrolls Much Further Down

Be Clear Difficulty Reading the Text

Be Clear Messaging is Unclear and/or Confusing

Be Clear Unable to Navigate/Operate the Website

Be Clear Senior-friendly Website Checklist No type fonts smaller than 12-point –Include option to increase type size No patterned backgrounds Text in bite-sized chunks Limited number of points on a page Large buttons

Be Clear Senior-friendly Website Checklist Organize pages in a consistent format –Same symbols & icons throughout the site –Same navigation buttons in same places on each page Sparing use of drop-down menus Site map link on every page Allow navigation via directional keys on keyboard

Be Clear Net Takeaway Recognize the senior cohort generally receives and processes information differently than you do – it’s not inferior; it’s just different

Be Patient “Genius is nothing but a greater aptitude for patience.” - Ben Franklin

Be Patient Advertising will not motivate prospects until they are ready to move The trick is to be in the visible when your prospects are ready Because you don’t have the budget to cast a broad net, you must be tactical – and that takes time

Be Patient Net Takeaway Stay the course, recognizing the key is to “keep your powder dry.” There is not a lot of value communicating your selling message, before a prospect is ready to respond.

Summary How do you get results from a limited advertising budget?? Impactfully deliver your advertising message to your best prospects – Be Compelling Maximize your center’s marketing communications budget – Be Visible

One Last Word… Recognize your center cannot be the best option for every prospective client… … but it is the best option for some. Establish your best selling message with your best prospects