What is Social Media?

Social Media Impact

•Social Networks and Blogs are now the fourth most popular online activity, ahead of personal email (source: Nielson Online)

•Facebook has more than 400 million users; 200 million log on at least once every day (source: Facebook)

•More that 1.5 million local businesses have active pages; 20-million people become “fans” every day

•Statistics on Twitter vary; but it January 2010 it had more than 75 million visitors to the site (source: ComScore)

•65 million “tweets” are sent every day

•LinkedIn has over 60 million users; executives from all Fortune 500 companies are LinkedIn members (source: LinkedIn)

Are Seniors Using Social Media?

Thirty-six percent of online adults have a

social networking site profile.

(Source: Deloitte Study, Dec. 2009)

What Social Networking Sites are Seniors Using?

(Source: Anderson Analytics 2009)

Social Media Point of View

•First: Don’t abandon what works now

•Enhance online marketing

•Extension of your brand

•Leverage existing knowledge

•Generate conversation

•Build credibility

•Provide insight

•Utilize as additional public relations tool

Examples of Seniors and Senior Living Communities Using Social Media

Blogs

Twitter updatesposted on homepage of web site

Recruiting via Twitter

ExecJobsATL: Hiring a Executive Director (Administrator) at Sunrise Senior Living (Atlanta, GA) http://bit.ly/cf38Kj #jobs #shjobs  discoverchefs: Chef Jobs - Food Service Director - Atria Senior Living Group - Kimberton, PA http://goo.gl/fb/GNEyR about 6 hours ago from Google HRJobsDEN: Hiring a Sales Training Specialist at Emeritus Senior Living (Denver, CO) http://bit.ly/cNmGWJ #jobs #shjobs about 7 hours ago from twitterfeed  tmj_mia_cler: Brookdale Senior Living Inc. (BSL): Receptionist (Miami, FL) http://bit.ly/aTjLxK #Jobs #TweetMyJOBS 2 days ago from API

“I can’t wait to send my parents there!”

“I can’t wait to send my parents there!”

We look forward to welcoming your parents

Patty! See you soon.

Is Social Media Working for Senior Living?

Cedar CommunityWest Bend, Wisconsin

1st Quarter of 201031% of Web visits directly from Facebook

Average time on site: 6 ½ minutes

Social Media as a Public Relations Tool

•Builds Credibility

•Establishes community/organization as a resource

•Builds relationships with media (recent polls show 79% of reporters/editors use social media as part of research)

•Added awareness about community/organization

Top Techniques to be Successful

•Keep content fresh and timely

•Content should be transparent; no “marketing speak”

•Share thoughts, ideas

•Encourage conversation, be flexible

•Tell stories; use pictures and video

So how do you get started?

Top Line Approach

•Develop an effective social media policy

•Seek to integrate social media with current marketing plans/help in “spreading the word”

•Determine what social media tools can/should be used

•Develop content guideline (editorial calendar)

•Determine who is best to handle updates

•Incorporate in crisis management plans

•Consider Search Engine Optimization

•Social media monitoring

QUESTIONS?

Randy EiltsDirector of Public RelationsGlynnDevinsreilts@glynndevins.com913-491-0600

http://twitter.com/glynnDevins

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