The Chicago Tribune recently reported a surge in Illinois nursing home deaths.
And we at Savvy Senior Marketing know that many families see the health and safety advantages of home care if their loved one does not need the constant medical care of a long-term care facility.
But that doesn’t mean new clients are streaming to every home care agency.
Unexpected nursing home deaths are a sad reality, we admit. As a result, home care agencies are realizing that there is an increased demand for their services. Some agency owners that we have talked to recently said that they have seen a spike in business since COVID arrived in March. In other words, despite the difficulties of adjusting to the pandemic’s demands and expectations on the part of such businesses, more people are knocking on their doors. The biggest problem seems to be hiring caretakers, not finding new clients.
“We have had to turn away families recently,” an agency owner in the Chicago area told us recently. “What we really need are caretakers.”
But that’s not true of all home care agencies we talked with.
Some are struggling to get clients, and wish their phone would ring. It seems as if the fair winds of new cases have failed to fill their sails.
Why some agencies lack clients
Let’s look at why agencies are getting clients in the wake of the COVID problem. They already have a steady business. People know about them. They have provided good service. They have reached a certain tipping point, where their hard work over the years has produced the fruit of their labors.
They have likely been helped with these factors:
- Good personal recommendations
- Professional referral partners
- Employees who act as brand ambassadors
- Good communication with employees and clients
- An ongoing marketing program
Those who aren’t seeing new clients on the other hand are too new to the game, or they don’t have their marketing pipeline in place. That’s why we recommend that if you are providing good service, that you take a close look at how you can gain clients. Also look at how you are presenting yourself. In other words, are you reaching out to others? How is your brand perceived in the mind of those who know you?
Here at Savvy Senior Marketing, we specialize in marketing to home care agencies. What does your brand look like? Is your website wasting money? Are you taking care of home care client retention? Have you claimed your business on Google My Business?
If you need better marketing, you might want to beef up these areas:
- More pages and content for your website
- A website that is mobile-friendly
- A freebie, such as a guide (One we offer is “10 Danger Signs That Your Parent Needs Home Care”)
- Your brand’s personal touch with your website’s description of the owner(s)
- A pay-per-click lead capture campaign
- An automated email campaign for clients
- A regular printed letter sent through the postal service
If you offer a good home care service but your phone isn’t ringing in the wake of COVID, you might just need to jump-start your marketing. We at Savvy Senior Marketing can help you with website design and pay-per-click campaigns. These ad campaigns can be designed to provide new clients, or new caregivers.
Good branding will put you on the map in terms of enhancing your image in the minds of clients and prospects.
Allow us to give you a free evaluation of your website and overall brand. Contact us with one of the links below.
Why not use this marketing method to bring in more clients and customers? Get in touch with us at Savvy Senior Marketing by making an appointment for a free 20-minute phone consult, or by sending us an email.
