COMMUNITY 2012 Participant Perspective:
Author: Brian Lang, CEO, Seniors In Touch
Brian Lang on Twitter 
Brian Lang on LinkedIn 
The session “Improving Reputation Management of Senior Living Through Social Media” at ALFA 2012 today in Dallas addressed the opportunity and the liabilities presented by the growing prevalence of Social Media as part of the fabric of our daily experience. Senior living executives cannot avoid addressing a Social Media strategy for marketing, a Social Media policy for employees, or Social Media innovations for their residents and the family of their residents. According to Pew Internet, 81% of younger boomers (46-55) and 76% of older boomers are online.” Facebook users 55 and older grew by over 900 percent in the past year, now accounting for 9 million users, says the most recent report from Facebook’s Social Ads Platform.
Social Media has become as ubiquitous and familiar a phrase as its older mass media siblings – print, radio, TV, and cable. The difference is that as an interactive media, Social Media provides its audience with a previously unavailable democratic ability. Earlier mass media had a “one-to-many” relationship with its audience – it was a one-way broadcast. Social Media has a “many-to-many” ability – the audience can talk back.
Andy Cohen from Caring.com introduced the audience to the 20,000 moderated reviews of senior living communities found at his site. Reporting that 87% of the children of aging adults look for reviews of senior living sites before making a placement decision, both he and co-speaker Dan Hoban of G5 agreed on the importance of embracing Social Media by senior living executives in the management and reputation of their facilities. They reported that this can be done on the community’s website, on a Facebook Business Page, or in traditional media such as postcards and newsletters.
For the adult children of future residents surfing the net looking for information on the best place for their parents to transition, the Internet has become the best friend of a senior living communities, or its worse enemy. Dan introduced the audience to the term “ZMOT,” or “Zero Moment of Truth.” This concept is outlined in the book “ZMOT” from Google and can be downloaded for free at http://www.zeromomentoftruth.com/. The ZMOT book cites the earlier “FMOT” “or First Moment Of Truth” experience that retail buyers have during the first 7 seconds of showing up to make a purchasing decision. With the advent of the Internet, ZMOT now predates FMOT as most of today’s buyers do research first before they ever show up for a first impression.
As CEO of a Social Media product for senior adults, today’s session reminded me of what Lyn Jeffery, Director of the Institute for the Future observes: “Friendly communication (family, friends) drives most connectivity.” It’s the people you know or peers that you trust that empowers Social Media. In the ZMOT experience of Social Media, we trust a friend’s recommendation more than we trust corporate branding. Both speakers agreed that senior living communities needs staff to monitor reviews and not ignore the up to 30% that are negative. Using a Yelp review as an example, constructive response to negative reviews tells prospects and current customers that you are not just listening, but that you are hearing the constructive criticism that is now available – thanks to Social Media.
As an audience member for today’s session, I was also reminded of a quote from Dr. Jeffrey Cole of The Center for the Digital Future. He says, “The most compelling positive thing to come out of the Internet is empowerment. You can tell reporters how they got it wrong. You gain power over physicians with symptom and research possibilities. You gain power over the sales process (buying cars), not to mention power in politics and volunteer causes. What the Internet does best-shine a light into dark places. If you’re not online, you don’t count.”
As stated earlier, senior living executives cannot avoid addressing: 1) A Social Media strategy for marketing; B) A Social Media policy for employees, or; C) Social Media innovations for their residents and the family of their residents. Today’s session on “Improving Reputation Management of Senior Living Through Social Media” was excellent progress in addressing reputation management in Social Media and senior living as a required and much needed embrace.
Suggested Articles:
