In today’s competitive care sector, marketing is not just about being seen. It is about being seen by the right people in the right way at the right time. For care homes this means understanding who you are speaking to, choosing the right metrics and making every channel work harder for you. At Conteur, we have seen how an audience-first approach can transform occupancy rates and reputation. Here is how to refine your marketing so it works smarter not harder.

1. Understand your audience

The word ‘audience’ is the most important word in marketing. Whether you’re in B2B, B2C, or any other sector, the audience comes above all else. Before changing a blueprint, a Formula 1 car designer asks, ‘Does it make the car go faster?’. Similarly, a marketer should be asking, “Does this serve my audience?” 

This is a question I do not see asked enough. Care homes in particular need to ask this question before making any strategic marketing decision to ensure they are reaching the right people, with the right message, at the right time.

Care home marketers need to ensure they speak to their audience appropriately. For example, a care home might want to use a piece of copy they like, but it doesn’t necessarily connect with the audience most likely to choose their home. Another common pitfall is wanting to use a particular channel simply because it’s the one they are most comfortable with, without realising there are more relevant channels available to reach their audience.

The big question here, then, is ‘How do we understand our audience more?’ The short answer is to listen and observe. Here’s how you can take action on that:

• Conduct surveys with residents’ families to understand their decision-making process and priorities.
• Use call tracking software to analyse the questions and concerns raised during initial enquiries.
• Monitor social media comments and online reviews to gauge public perception and identify recurring themes.

By actively engaging with your audience, you can create detailed audience profiles or personas that help you better tailor your messaging and choose the most effective communication channels.

2. Focus on the right KPIs

If the word ‘audience’ is the most important, then the term ‘KPIs’ is not far behind. For a long time, KPIs were seen as being exclusively part of the digital marketing world, but today they need to be taken seriously across all types of marketing. 

I think the magic in marketing is not always tied to hitting a KPI. However, in 2025, with political and economic changes affecting spending capabilities for both businesses and consumers, it is crucial to focus on the KPIs that truly matter and reflect where a business is and where it needs to be.

If you want to improve your care home’s marketing, then you need to decide with your key decision-makers what you want to track and why. Is a phone call a KPI, or is a lead form completion? Filling beds is the ultimate goal, but which KPIs show that your actions are leading to conversions? A useful tip: it’s not vanity metrics, like reach or impressions!

Here are some key KPIs to consider, regardless of the marketing channel:

• Lead generation: This isn’t just a number; it’s the raw fuel for your engine.Track the number of new enquiries or contacts you generate through your marketing efforts.
• Organic website traffic: The number of visitors who find your website through search engines like Google. This metric shows how well your content and SEO strategy are working.
• Conversion rate: A high conversion rate proves your marketing message is persuasive, turning website visitors into potential residents. Track the percentage of visitors who complete a desired action, such as booking a tour.
• Referrals: A strong referral rate indicates resident satisfaction and a positive reputation. Track the number of new residents or enquiries that come from existing families or other partners.
• Return on investment (ROI): This is the ultimate metric for justifying your marketing budget to senior management. It measures the profitability of your marketing spend.

3. Get a CRM

A CRM is a must-have tool for any business. If you want to take your care home’s marketing to a higher level, then you need a CRM system. Not having one is like a commercial aircraft flying without a guidance system. Yes, it can still reach its intended destination, but knowing how it got there is crucial for getting back there, again and again. A CRM simply allows you to follow the narrative of your marketing efforts. You can see where the pitfalls are and where leads are coming from, so you know where to concentrate further marketing spend.

If you have a CRM already but feel a little overwhelmed, here is what you should be tracking:

• Lead Source: Identify where each lead originated. This may require linking your CRM to ad platforms like Google PPC and asking care home managers to follow up with enquiries about how they heard of the home.
• Audience profiling: A good CRM can help you build a picture of your audience’s age, location and preferred contact methods. This insight can influence everything from your website’s copy to whether you focus on generating home visits over brochure requests.
• Conversion Rates: This shows the power of your marketing tools and sales funnel. By tracking the percentage of leads who complete a desired action, you can set conversion cost targets for your paid ad campaigns.
• Occupancy Rates: This critical business KPI provides a wider picture. It shows how many beds you are filling compared to the number of leads entering your CRM

4. Combine your channels

Marketing efforts work better together than they ever will on their own. It’s a ‘strength in numbers’ approach. A strong care home marketing plan will account for a multifaceted approach with a mix of channels. Consider the PESO model: paid, earned, shared and owned:

Paid – Media or content you pay to place or promote, such as ads or boosted social posts.

Example: A Google Ads campaign targeting searches like “dementia care near me” to reach families actively looking for services.

Earned – Publicity gained through third-party coverage, such as press mentions, reviews, or influencer endorsements, without payment.

Example: A local news feature about a staff member winning an award, building positive external credibility.

Shared – Content amplified by audiences through social media shares, comments, and engagement.

Example: A heartwarming video of a resident’s daily life that’s widely shared by their family and friends.

Owned – Media channels you control, including your website, blog, email newsletters, or branded content.

Example: Showcasing the award-winning staff member and your services on your website and blog.

Remember the golden rule, though: does it serve the audience you are trying to reach?

5. Know what makes you different

This is possibly the most important point of all. If you can work out what makes you different from the rest, then everything else will flow – from your sales funnel to how you talk about your business. It is a point that is not considered nearly as much as it should be, based on my experience with care home groups. There seems to be a pattern of homes talking about being friendly and welcoming, as though no other home has ever tried to say the same thing before.

To elevate your care home’s marketing, you need to dig deeper and work out why your home should be considered above competitors. Think outside the box. It might not necessarily come down to a tangible facility. Perhaps you have a care worker no other home has, an unsung hero with an intriguing story, a unique personality, or an award you can celebrate that the competitor across town does not have.

Of course, your unique selling point (USP) could simply be a better location than others in the county. If that’s the case, then that’s what you need to lean into. 

For every home, it is something different. The key to unlocking better marketing is knowing what that point of difference is, how to talk about it to your advantage, and how to own it day in and day out. What is your care home’s unique story and how are you telling it?

Concluding thoughts

Great care home marketing does not happen by accident. It comes from knowing your audience, tracking the right performance indicators, using the right tools and communicating what makes you unique. By putting these principles into practice you can make sure your marketing is not only seen but remembered and acted upon. If you are ready to fill beds, strengthen your brand and reach the families who matter most, Conteur can help you make it happen.