With National Family Caregivers Month coming up in November, this is a perfect time to start thinking about a content marketing campaign to draw attention to your business.
Content marketing is a way to promote your company while providing education to clients (or in this case, their families) and referrers. It’s different from advertising and direct sales—although it certainly leads to sales. Instead of “Look at me, I’m the best. Hire me,” content marketing takes the more gracious approach of, “Let me share my expertise to help you with something difficult in your life.” You give a little to get a lot.
The advantage of content marketing is that it gives you an elegant way to get your brand in front of potential customers and referrers on a repeated basis (e.g., a monthly e-newsletter or blog for family caregivers) while also creating trust and confidence in you and your business.
What is a multichannel integrated campaign?
It means getting organized so you have a consistent message using and repurposing the same assets across a wide range of media. It’s both effective and efficient.
Here is a sample campaign plan
Theme
November is when we honor family caregivers.
Message
“[ABC Care Management] is THE local expert in family caregiving.”
Parts of the plan
Offer something useful online
(Like this newsletter issue, Family Caregiving 101)
A blog or series of articles (e.g., the November issue of our family caregiving newsletter is dedicated to “Family Caregiving 101.” It has three articles to help families focus on what they need to do to support a loved one and not get fried in the process.)
Create a branded, downloadable pdf
(Like our Family Caregiving Guide)
Consider a “gated offer”: A form requiring their email address before they can download the .pdf. Do this so you can sign them up to receive your monthly e-newsletter for family caregivers. Also because it positions you to be able to interact with them, the next step in the Customer Journey as you move them toward a phone call and eventually a contract. There is a trade-off: Fewer people will download it, but you get their email and can start the conversation.
Promote your resource(s) on social media
Your choice whether to link to the online version or the printable .pdf. (See “What you may not know” about print media below.)
- Facebook will be seen by family caregivers.
- LinkedIn by referrers and upper income family caregivers
- Instagram by younger (under 45) referrers and family caregivers
Send an email about your print resource, with .pdf attached
In this case, you already have their email address, so no “gating” is required. But you do get the advantages of print media.
Do a presentation or webinar on the topic
A presentation lets you meet people in person, giving them a real flesh and blood sense of you and your warmth and intelligence. They can ask you more-personal questions afterwards. You can move them closer to closing the sale. (See “What you may not know”) With a webinar, you can record the event for future use.
Get interviewed about it on radio, TV, or in newspapers
In exchange, you usually get free access to the audio, video, or online file of the article or show.
Do a podcast about it and promote it via email and social media
This is most effective if you already have a podcasting process established.
Talk about your resources during one-on-one conversations (sales, networking)
Leave them with a print version as a reminder of your conversation. See “What you may not know …” below.
Multichannel
You’ll notice there are several “media” represented in this campaign:
- Online (blogs, social media)
- Video conferencing
- In-person
- Broadcast “unidirectional” media (radio, TV, newspapers)
- Podcast
Plus, you now have ways you can “cross-pollinate”:
- Pass out your handouts (print media) at your in-person or online events and meetings.
- Record your presentations or webinars and make them available on your website (with a gated form?).
- Post links to radio, TV clips, or newspaper stories on your website.
- Put QR codes on your print media to send people to your newsletter page (with subscriber form).
Want to launch an integrated campaign for National Family Caregivers Month?
Check to see if your territory is available.
