Marketing your assisted living community can be a difficult task. Your marketing efforts need to clearly communicate the care you take with all your residents to both of your target audiences: your residents and their loved ones. 

The decision to move into an assisted living community is delicate, and those involved in that decision need to be sure that the community they choose is up to their standards. People spend time researching communities online, and typically ask friends and family for recommendations. 

That’s why online reviews should be part of every assisted living community’s marketing plan. Read on to learn how to use reviews to grow your assisted living community. 

Why reviews matter 

First, let’s talk about the importance of online reviews. 

Reviews signal trust

Those moving into an assisted living community, as well as their family, need to trust that they’ll be in good care. 79% of consumers say they trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations from friends or family. When people are searching for assisted living communities online, your reviews can determine whether or not they’ll reach out to you to learn more about your community. 

Reviews improve local rankings

Not only do online reviews help signal trust, but they can help improve your visibility on places, like Google Maps and local search directories. Google has said that “high-quality, positive reviews from your customers can improve your business visibility,” so if you want to appear at the top, having online reviews is a must. 

How to get more reviews

Of course, to reap the benefits of positive online reviews, you need to have them! There are a few ways to grow your online reviews including: 

In-person asks: For in-person asks, it’s important not to be pushy and not to ask frequently. 

Review request emails: Review request emails make it easy for people to leave a review through online links to your most valued reviews profiles. Plus, with reputation management software, like Marketing 360® Reputation, you can set up automated review emails, or one-time email blasts, to send out review emails quickly. 

How to respond to reviews

Now that you’re getting more reviews, it’s important to respond to them. Responding to both positive and negative reviews shows that you value your customers and their feedback, and can help improve your trustworthiness. 

For positive reviews, a simple thank you message can suffice. But, for negative reviews, it’s important to craft your message carefully. Your response should address the reviewer’s concerns while trying to rectify the situation. On the other hand, if the negative review contains false information, you’ll need to respectfully show that your business was not in the wrong. By thoughtfully responding to negative online reviews you don’t just show the reviewer you care — you show other people who are reading your online reviews. 

How to use reviews

Now that you’ve gathered some positive reviews, you can use them as marketing material across your online and offline marketing efforts. For example, you can use them on:

Your website: Showcasing your reviews and testimonials on your website is a must. It shows website visitors that you’re authentic and can help persuade them to contact your community for more information or a tour. A Reviews page is a great place to feature reviews, but you should also include them scattered throughout your main website content. 

Your social media profiles: Reviews also make for effective social media posts. Simply sharing written reviews using your brand colors and fonts is an easy way to build your authority with your social followers. With Marketing 360 Social, you can design easy-to-use social templates so you can share new reviews with just a few clicks. 

Print-outs and flyers: Any print-outs or flyers you create for your community can also benefit from featuring reviews. 

Grow your assisted living community with Marketing 360® 

Reviews are valuable marketing material that you can use to showcase the quality of your assisted living community. Marketing 360 can help you gather more reviews, manage your reviews across the web and grow your assisted living facility through thoughtful marketing campaigns. Learn more about our plans and pricing today.