Marketing that works in the care sector: key insights from our February 2026 care seminar
Yesterday (26 February 2026), we welcomed care sector marketers to Mediahawk HQ for our latest care marketing seminar. It was a great day, with strong attendance, open discussion, and honest conversations about the challenges care marketers are facing right now.
From shifting enquiry patterns to the impact of AI on search, the day focused on one core question: how can care marketers create and convert genuine enquiries in an increasingly complex landscape?
Below, we’ve summarised the key themes from the seminar, along with why events like this matter so much to us, and to the wider care marketing community.
What we’re seeing in care enquiries right now
We opened the day by sharing the latest care sector enquiry trends, using anonymised data from across Mediahawk’s care client base.
A few key patterns stood out:
- 2024 was more resilient than expected, with no significant post January drop in enquiries and improving occupancy levels.
- 2025 has been more mixed, with a tougher first half of the year, flatter budgets, and higher competition for care seekers.
- Paid search spend has remained cautious for many groups, but increased activity later in the year drove stronger results, particularly in October and December.
One consistent theme was uncertainty. Many marketers are asking: Is this our performance, or is it the market? Without clear attribution, that’s a hard question to answer.
We’ll be shortly publishing our Spring 2026 care trend report. Sign-up to our webinar for early access.
The search shift: AI and the changing care seeker journey
A major focus of the seminar was how search behaviour is changing, and what that means for care marketers.
We explored three connected shifts:
- Zero click search: More care seekers are getting answers directly from search results or AI overviews, without visiting a website. Organic traffic may be flatter or declining, but high intent enquiries are still converting when marketers capture them effectively.
- Answer engines and AI tools: Care seekers are increasingly using tools like AI assistants to research options, compare care types, and shortlist providers. This changes where discovery happens, often before Google ever gets the credit.
- Social and “dark” discovery: More research now happens on social platforms, in private messages, or via recommendations. This often shows up as direct traffic, masking the real influence of earlier touchpoints.
The takeaway? Traffic matters less than understanding the full journey. What matters is knowing where care seekers discover you, and what finally prompts them to get in touch.
Why attribution matters more than ever in care marketing
The afternoon session focused on practical attribution challenges in the care sector, including:
- Tracking paid search, directories, door drops, and offline campaigns
- Understanding which calls are genuine care enquiries versus noise
- Identifying wasted spend and reallocating budget with confidence
- Connecting marketing activity to move ins, not just leads
Care journeys are long, emotional, and rarely linear. Calls remain critical, yet they’re often the least understood part of the journey. Better use of call data, enquiry categorisation, and speech analytics can transform how marketing teams plan, justify, and optimise spend.
Why seminars like this matter
What made the day special wasn’t just the presentations, it was the quality of conversation. Attendees shared what’s working, what isn’t, and where they feel stuck. Those discussions are invaluable.
At Mediahawk, we work with care marketers every day. We see the pressure to deliver results with tighter budgets, more channels, and less certainty. That’s why we believe seminars like this are so important.
They allow us to:
- Share real, care specific insight, not generic marketing theory
- Go deeper than surface level trends
- Learn from the challenges marketers are facing right now
- Give back to the care sector marketing community we’re proud to be part of
Supporting care marketers with clarity and confidence
Our goal is simple: to help care marketers understand what’s really driving enquiries and move ins, so they can make confident decisions.
Whether that’s navigating AI driven search changes, improving attribution, or making better use of call data, we believe deep understanding leads to better outcomes.
Thank you to everyone who joined us, asked thoughtful questions, and contributed to the discussion. We’re already looking forward to the next one.
If you’d like to talk about how these insights apply to your care group, we’re always happy to continue the conversation.
Get a clear view of which channels, calls, and campaigns lead to genuine care enquiries and move‑ins. Book a demo to see how Mediahawk helps care marketers make confident decisions.