What is Social Media?

Social Media Impact

•Facebook has more than 550 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

•Twitter has 89 million monthly visitors to the site

•50 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?

One in four users age 65+ now use social media: 26%

(Source: Pew Internet Research)

Are Seniors Using Social Media?

One in four users age 65+ now use social media: 26%

Usage among those 50-64 year olds: 47%

(Source: Pew Internet Research)

Pew Internet Survey

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

updates

posted

on home

page 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 Community

West Bend, Wisconsin

1st Quarter of 2010

31% 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

Social Media and Crisis Communications

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 Eilts

Director of Public Relations

GlynnDevins

reilts@glynndevins.com

913-491-0600

http://twitter.com/glynnDevins

http://www.facebook.com/glynndevins