As we count down the days of the year on one hand, we take a look back at the top mature marketing posts and tweets of 2015. Below is our countdown to the top stories of the year. To compare where we are now to a year (or two) ago, read our recaps of top posts from 2014 and 2013.
#4. Maximizing the ROI of Online Leads. It is easy to think that just relying on your existing sales counselors (or a junior sales counselor) to handle online leads is a good idea. But that may be the LEAST effective strategy to converting an online lead into a “real” prospect or a qualified lead and eventually a customer. This post breaks down the reasons why having a sales person handle online leads is wasting opportunities and provides practical tips for retooling your approach. Read the full post here
#3. 31% of all Seniors are on Facebook. This post gives an overview of the social channels most used by seniors. Charts and tables from The Pew Research Center break down the stats. Read the full post here
#2. How to “Up the Ante” When Marketing to Baby Boomer Homebuyers. This post provided stats from the National Association of Realtors about home purchasing behaviors across all age groups:
- 92% hunt for their new home online
- 75% of prospective buyers start searching within a year of purchase, starting with Google
- 36% use their mobile phone as their shopping companion
Looking specifically at the mature market, Creating Results’ survey of senior and baby boomer homebuyers found that 37% of “Social, Silver Surfers” have rejected a community solely based on their website. This is essential information for those who support websites for this demographic. Read the full post here
#1. Playing the Best Hand to Reach Your Audience. At the top spot of our most popular posts was this one, which looked at insights gained at the 2015 International Builders’ Show in Las Vegas. Among those insights was the fact that the current average attention span is only eight seconds. Wow. The post also identified some key elements and provided useful resources:
- understanding the importance of color: Color Emotion Guide
- effectively using imagery: 15 Design Tips for the Mature Consumer
And the Top Tweets Were . . .
- How can senior living get its messages through all this clutter? @SandstormDesign #SMASHCHI2015: bit.ly/1OuMGzR
- @dhutson shares tips on integrating digital marketing & CRM at #leadingage15 End of Ads: bit.ly/1knKtbj
- What #marketing influences #babyboomers? Direct mail, online reviews: bit.ly/1Sj24Pm, bit.ly/1MDi7jH
- Translate CCRC jargon into non-profit benefits: “person-centered care” means we listen, engage whole family, #leadingage15: bit.ly/1JEna3z
- “What my dad taught me about social media marketing” via @TheDigitalFA: bit.ly/1QRVoIN