Retirement Community Marketing: How Video Can Attract New Residents

In the digital age, your next resident might be a thousand miles away. Are you reaching them?

Aging Americans face a paradox of choice when choosing how and where to spend their golden years. According to IBISWorld data, as of 2024, there are approximately 19,663 retirement communities in the United States, representing a slight increase from the previous year with a growth rate of 1.8% compared to 2023. With more options than ever, it is integral that your retirement community can stand out and provide potential residents with an immersive experience that provides a deeper understanding of what your community has to offer. This is where virtual tours and video marketing come into play. By offering interactive and engaging online experiences, retirement communities can transcend geographical limitations, provide a realistic sense of community life, and build stronger connections with potential residents.

Your client base is no longer residents within 50 or even 100 miles. With the growth of baby boomers actively online and engaging on social media, you can connect with a potential resident living hundreds of miles away, eager to explore a community that is the perfect fit. Meet the potential residents where they are with online video marketing. Your first thought is A Virtual Tour! Yes, that is a great idea, but I challenge you to think and take the video one step further. How else can you take potential residents into your community besides a cookie-cutter tour? 

Going Beyond Virtual Tours:

Marketing your retirement community is a transparent way to introduce potential residents to all you offer. While a virtual tour is an excellent tool for our clients, we also provide a range of curated video content that Retirement Communities can integrate into their social media. 

• “Meet the Residents” Segments: The best people to sell your product are the ones who already bought it. Creating short video content, interviewing, and interacting with your residents will provide a genuine look into what people are doing daily. As human beings, we want to hang out with people we like, know, and trust; video is an on-ramp to that sentiment. Overtly scripted video content can feel stale and disingenuous. This is a fun way for prospective residents to re-engage with current residents and meet their neighbors. 
• Staff Interview Videos: Highlight the compassionate and dedicated staff members who make your community thrive. Follow for a Day in the Lifestyle video of what it is like to be the chef in your community. What goes into the meals they make each day? Showcase their commitment to resident well-being and the passion they bring to your community every day. PassionThese videos can build trust and demonstrate the high level of care residents can expect.
• Curated Video Content: The limits of video for a community are endless. Engage your residents to make video content with your video production or social media team. Video topics can be events, clubs, or daily community events. Your model train club spent 100 hours setting up the holiday train in the lobby. Film it! Showcase your residents and show your followers that you value them and the work they do. 

Integrating Video into Your Retirement Community’s Marketing Strategy

Creating a video is fun; the important part is ensuring the video is accessible to your residents, potential residents, and followers. Video content should seamlessly integrate into your current social media and outbound marketing efforts. 

• Host videos on a dedicated page of your website: Residents and potential residents need an easy way to find and share your videos. Keeping your best video content in a central location makes it easy for all parties. 
• Post videos on social media platforms: Your current and potential residents are on social media, so you should meet them where they are. Utilize platforms like Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook to build and grow an audience with each video.
• Email marketing campaigns: Not all your residents use social media, so don’t forget to share your video content over email. A potential resident could receive videos on the newest happenings of the community, what it looks like during the fall, and what the restaurant is cooking this week. Strive for more touchpoints to build a connection and earn their trust. 

Conclusion

The customer base for retirement communities trends older, obviously, but that doesn’t mean it excludes your business from creating video content. Most residential communities do not make video content, which makes it easy for you to stand out. At Chocolate Bar Studios, we work with Retirement Communities, among other businesses, to brainstorm, produce, and film video content. Every business should be able to afford and benefit from high-quality video content. Please get in touch with our video production team if you want to learn more.