Why care home marketing is changing – and what you need to do about it

As a marketing professional in the care home sector, are you getting fewer enquiries from your campaigns but you’re not sure why? Look beneath the surface, dip your toes into the data, and you’ll sense the tide is changing.

On paper, the care home industry isn’t a sector that you’d normally associate with seismic shifts in consumer behaviour. Audiences aren’t demanding apps, expecting on-demand services, or switching between providers on a whim.

However, subtle changes are happening within the care home sector. Potential residents and their families are thinking and acting in a different way.

Costly slots on terrestrial TV, one-page ads in country-style magazines and glossy brochures with reassuring messages may have convinced customers in 2011. But 14 years later, these may only form part of a more complex and nuanced mix of activities. And unless you can see the picture of what’s really happening with prospects, you could spend a fortune – and get a diminishing return.

Brief summary

• Google Business Profile (GBP) now accounts for 40% of marketing-driven phone enquiries into care homes, showing a major shift toward digital/mobile channels among retired people and their families
• Traditional marketing alone is no longer sufficient – costly TV slots, magazine ads, and glossy brochures must now form part of a more complex, nuanced marketing mix
• Brand narrative goes beyond listing services – successful care homes tell compelling stories about why they exist, what drives their team, and how they improve residents’ lives
• Multi-channel approach remains essential – while digital drives enquiries, local GP partnerships, community events, referral programmes, and targeted direct mail still generate high-quality enquiries
• AI-powered personalisation transforms engagement – chatbots pre-qualify enquiries, personalised content journeys deliver relevant information, and video marketing brings care communities to life
• Social proof through testimonials is crucial – quantifiable results, family testimonials, staff stories, and before-and-after cases build trust with families making difficult care decisions
• Website optimisation requires continuous attention – mobile-friendly design, live chat functionality, regular content updates, and technical performance affect conversion rates
• Marketing supports both resident acquisition and recruitment – showcasing team expertise and workplace culture attracts quality staff while demonstrating investment to families
• Google Business Profile optimisation goes beyond basic listing – regular photo uploads, review management, posts/updates, and Q&A sections significantly influence enquiry rates
• Call tracking reveals complete customer journey – track prospects from GBP to website to phone call, understanding which pages and messages drive conversions for smarter resource allocation
• Integration shows how channels work together – understanding the pivotal role of each marketing activity and how they feed prospects toward conversion enables optimal budget redirection

Building your care home’s brand narrative

The most successful care homes in 2025 don’t just market their services – they tell compelling stories that resonate with families facing difficult decisions about their loved ones’ care.

Your brand narrative goes beyond listing facilities and services. It communicates why your care home exists, what drives your team, and how you improve residents’ lives. This emotional connection becomes crucial when families are choosing between multiple care options.

Identifying what truly sets your care home apart is just the beginning of an optimal care home marketing strategy.

Your unique selling points should reflect genuine strengths rather than generic statements about ‘quality care’. Use call tracking data to understand which aspects of your care home prospects are frequently mentioned during phone conversations. You’ll then know which unique selling points resonate most strongly with your target audience and are able to cater your nursing home marketing accordingly.

Staying in sync with customers

Today, care home marketers can no longer approach their business in the same old way, otherwise audiences will dwindle and revenues will slump. Campaigns must feel fresh, compelling and reach customers wherever they happen to be looking – or they’ll go elsewhere.

Put simply, you need tools that help you stay in sync with customer behaviour.

Mediahawk carried out research into care seeker behaviour and uncovered some surprising findings. Perhaps the most striking was that Google Business Profile (GBP) now accounts for 40% of marketing-driven phone enquiries into care homes.

Several deductions could be drawn from this.

Firstly, many retired people and their younger relatives lean towards digital/mobile channels. Secondly, GBP gives them instant access to reviews, which are hugely important. Thirdly, they like the convenience of Google’s click-to-call feature, sometimes calling on the move. What’s also interesting is that GBP generates up to 10% of all traffic to care home websites.

This kind of data isn’t just interesting for marketers, it can be the gateway to something greater – the ability to see the big picture on marketing attribution.

Multi-channel marketing beyond digital

While digital channels like Google Business Profile drive significant enquiries, successful care home marketing requires an approach that includes traditional and community-based activities.

Local outreach remains crucial for building community trust. Therefore, partnerships with GP practices, hospitals, and community health teams create referral networks that generate high-quality enquiries. These relationships often produce leads from families who need immediate care solutions.

Referral programmes aim to reward existing families for recommending your care home to others. This means satisfied families become your strongest advocates, and structured referral systems ensure these valuable recommendations translate into measurable marketing results.

Door drops and targeted direct mail work particularly well for care homes because they reach families in their local area when researching care options. However, success requires careful targeting based on demographics, local health data, and catchment area analysis.

Community events and open days allow prospects to experience your care environment firsthand. These activities generate enquiries while building local relationships that support long-term reputation and referral generation.

Traditional advertising still plays a role in reaching older demographics and their families. However, modern measurement techniques are useful to track the effectiveness of radio spots, local newspaper advertisements, and printed materials to ensure optimal budget allocation.

The key is understanding how these channels work together to create a complete customer journey that moves prospects from initial awareness to enquiry and conversion.

AI-powered personalisation and video marketing

Artificial intelligence and video content are transforming how care homes connect with prospective residents and their families in 2025.

• AI chatbots
  Pre-qualify enquiries before families speak with your team, ensuring your staff spend time with the most serious prospects while providing immediate responses to basic questions about availability, costs, and services.
• Personalised content journeys
  Use family preferences and browsing behaviour to deliver relevant information at optimal times. If someone repeatedly views your dementia care pages, they might receive targeted email content about your specialist services and success stories.
• Video marketing
  Bring your care community to life in ways that photographs and written content cannot achieve. Virtual tours allow families to explore your facilities remotely, while resident testimonials and day-in-the-life videos demonstrate the quality of life you provide.
• Drone footage and professional videography
  Showcase your grounds, facilities, and community atmosphere more effectively than traditional photography. These assets work across multiple marketing channels.
• Live streaming
  Feature virtual events, facility tours, and family communication sessions, which are particularly valuable for families who cannot visit in person.

Testimonials and success stories

Social proof through testimonials and case studies has become essential for building trust with families making care home decisions.

• Quantifiable results tell compelling stories
  Rather than generic statements about quality care, share specific achievements like “increased family satisfaction scores by 40%” or “reduced resident hospital admissions by 25% through proactive health monitoring.”
• Family testimonials address common concerns
  Build trust about safety, happiness, social engagement, and quality of life. Video testimonials often prove more compelling than written reviews because they convey genuine emotion and satisfaction.
• Staff testimonials will demonstrate expertise and commitment
  Help families understand the professional qualifications and personal dedication of your care team. These also support recruitment by showing career satisfaction and development opportunities.
• Before-and-after stories
  With appropriate consent, these can illustrate how your care approach helps residents thrive. Examples might include improved mobility through physiotherapy programmes or enhanced social engagement through activity coordination.

Integration with digital marketing ensures these testimonials reach the right audience through targeted social media campaigns, email marketing, and website optimisation strategies.

Putting the clues together

With the right tools, you can explore prospect behaviour and interest – and answer it – in a much smarter way. For example, using small pieces of code and dedicated phone numbers, there are ways to follow people’s movements from GBP to your website and then onto various web pages – right up to the moment when they call you. You’ll see their whole customer journey in front of you.

Thanks to call tracking data, a picture emerges. You’ll discover which pages and messages convinced people to call, and gain ideas for your next campaign — and where to devote your resources.

Website optimisation and live chat implementation

Your website serves as the central hub where all marketing channels converge, making continuous optimisation essential for converting visitors into enquiries. 

Regular website monitoring ensures optimal performance across all devices and browsers. Families often research care options on mobile devices while visiting elderly relatives or during brief moments between work commitments. Technical issues that prevent easy browsing can lose valuable enquiries. 

Regular updates about activities, staff achievements, and facility improvements demonstrate that your care home is vibrant and well-managed. 

A live chat functionality will address immediate questions from families who might otherwise leave without making contact. Many care home websites benefit from 24/7 managed chat solutions that can answer basic questions about services, availability, and costs outside normal business hours. 

This chat data provides valuable insights into common concerns and frequently asked questions. This information will help you optimise your website content and identify training opportunities for your enquiry handling team. 

Integrating this with call tracking shows which website visitors progress from chat interactions to phone calls, helping you understand the complete digital customer journey. 

Supporting recruitment through marketing

Care home marketing strategies should support both resident acquisition and staff recruitment – two interconnected challenges that affect service quality and reputation. 

Showcasing your team’s expertise, training programmes, and career development opportunities helps attract quality care professionals while demonstrating to families that you invest in excellent staffing. 

Staff testimonials and behind-the-scenes content work for both recruitment and resident marketing. Families want to see happy, engaged staff members, while potential employees want to understand your workplace culture and values. 

Your team’s community involvement enhances both local reputation and recruitment appeal. When your staff participate in local health fairs, charity events, or training programmes, they build community connections while demonstrating professional development opportunities. 

Speech Analytics can identify training needs by analysing phone conversations for common questions, concerns, or areas where staff might need additional support. 

Enhanced Google Business Profile optimisation

Google Business Profile optimisation now requires more strategic approaches beyond basic listing management. 

• Regular photo uploads showcase daily life at your care home, helping families visualise their loved one in your community.  
• Review management requires proactive strategies for encouraging satisfied families to share their experiences while professionally addressing any concerns. Positive reviews significantly influence enquiry rates and local search rankings. 
• Posts and updates keep your listing active with news about events, achievements, and community activities. These updates appear in search results and demonstrate active management to prospective families. 
• Question and answer sections allow you to proactively address common concerns about costs, services, and availability. Monitoring and responding to questions allows for community engagement and provides valuable information for future marketing content. 
• Integration with call tracking shows which GBP activities drive phone enquiries, helping you optimise your listing content and posting strategy for maximum impact. 

But GBP is only the start. You can use call tracking tech with social media videos and ads, and all your paid search activities. Marketers can also see the results from traditional marketing activities, from radio and magazine ads, to billboards and flyers.

Crucially, you start to see the pivotal role played by each marketing move and how well one feeds prospects towards another. If one activity engages with prospects and another gets ignored, then it’s time to redirect your resources.

This is the best way to stay in step with your audiences – and avoid your marketing strategy from becoming outdated and abandoned by prospects. If they change, you can always change with them.