Many developers of active adult housing still struggle to separate hype from reality when it comes to online marketing and social media. What really works with 50+ homebuyers? That’s the topic Creating Results’ President Todd Harff will address next week in Orlando, where he’ll be a featured presenter at the 2011 International Builders Show.
Todd - along with co-presenters Dee Minich, Group Senior VP of Sales & Marketing for industry leader K. Hovnanian Homes and Jennifer McKee Hannon of the McKee Group – will present “50 Ways to Engage 50+ Consumers Through the Web and Social Media.” They’ll show attendees how to create their own Internet marketing action plan. And, they’ll share key findings from Creating Results’ soon-to-be-released national study, “Social, Silver Surfers.”
If you’re headed to Orlando, find your way to West 314B on Friday, January 14th. For the rest of us, here’s one big “ah-ha” Todd and his co-presenters will be stressing:
Want to pursue active adults? Stop hunting. Start gathering.
Gathering? Yup. Gathering.
Let’s be honest. No longer are builders simply “hunting” 50+ homebuyers with oversized postcards targeted by age, zip and income. Prospects begin hunting on their own – starting their research online, on their time, long before they think of paying you a visit in the real world.
So an integrated Internet Strategy that matches your prospects’ preferences is a critical resource to help you pursue AND nurture Leads.
Lead nurturing is an ongoing conversation, not a series of hit-and-run campaigns.
The Internet lead and the in-person lead should receive the same level of energy and service from your team. Start and maintain a conversation. Find out where they want to talk to you (your website? by email? on Facebook?) and respect that choice.
Give generously and frequently of your (online) time and (relevant, useful) content. Offer friendly incentives and discounts. Don’t think huge dollars, but make people feel special.
Play match-maker for other resources. That time-strapped Baby Boomer, trying to figure out how to downsize 30 years of household memories while caring for elderly parents and adult children and still keep her job … she’ll really appreciate your sharing a link to a reliable local plumber, contractor, Realtor or moving consultant.
By shifting your mindset and pursuing an integrated online plan, you’ll build your brand, attract new leads through lots of lovely keyword-rich content, AND you’ll nurture those leads.
Happy hunting gathering!
If you’d like to gather more insights into the online preferences and pet peeves of active adult homebuyers, register to receive the findings from Creating Results “Social, Silver Surfers” research at www.CreatingResults.com/social_silver_surfers.
Learn more about how – when it comes to marketing to Baby Boomers and 65+ (seniors) – social media hasn’t yet killed television by reading Nielsen’s statistics or posts from the 
