How to use storytelling to enrich your community

Wendy O’Donovan Phillips

Across the ages, tales have been handed down to construct tradition, entertain, educate and encourage. Storytelling began as an oral custom, developed to footage then to writing.

A memorable story discloses beforehand unknown info, presents a brand new perspective on identified info or reveals an unexpected twist or improvement. Today, a lot of our tales dwell on-line.

How are you able to apply storytelling to enrich your community, the lives of these you serve and your method to enterprise? 

First, let’s outline storytelling. In a 2022 examine, Big Buzz uncovered that advertising and marketing executives within the senior dwelling and care business outline storytelling in 3 ways:

1. Feeling

Our knowledge revealed that your friends outline storytelling primarily to evoke a sense or elicit an emotional response. In storytelling advertising and marketing, you possibly can supply a sense of delight, a way of belonging, a way of loyalty or affirmation of earlier experiences, ideas or emotions — all important to the resident’s or affected person’s sense of well-being below your care. One respondent described this synapse because the second “the [potential resident/patient or family] can determine with the model because it holds their similar values or concepts.”

2. Connectedness

Overwhelmingly, the information confirmed that feeling ties immediately to a way of connectedness. I relate to you, you relate to me. We perceive one another. I’ll permit you to look after me. We should not cease at schooling; relatively, it’s higher to take potential residents, sufferers and households all over inspiration into feeling prepared to take the following step with you. One participant mentioned that the aim of storytelling is to “make the [potential resident/patient or family] really feel sufficient to take motion.”

3. Guidance on the journey

The knowledge indicated that storytelling ought to take the potential resident, affected person or household from the place they’re to someplace new. You are the information. You know the way making an attempt life might be for a person in want of assisted dwelling companies or expert nursing care earlier than they discover you. Equally, you understand the fact of these totally immersed in your care. You see the surprise and chance. That is the steering and inspiration you need to convey in storytelling advertising and marketing.

Next, let’s look at why storytelling is vital in advertising and marketing. Eighty-six p.c of our survey respondents mentioned that storytelling is vital in advertising and marketing for 2 causes:

Storytelling supplies a deeper connection between a corporation’s model and its audience. Potential residents, sufferers and households really feel extra bonded to what you supply and extra readily select you over the competitors.Storytelling serves to construct relationships. Over the course of communication with potential residents, sufferers and households, from written messaging on your group’s web site and weblog to consumption conversations, nice storytelling bolsters the connection.

Finally, let’s discover how one can apply storytelling at numerous factors in your residents’ and sufferers’ journey with your community.

Social media advertising and marketing

More than half of our survey respondents mentioned that 60% to 100% of their leads got here from social media. Social media is like an open home for your group. Share tales throughout social media to place your model as totally different and useful to potential sufferers and households. Social media advertising and marketing leads are top-of-the-funnel leads.

Content advertising and marketing

Nearly three-fourths of our survey respondents mentioned that 30% to 100% of their leads got here from content material advertising and marketing. Share tales throughout content material to nurture potential residents, sufferers and households to perceive you possibly can present the care and companies they want. Here are some instance content material titles:

• Helping Adult Children with Caring for a Parent: Tips from Long-Term Care Nurses• Rosie and Sally Put Sisterly Differences Aside to Assist Dad• Preserving Peter’s Pride: One Family’s Journey in Senior Care

Content advertising and marketing leads are middle-of-the-funnel leads. Engaging content material advertising and marketing tales present of us you’re the professional, assist them see they want care and companies, and exhibit you might be trusted to ship that care and companies. Gating content material permits potential residents, sufferers and households to share contact info in trade for your experience.

Marketing automation

Automated electronic mail campaigns can ship storytelling advertising and marketing to those that have learn or downloaded your content material, coaxing them from the center of the funnel to the underside of the funnel. Although content material advertising and marketing is academic, automated electronic mail campaigns are promotional. The gist is, “We seen you downloaded our schooling. We are right here to look after you and your household. For extra help, contact us now.”

Add a compelling success story of a present resident and you’ll appeal to heat gross sales certified leads prepared for consumption.

For extra element on how to develop storytelling at numerous factors within the resident and household journey, together with within the gross sales dialog, get The Complete Data-Driven eBook to Storytelling Marketing for Senior Living. You additionally will get full entry to further insights on advertising and marketing for assisted dwelling communities, life plan communities, nursing properties, hospitals and different care sectors. For further assist, get a complimentary preliminary advertising and marketing plan.

Wendy O’Donovan Phillips is CEO of Big Buzz, an company delivering technique and session to drive centered advertising and marketing efforts for executives and groups nationwide. She is the creator of two books accessible on Amazon, has been revealed in lots of healthcare journals, is a member of the Women’s President Organization, has been honored by the American Marketing Association for excellence in her area, and commonly lectures for healthcare organizations in entrance of audiences starting from 25 to 6,000 attendees.

The opinions expressed in every McKnight’s Senior Living market column are these of the creator and will not be essentially these of McKnight’s Senior Living.

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