Top tips for care home marketing – why call tracking is essential
Care home marketing is unique. Families are required to make emotionally charged decisions under time pressure, and traditional digital metrics don’t capture the full story. Most valuable conversions happen over the phone. This means you’re missing critical insights that could transform your marketing performance.
Successful care home marketing isn’t just about generating website visits. It’s about connecting with families when they need immediate support and guiding them toward the right care solutions. Without call tracking, you can’t see which efforts actually drive move-ins. You can find out more at Mediahawk – a call tracking software provider.
Tip 1: Track enquiries back to their original sources
Most families research care options across multiple channels before making contact. They’ll visit local authority websites, read online reviews, check your Google Business Profile, and browse your website before picking up the phone.
Without attribution, you can’t see which touchpoints influence their decision to call. Call tracking changes this by assigning unique numbers to different marketing activities. When families call, you’ll know exactly which campaign or channel prompted their enquiry.
This visibility is crucial for budget decisions. You might discover that your Google Business Profile generates more qualified enquiries than expensive PPC campaigns, or that families often call after reading specific blog posts about dementia care.
Tip 2: Identify families ready for immediate move-ins
Care home enquiries fall into distinct categories. Some families are planning ahead, others need placement within weeks, and many require immediate support due to hospital discharges or sudden care needs.
Speech Analytics automatically analyses conversation content to identify urgency indicators. The software spots keywords and phrases that signal immediate placement needs, such as discussions about discharge dates, current care arrangements, or specific medical requirements.
You can prioritise follow-up with families expressing urgent needs while nurturing those planning for future requirements. This targeted approach improves conversion rates and ensures families get appropriate support when they need it most.
Tip 3: Optimise your messaging around funding concerns
Funding discussions often determine whether families proceed with placements. Many don’t understand the difference between self-funded and local authority support, creating confusion that can delay decisions.
Call tracking reveals which funding-related content drives enquiries and how families respond to different pricing approaches. Speech Analytics identifies common questions about fees, payment options, and funding eligibility that families raise during conversations.
Use these insights to create targeted content that addresses funding concerns proactively. When you understand the specific questions families ask, you can develop FAQs, guides, and landing pages that build confidence in your pricing structure.
Tip 4: Improve your enquiry handling process
How your team responds to initial calls can also directly impact move-in rates. Families making care home enquiries are often anxious and need immediate reassurance about the quality of care you provide.
Speech Analytics provides objective feedback on call quality and outcomes. You’ll see which team members consistently convert enquiries into visits, and which approaches lead to successful placements. This insight helps identify best practices that can be shared across your entire enquiry team.
The software also reveals missed opportunities where families expressed interest but didn’t book visits. Understanding these situations helps refine your enquiry process to capture more potential residents.
Tip 5: Leverage real-time insights for urgent situations
Care home demand can fluctuate rapidly, particularly when local hospitals discharge patients requiring ongoing care support. Call tracking provides real-time visibility into enquiry patterns, enabling quick responses when urgent situations develop.
When certain campaigns show increased activity, you can adjust budgets immediately to capture more families during peak demand periods.
Tip 6: Create custom audiences based on conversation data
Traditional remarketing relies on website behaviour, but families researching care options often browse without taking digital actions. Speech Analytics changes this by identifying prospects based on actual conversation content.
You can create custom audiences for families who’ve discussed specific care types, funding options, or placement timelines. This enables targeted campaigns that speak directly to their expressed needs rather than assumed interests.
It’s time to build marketing strategies that actually work
Care home marketing success requires understanding the complete family journey from initial research to final placement. Call tracking provides the missing attribution layer that connects your digital efforts to actual move-ins.
When you can see which campaigns drive qualified family enquiries and successful placements, you’ll be able to make more educated decisions about where to invest your marketing budget. The result? More families find the care solutions they need, and your occupancy rates improve through data-driven marketing strategies.
