Tips for Writing a Basic Marketing Plan for Your Senior Center

Growing any business starts with a marketing plan, and that includes a senior center. If you want more people to know about your community, your marketing arsenal should include a plan that documents the steps to reach your target audience.

The benefits of a marketing plan are endless. With it, you can increase your membership and manage your senior center more easily. Without it, you could miss out on many opportunities for growth.

But how do you write a marketing plan? Here are some tips to help you.

1. Set your goals and objectives

First, be clear about what you want to achieve in your marketing efforts. Is it to increase participation in events, followers on social media, or website traffic? Do you want more members? List your goals and break them down into achievable objectives or small tasks.

If one goal is to increase membership, your objective could be to launch an event. A media release can help get the word out about your event and attract more attendees. Use your goals and objectives as maps to guide you to success.

2. Know your target audience

A basic marketing plan includes information about your target audience. Since your target market is seniors, what are they like? Do they engage in fitness or creative activities? Are they involved in church events? Write what they value the most, what piques their interest, and where to find them.

Many senior centers prefer traditional marketing methods, like newspaper ads and direct marketing pieces. But these days, a combination of online and off-line strategies is ideal. If you have an in-depth understanding of your audience profile, you can tailor your marketing message to attract the right people.

3. Study other senior centers

Apart from knowing your audience, you should also get to know your competitors. By looking at what other senior centers and organizations targeting older adult do, you gain a broader marketing perspective. That can help you figure out outreach opportunities you might be missing.

For example, another senior center may have more followers and higher engagement on Facebook. You can use this insight to look at your social media pages, find gaps in your marketing, and fine-tune your strategies. Don’t forget to include whatever information you find in your marketing plan.

4. Identify your USP

Describe what makes your senior center unique from others. You should be able to cite at least one thing that makes you a better choice. Perhaps you offer a food pantry, have a meal program, or have daily fitness programs. Identify your unique selling proposition (USP) and use it to direct more attention to your community.

5. Specify your marketing strategy

Next, write a step-by-step plan to achieve your goals. Enumerate which marketing vehicles seniors are likely to respond to. For instance, if they love to join events, you can host events that allow them to socialize with other seniors in the area.

Use various marketing channels, including emails, blogs, and videos to get a response from your target audience.

6. Set your marketing budget

Last, you want to include your budget in your marketing plan. You may need to hire a freelancer to write a quality blog post for your website or a part-time marketing manager to implement your strategies.

As you move forward, you’ll want to make sure to track and reconcile expenses. It will also allow you to continuously evaluate the return on marketing dollars.

Get Your Marketing Right with a Plan

A marketing plan helps you be proactive rather than reactive in your marketing efforts. It doesn’t have to be overly complicated or sophisticated. What’s important is outlining key elements. These include your goals and objectives, your audience’s profile, research about your competitors, USP, and marketing budget.

After planning, you need to execute your strategies to realize your goals. Whether it’s using Facebook to connect with your target audience, hosting more events, or email marketing, implementing your plan is the way to expand your senior center.

Updated on 03-21-2024