If you know Big Buzz, you know we are always listening. Most recently, we are hearing senior living marketers wondering, “How do we make the case for allocating marketing budgets toward things that aren’t instant moneymakers, but will be pay off long term?”

To find the answer unique to your situation, print and fill out this quiz to see how your organization stacks up to industry benchmarks.

Read each statement, then circle the number that best represents your organization’s current state.

1. Our brand is not based solely upon our mission, vision and values.

Strongly Agree 1 2 3 4 Strongly Disagree

2. Our brand is not based solely upon our internal team’s thoughts and feelings.

Strongly Agree 1 2 3 4 Strongly Disagree

3. When we develop new marketing initiatives, the differentiation therein is not based solely upon what we feel people like about us.

Strongly Agree 1 2 3 4 Strongly Disagree

4. When we develop new marketing initiatives, the differentiation therein is based upon approved brand standards.

Strongly Agree 1 2 3 4 Strongly Disagree

5. Our brand standards guide was developed or updated within the last 3 years using voice-of-the-customer data.

Strongly Agree 1 2 3 4 Strongly Disagree

6. Before developing new marketing initiatives, people on our internal and external marketing teams are in the regular habit of asking, “What does the data show is our lasting, true differentiation in the minds of those we best serve?”

Strongly Agree 1 2 3 4 Strongly Disagree

7. Our marketing plan is not based solely upon the thoughts and feelings of our finite marketing team.

Strongly Agree 1 2 3 4 Strongly Disagree

8. “What campaign should we run this quarter?” is a frequent conversation among the people on our internal and external marketing teams, and we have ample data to answer that question each time.

Strongly Agree 1 2 3 4 Strongly Disagree

9. Before developing any new campaign, people on our internal and external marketing teams ask, “What does our approved strategic marketing plan indicate is our next campaign?”

Strongly Agree 1 2 3 4 Strongly Disagree

10. When our team is asked by the CEO, COO, investors or other non-marketers to deviate from our marketing plan, we are ready with data to show why we approve or decline those requests.

Strongly Agree 1 2 3 4 Strongly Disagree

11. Our marketing collateral is not built on templates that may also be available to our competitors.

Strongly Agree 1 2 3 4 Strongly Disagree

12. Our marketing collateral is developed from our unique brand standards established with data from our residents and families.

Strongly Agree 1 2 3 4 Strongly Disagree

13. Our digital marketing ads are not built on templates that may also be available to our competitors.

Strongly Agree 1 2 3 4 Strongly Disagree

14. Our digital marketing ads are developed from our unique brand standards established with data from our residents and families.

Strongly Agree 1 2 3 4 Strongly Disagree

15. Our website is not built on templates that may also be available to our competitors.

Strongly Agree 1 2 3 4 Strongly Disagree

16. Our website is developed from our unique brand standards established with data from our residents and families.

Strongly Agree 1 2 3 4 Strongly Disagree

17. Our content marketing is not based solely upon the thoughts and feelings of our finite marketing team.

Strongly Agree 1 2 3 4 Strongly Disagree

18. When our internal or external marketing teams prepare to develop new content for our blog, website or email automation campaigns, we have data that correctly answers the question, “What should we write this week?”

Strongly Agree 1 2 3 4 Strongly Disagree

19. We regularly collect data from would-be prospects so that our content marketing strategy is sure to address the pain points they are experiencing now.

Strongly Agree 1 2 3 4 Strongly Disagree

20. When our internal or external marketing teams prepare to develop new content for the blog, website or email automation campaigns, they often ask, “What does our editorial calendar indicate we publish next?”

Strongly Agree 1 2 3 4 Strongly Disagree

21. Our social media marketing is not based solely upon the thoughts and feelings of our finite marketing team.

Strongly Agree 1 2 3 4 Strongly Disagree

22. When our internal or external marketing teams prepare to develop new posts for social media marketing, we have data that correctly answers the question, “What should we post this week?”

Strongly Agree 1 2 3 4 Strongly Disagree

23. We regularly collect data from would-be prospects so that our social media marketing strategy is sure to address the pain points they are experiencing now.

Strongly Agree 1 2 3 4 Strongly Disagree

24. When our internal or external marketing teams prepare to develop new posts for social media marketing, they often ask, “What does our social media marketing calendar indicate we post next?”

Strongly Agree 1 2 3 4 Strongly Disagree

25. Each of our marketing projects delivers the right calls to action at the right points in the marketing or sales cycle according to senior living industry best practices.

Strongly Agree 1 2 3 4 Strongly Disagree

Now, add up the numbers you circled and write your total here: ________

25–33

Expert Long-Term Marketing ROI Earners
You and your leadership, marketing and sales teams are aligned on investing in long-term solutions to attract warm leads, maintain high census at all locations, keep investors happy and be well positioned to expand locations. You know long-term marketing solutions cost less and make better ROI drivers. Keep in mind: both ongoing team turnover and resident attrition call for renewed training and strategies to maintain high marketing ROI earnings.

34-67

Emerging Long-Term Marketing ROI Professionals
Maybe you and your team are investing in long-term marketing approaches, but not all stakeholders are fully aligned on applying outcomes and industry best standards organization wide. Or perhaps everyone is aligned, but the team is still a bit shortsighted when it comes to marketing solutions. Try this: Take these quiz results to the budget approvers, whether that’s a C-suite executive or investors, to open the conversation about known gaps and possible solutions in the organizational marketing approach.

68–100

Seeking Direction for Long-Term Marketing ROI
Sometimes the hectic nature of everyday marketing has people in denial about facing the truth: short-term fixes aren’t earning the organization solid returns, nor do they foster very fulfilling work. Try this: Take these 3 steps with your leadership team and investors to attain concrete evidence of progress made (even if there are not yet returns) then open a dialogue about one or two actions the team might take now to begin transitioning from short-term to more long-term marketing investing.

Ready for a long-term solution? Learn exactly how to get down to the root out marketing inefficiencies for good.

Yes, I want a complimentary strategy session with a Big Buzz expert today so I can get:

✅ Clarity on the root causes of current sales and marketing issues

✅ Research and industry intel that will help eradicate lead issues for good

✅ A clearer vision for reaching the organization’s desired future state

✅ A free initial nurture marketing plan to invite warm leads to move in now