In the digital age, there is a high demand for authenticity. In a time when AI-generated images and videos are breaking into marketing, there is a natural skepticism arising. Now more than ever, there is a need for authentic content shoots in senior living marketing to reach an audience that has to navigate whether or not a person is real in a photo. Learn how Solinity Marketing can turn content shoots from lens to leads for your community.
Content Shoots Create Better Websites
Nearly half of surveyed consumers state that they view a website before ever visiting a brick-and-mortar location. The same survey revealed that nearly a quarter of those consumers are unlikely to visit a business with a poor online presence. If this is true about your average business, how much more would this apply to something as important as where someone will go to retire or even receive care? In fact, 75% of consumers begin their search for a senior living community online. This means that for many potential residents, your first touch will be when they load your website – making it your virtual front door. That is why it is essential that you outfit your website with the best content possible through photography and videography.
Learn more important senior living marketing stats here.
Creating A 24/7 Sales Rep
How can you ensure there's always a sales representative available 24/7 to engage potential residents and address their inquiries? Imagine having someone dedicated to welcoming potential residents while showcasing your community, current residents, pricing, programming, activities, and any other information you deem essential. This ideal representative would communicate precisely what you want, requiring minimal maintenance on your end. By investing in your website, you're essentially creating this perfect sales rep to interact with potential residents. Content shoots and updated images and video play a crucial role in enabling this 24/7 sales representative to start welcoming potential residents even before they contact your community.
Showing Face
As you begin to build your virtual front door and equip your 24/7 sales rep, it is important to remember the need to communicate authenticity by giving website visitors a look into your community. With an abundance of stock images, and now AI generation, available, it can be tempting to skip the content shoot and just download the images you like. All art communicates a message, and you want your website to tell a story to your residents; therefore, it is crucial that your story is honest. Unfortunately, stock and AI can get in the way of that story. The best way to show who you are is by showing who you are.
The danger in heavily relying on AI or stock images is that you may begin to cross the line into a misleading representation of your community. Your website can bridge the gap between searching for a community and walking through your doors, and you want that experience to be seamless. If the photos and videos on your website do not match what visitors see in person, there is potential for broken trust and credibility within your community. This discrepancy could be due to something as simple as the interior design of the stock image not matching your community's actual aesthetic. Without trust, it will be extremely difficult to convert leads into residents. That’s why content shoots are a valuable asset in senior living marketing—they provide your website with the necessary visuals to honestly tell your community’s story.
Creating an Experience
As a potential resident navigates your website, you want to create a pleasant experience that is easy to navigate. If a visitor cannot figure out your website or becomes bogged down in walls of text, it is likely that they will give up and back out of your website. Content shoots solve this by providing you with material to help guide your website visitors and break up information with aesthetically pleasing visuals.
This is especially true when you invest in videography. A well-made video can serve as a quick elevator pitch to all of your visitors, and in the digital age, a video is likely able to stop a visitor and retain their attention. Once they step through your virtual front door by visiting your website, you want to invite them to take off their coat and sit down. Giving visitors something to look at or watch warms them up to staying a little longer, which opens the door to lead generation through effective calls to action. It is also important to note that photos and videos enhance SEO, which will help attract visitors to your virtual front door for the initial visit.
Content Shoots Build Asset Libraries
Successful marketing requires smooth workflows. By investing in content shoots, you build a library of digital assets to choose from. This strengthens and streamlines content creation for your website, printed collateral, social media, and more. Why is this important?
A Library Strengthens Brand Identity
When you invest in content shoots with Solinity Marketing, you will be equipped with consistent style and quality for your brand. A drop or rise in image and/or video quality stands out. This could be due to differences in cameras or a switch from a camera to a cell phone for capturing shots. Regardless of the cause, inconsistent style and quality can damage your brand presence. That’s why pulling from the same source for all your materials is important, and content shoots ensure that the source never runs dry.
A Library Maintains Brand Guidelines
A good marketing agency partner works within the boundaries of your brand’s guidelines to ensure your content is on par with brand expectations. Having a dedicated team for your shoots provides you with a group trained to meet your expectations while bringing creative expertise to the table. This level of involvement is impossible with stock and AI content.
A Library Avoids Copyright and Licensing
Important considerations when marketing for your community involve the rules of licensed materials. To access high-quality materials, you may find yourself paying for subscriptions just to gain access to stock images and footage. When you work with a team to build your own library, the content is yours to use however you see fit without the fear of copyright infringement.
A Library Saves You Time To Focus On Leads
Instead of navigating licenses and searching for the perfect image or video, you can have your digital assets shot, organized, and delivered while you focus on nurturing the leads your marketing efforts are bringing in. The quicker and smoother your marketing process can be, the better. Solinity Marketing helps make this possible for senior living marketing.
What Is A Successful Content Shoot?
When it comes to content, quantity does not necessarily mean quality. It's not just about capturing digital assets; it's also about being able to effectively use them. Balance is key in building a well-rounded portfolio of photos and videos for your brand. While having more assets than necessary is important to ensure variety, a full portfolio should not come at the expense of capturing intentional shots and footage. So what makes a successful content shoot?
A Shoot That Captures The Moment
As mentioned above, consumers desire authenticity, which means in-the-moment content tends to draw viewers in. This involves capturing everyday interactions within your community. Whether it's your team or residents, people want to know what life is truly like. While there is a time and place for staged photos, natural interactions are invaluable for your senior living marketing efforts.
As helpful as natural moments are, there is also a need for staged content. Finding a balance between staged and scripted content is crucial. Staged content involves organized interactions with a natural feel, while scripted content is completely organized and controlled. A good example of staged content is obtaining a natural resident testimonial with staged shots and lighting. However, it's essential to avoid making your content appear rigid and rehearsed, which is why this balance is crucial. In terms of photography, staged content could include employee headshots. There's also a time for scripted content, such as informative content and promotional materials. The key is knowing which content needs to be created in each setting and capturing those moments in a way that effectively communicates your message.
A Shoot That Capitalizes On Events
While there are plenty of everyday interactions to capture for senior living marketing, it's always a good idea to capitalize on special events like activities and holidays in your community. In a way, events like these create large-scale staged content for you to capture by generating multiple natural interactions in a controlled environment. Another detail to consider is that holidays will come again next year. Instead of scrambling to capture new content each year, invest in your photos and videos to build a library of reusable digital assets for years to come. Some of the best times to consider having a content shoot are during Spring, Summer, and at Christmas.
A Shoot Led By The Right Team
While managing your everyday responsibilities in a community, it can be challenging to consider all these details. That’s why a team like Solinity Marketing is a game changer in senior living marketing. Our skilled team has an eye for the moments to capture and how to capture them. Bringing us on board means you have the opportunity to build a priceless library of digital assets to enhance your website and attract more leads.
To revolutionize your senior living marketing from lens to lead, partner with Solinity Marketing today. With our expertise in capturing authentic moments and crafting compelling content, we'll help you build a library of digital assets that strengthens your brand, engages potential residents, and sets you apart in the competitive market. Don't miss out on the opportunity to transform your marketing efforts—contact us today to learn more!