There are many challenges that go along with running a home health care agency. One of these is getting the word out to potential clients who may be in need of your services in your designated service area(s).
If you happen to be on the hunt for home health marketing ideas that could actually produce the desired results, keep reading. Below you’ll find some creative marketing ideas for home health care and related tips you can use to make your home care marketing efforts more cost-effective and beneficial for your bottom line and brand.
1. Optimize and Consistently Publish Blog Posts
Nearly 80 percent of online users read blog articles. And companies that blog receive 97 percent more links back to their website!
These stats show why one of the best marketing ideas for home health care is to produce fresh and relevant blog content. But go a bit further and optimize your posts by:
- Researching keywords relevant to your home health care business you can use in your posts
- Checking your social media comments to see what topics your target audience wants to know more about
- Using emails and your website to promote your blog posts
- Repurposing, optimizing, and updating your older, popular posts to get more leverage out of them for your home care service
2. Build and Optimize Your Symptoms/Treatment Pages
A big part of home care marketing today involves what you have on your website. In fact, it takes a fraction of a second for visitors to determine whether or not they’ll stay on your site or leave.
If you are working on figuring out how to market home health care services with your website, focus your efforts on our symptom and treatment pages. These pages are important because people looking for home care services often have a loved one with specific care needs.
For instance, you might have an optimized symptom page for dementia-related conditions. Or you could have a treatment page specific to helping an older loved one recover from an injury or recent hospital visit.
Once you provide useful information on these pages, include a call-to-action or link to your site’s contact page. This will allow visitors to gather important info while also having the option to take advantage of the related care services you offer.
3. Be Active on Social Media!
“Social media is about sociology and psychology…” – Brian Solis, best-selling author. This is especially true for home health care providers.
Social media platforms give you an excellent opportunity to connect with potential clients. It’s also a great way to promote your home care services and directly respond to existing and potential clients.
Many home care agencies use Facebook. However, do some experimenting with other platforms to see what works best for your agency and intended audience. If you are concerned about organizing and scheduling social posts, free tools like Buffer and HootSuite can help.
4. Create a Referral Program with Incentives
Not all home health marketing ideas involve carefully created content. Referrals from reliable healthcare professionals – e.g., doctors, hospitals, satisfied clients, and similar sources – can result in a nice boost to your client base.
One way to build your referral network is to make in-person visits to local healthcare agencies or providers whose services or purposes align with what your agency offers. After an in-person visit, send an email follow-up that includes a polite request for a testimonial you can feature in your marketing content.
Another option is to seek referrals from existing clients who may know someone else in need of your services. Even just asking clients to post a review online could give your agency some added credibility. Plus, 90 percent of customers say they trust online reviews as much as personal referrals from friends.
Consider sweetening the pot a bit with appreciate incentives for your referral program. For a home care service, this might include tote bags, pens, and similar items that won’t stretch your budget.
5. Maintain a Strong Brand Presence Across All Networks/Mediums
“Determine who you are and what your brand is, and what you’re not…” – Geoffrey Zakarian, television personality and author.
None of these marketing ideas for home health care will pack the full punch if you don’t have a strong brand presence. Before you do this, however, it helps to develop a specific niche within the home health care market.
For example, you might specialize in the care of older adults with a temporary need for home care assistance while recovering from an illness. Even if you provide multiple services, zero in on the ones you tend to provide most often.
Once you’ve defined your niche and clearly determined your target clients, promote your brand across all networks and mediums. Do this effectively by:
- Having your employees act as “brand ambassadors” by promoting your agency’s core values
- Using a consistent logo or color scheme in your marketing materials to help people remember your agency
- Being consistent with your agency’s messaging – e.g., having the same general tone in all of your marketing content
- Using calendar and scheduling tools to track your brand awareness efforts across all networks and mediums
- Claiming your agency’s Google My Business listing so it shows up in local searches
Online activity can certainly boost your brand presence. However, don’t forget about traditional mediums. Flyers and ads in relevant, local magazines or newspapers can still be an effective way to catch the attention of potential clients.
6. Attend Networking/Community Events
If you want to attract the attention of potential clients in a specific community, it helps to an active part of that community. A smart and cost-effective way to do this is by attending networking or community events.
With networking, you could attend local events with other professionals who offer similar or complementary healthcare services. This will give you a chance to develop important connections and get your agency’s name out there.
Another tactic you’re welcome to embrace is having your staff organize and take part in a volunteer or community service project. You’ll benefit from the added publicity while also making a good impression on community members who may need your caregiving services.
7. Invest in Paid Marketing
PPC (pay-per-click) advertising converts better than organic traffic. This is just one reason why it can literally pay off big time to invest in paid marketing for your home health care agency!
This is just one of several options you have with paid marketing. Paid social ads, for instance, can also help you amplify your reach. This is also true with influencer marketing, which involves reaching out to influential individuals within your industry or niche.
Get the most from your paid marketing investment for your home healthcare agency by finding the right mix of ad strategies. Options include:
- Carefully planned Google Ads campaigns
- Retargeting campaigns that target people who have already visited your site or viewed one of your online ads
- Strategically placed banner ads
8. Build an Email List!
“Tell me and I will forget, show me and I may remember, involve me and I will understand.” – Confucius
An email list that’s put together the right way can literally be a lead magnet for your home care agency. And, yes, it can also increase the recipients’ understanding of what your agency has to offer.
As for building your list, there are many ways to effectively achieve this goal. Possibilities include:
- Putting out email sign-up sheets whenever you have an opportunity to do so
- Printing and handing out cards with your agency’s email address on it
- Asking people to RSVP to events your agency hosts with their email address
- Including an email sign-up option on your website
- Putting your email address on direct mailers you send to boost local awareness of your agency’s services
9. Build Listings on Local Lead Sites
In 2017, online lead sites were considered one of the top consumer marketing sources. They can be just as powerful today for your home care agency.
What’s more, these sites can also help you encourage more clients to post reviews. Just make sure your agency’s listed information is correct and consistent on any local lead sites you use.
Popular local lead sites for healthcare businesses include:
- Caring.com
- Bestofhomecare.com
- Senioradvisor.com
- Careinhomes.com
Still trying to figure out how to market home health care services in a way that’s beneficial for your brand? Consider hiring a marketing agency. Having access to expert advice and an assortment of marketing resources can make a big difference in the results you get. Contact us today to learn more.