Social media is a powerful tool for reaching older adults and their caregivers. If you run a senior care organization, we highly recommend implementing a social media strategy to reach more potential residents.
But while it’s a great tool, social media works best as part of a “multi-touch” strategy that includes other marketing tools – including paid search ads.
In this blog, we’ll take a look at the benefits of paid search for elderly care organizations. Why use paid search? And when is it a better option compared to social media ads? Let’s get into it.
What Are The Benefits Of Paid Search Over Social Media Ads?
Paid search ads, also known as “PPC” (Pay-Per-Click) ads are sponsored ads that appear at the top of search engines like Google. So, for example, if you run a senior living facility in Pittsburgh, you could pay to rank at the top when someone searches “Best Pittsburgh Nursing Homes.”
As your ad runs, you’ll pay a fee every time someone clicks on it and visits your website. So, why choose this approach while targeting elderly care patients? Compared to social media and other types of ads, there are a few great benefits:
Unbeatable visibility – Paid search allows you to immediately rank over other skilled nursing facilities who may be competing for patients in your area. Also, you could be ranked above referral websites like A Place For Mom, SeniorCare.com, and US News Health. These websites often have very strong SEO, so it could take years to outrank them using organic SEO marketing. Paying for a search ad will deliver immediate visibility and results.
High intent – One of the benefits of search ads is that people using search engines like Google are typically actively looking for specific information about a product or service. When someone Googles “Skilled Nursing Pittsburgh,” chances are that they're very interested in learning more about the facilities available in the city – they have “high intent.” Basically, that means that they're more likely to take an action like calling for a consultation or taking a facility tour.
Detailed analytics – Search engines like Google and Bing can provide you with lots of information about people who visit your website from paid ads. This includes device type, geographic location, what time of day they visit, how many pages they click, and tons of other information. This information can help you serve up more impactful, cost-effective ads, especially if you A/B test different ads to tweak their effectiveness.
Easy to implement ad retargeting – Paid search is a great way to get started with ad retargeting. Basically, when someone clicks a paid ad from Google or another search engine, you can place a “cookie” on their device. This lets ad networks know that they have visited your website. Then, you can serve up “targeted” ads with more information about your services and facilities. Since the user will already be familiar with your organization, this makes them more likely to click and learn more about what you have to offer. This can boost conversion rates by up to 161%, according to Constant Contact.
When Should I Use Paid Search Instead Of Social Media Ads for Senior Living Patient Recruitment?
So, now you know a little bit about the benefits of paid search. But when should you use it instead of social media ads? Here are a few situations when you may want to focus primarily on PPC ads.
Initial lead generation – Because they target high intent users, PPC ads are extremely effective at generating initial leads – getting someone to sign up for your emails, to schedule a meeting with someone at your facility, or take an office tour.
High-competition areas – PPC lets you “jump” ahead of competitors in your area that may rank higher than you on search engines like Google. If you have a lot of competing facilities and are having trouble bringing in new residents, this makes paid search ads very compelling.
Simple ads that are easy to set up – Since they look like organic search results, search ads are short, text-based and very simple to create. Obviously, there are many advanced techniques and strategies that can be used to maximize their effectiveness. But compared to social ads and many other types of traditional advertising, it’s really easy to get started and set up your first campaign.
Targeting people who don’t use social media – Even though it’s the biggest social media website in the world, only 69% of people regularly use Facebook. Even fewer use platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and X. That means there are plenty of people who will never see your social ads. On the other hand, almost everyone uses search engines like Google, which racks up more than 8.5 billion searches every single day – that’s two trillion each year.
Combining Paid Search And Social Media Ads Will Get You The Best Results
PPC and social media ads both have their own unique advantages and disadvantages. That’s why you shouldn’t choose just one of them for your elder care marketing strategy. At Incept, we specialize in full-stack digital marketing including search, SEO, social media, and more.
By combining the power of paid search, social ads, and other channels, you can maximize the effectiveness of your ad campaigns and reach more potential residents. Would you like to learn more? Schedule a consultation with Incept online or give us a call at (330) 649-8000 to set up a meeting.