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Community affairs activities are the most traditional and dominant form of marketing in the long-term care industry -- an effective grass-roots approach to achieving good-will and maintaining marketplace exposure. Calling on local hospitals or other primary referral sources and making presentations to civic groups are approaches common to many facilities. However, there are a number of additional ways a facility can enhance and integrate its community affairs activities to achieve even greater market awareness.
Think about the referral and community groups with which most facilities interact. Do they represent all potential medical, civic, and business groups in the community, or only a limited few? Operators should avoid the vulnerable market position of having all referrals come from a select few sources, especially hospitals. We all know that hospitals are growing major players in the long-term care industry. Facilities that limit their community courtship to area discharge planners are, in essence, courting potential competitors. A well-integrated community affairs effort requires that outreach activities encompass as many target market groups as possible. Examples of these groups include: churches, employers, banks, colleges, and a host of civic organizations comprised of decision-influencers and family members of prospective residents,
How frequently should a facility interact with these groups? Should presentations be made only in response to requests, or should the staff actively solicit presentation opportunities? As a rule of thumb, effective outreach requires that a facility initiate community interaction with as many groups as possible, as often as possible. The standard performance goal for community affairs activities is that a facility should contact...