From keeping up with Google Reviews to monitoring social media for unflattering commentary, ensuring a senior living community’s online reputation remains sparkling clean requires careful monitoring and a proactive communications strategy that minimizes the potential for an undesirable narrative to start spreading online. Whether you’re expanding your senior living portfolio with new communities in new markets or breaking ground on the first facility for a new brand, keeping reputation management top of mind is key. Unsure where to start? We can help.
Implement a clear crisis communications protocol
Something as simple as a little ice on the sidewalk can put a frosty finish on your online reputation. Accidents, mishaps and larger incidents all provide fodder for critical and, often, unflattering commentary. This is why having a clearly defined communications protocol in place for when a difficult situation arises is so important.
First and foremost, control the flow. This is not a “the more the merrier” kind of a situation. You want the facts – and only the facts – to flow smoothly through the chain of command, with appropriate stops for documentation and checkmarks built in along the way. And when it’s time to communicate with the residents, their loved ones and, if necessary, the press, you want the information coming from one consistent voice in a credible and reassuring tone. Bottom line: build a crisis communications plan on day one, keep it fresh and make sure the team knows how to implement it.
Monitor, monitor, monitor…then monitor some more
From Google alerts to social media notifications and media monitoring tools, there are countless user-friendly resources available to help you keep a close on who’s talking and what they are saying. And this isn’t just about monitoring for negative chatter – it’s also about tracking, logging and acknowledging the positive feedback your senior living community is receiving along the way. The goodwill you build and relationships you form through positive online interactions can pay major dividends when a difficult situation arises. Ignoring your fans and overlooking favorable online reviews? Well, people often remember that, too.
Be strategic about what, where and how you share
At the end of the day, packaging the stories and information your share about your senior living community is no different than how you package the building itself – you want to make a strong first impression, you want cohesiveness across assets and, most importantly, you want to be authentic. You wouldn’t invite the local garden club to host a meeting at your community and then plant artificial flowers in the window boxes adjacent to the entryway, right? The same rule applies to your storytelling – be relevant, be authentic and know your audience.
Now when it comes to what you share, this is about a lot more than HIPAA compliance and residents consenting to be photographed. When mapping out your content, focus on answering these key questions:
- What message do we want to convey?
- How do we want residents and prospective residents to feel after consuming this content?
- How would we feel – and respond – if this story got into the hands of a reporter?
- What is the potential downside – if any – to sharing this information?
- Are we equipped to replicate this success if this content is a home run?
Remaining focused on a core set of guiding questions can help you develop digital marketing content that is both on brand and minimizes the risk of fueling undesirable commentary. This is where a solid marketing and communications plan comes into play – one that is goal-driven, audience-centric, and takes all potential risks and rewards into consideration.
Learn from the competition
What have your biggest competitors done well when it comes to protecting their reputation? If they have been the subject of negative press, what about their response – or lack thereof – has made you cringe? Keeping an eye on the competition can provide not only a business advantage but also some valuable lessons about to handle – or not handle – a sensitive situation. The next time you see your competition in the news, be it for something positive or negative, take note of what they said, how they said it and how you felt after consuming the information. You never know when those takeaways may come in handy.
Proactively foster positive commentary
While crafting your own storylines and building out your own social media content are foundational to building positive brand perception, you don’t want to overlook opportunities for third-party validation. Consider:
- Putting story collection forms in common areas throughout the community
- Asking residents to share their stories when you circulate resident satisfaction surveys
- Encourage loved ones to share their experiences, be it on social media, through story collection forms or via online reviews
- Collect video of heartwarming events, community gatherings and more
Encouraging others to share their stories – and embrace their role as third-party validators – can help to build trust and spread positive word-of-mouth. It can also give AI search more positive assets to consider when determining the most relevant organizations to serve up in its replies – and that matters, too.
Building and maintaining a positive online reputation doesn’t happen overnight. And, when you operate a business that works with people and may be prone to challenging situations, the importance of generating credible, authentic content and distributing proactive, positive news to the press cannot be overstated. Whether you operate a single 55+ community in the suburbs or a multi-state portfolio of assisted living and skilled care communities, a sterling reputation is a critically important brand asset that deserves to be carefully protected.
