In today’s digital world, social media has become an essential tool for businesses to connect with their target audience and promote their products or services. While platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and X (formerly Twitter) have been popular among marketers for years, a new player has entered the game – TikTok.
TikTok is a social media platform that allows users to create short videos with music, filters, and other effects. It has quickly gained popularity among younger audiences, with more than 800 million active users worldwide. And, while it may seem like just another app for teenagers to share dance moves and lip-syncing videos, TikTok can also be a valuable tool for sales and marketing professionals in the senior living industry.
The Power of Video Marketing
Video marketing is incredibly powerful. According to a report by Cisco, videos account for more than 80% of all internet traffic. And it’s not just young people who are consuming video content; the report also states that 68% of baby boomers watch online videos regularly. This trend shows no signs of slowing down, making it clear that video marketing is a crucial component for businesses to reach their target audience.
One of the key reasons why TikTok is becoming popular among marketers is its ability to reach a younger audience. The majority of TikTok users fall between the ages of 18-34, making it an ideal platform for businesses targeting this demographic; other demographics are rapidly gaining momentum. This is especially important for the senior living industry, as they try to appeal to the adult children of potential residents as well as identify new ways to reach potential employees.
Showcasing Your Community
Senior living communities often face challenges when trying to promote their services and amenities. It can be challenging to convey the warmth and sense of community that these facilities offer through traditional marketing channels. However, with TikTok, businesses can create short and engaging videos that showcase their community’s unique features and activities.
For instance, a senior living community can post videos of residents participating in various group activities like gardening, cooking classes, or even dancing to popular songs. These types of content are not only entertaining but also give potential residents and their families a glimpse into the community’s daily life. By showcasing the lifestyle and atmosphere of their community, sales and marketing professionals can attract more interest from potential residents.
Senior Living Executive caught up with one such TikTok pioneer, Sarah Neal, Senior Director of Life Enrichment at The Aspenwood Company.
“What started out as a unique way to capture the activities that our seniors are participating in has turned into a marketing machine for us,” commented Neal. Several times each week, I post a video “A Day in the Life of a Life Enrichment Director” which outlines some of the things I do with our residents.”
“I’ve had so much fun creating these videos. I’ll record parties and game nights, trips, and more. Over time, my following has grown to more than 57,000 people,” continued Neal. “I have even had one person contact me looking for a place that ‘was just like this’ for their mom. She was ready to move the whole way to Texas from another state to join a community like Aspenwood.”
“TikTok was not something we originally planned to use but over time has become an important part of our social media efforts.” Continued Neal. “Using TikTok has been a key to raising awareness not only about our communities but has also helped to showcase all of the wonderful things that senior living has to offer. I am so proud to be a part of the Aspenwood family and to show the world that I am lucky enough to have such a rewarding job.”
If you’d like to see some of Sarah’s TikToks, look for her @sarahneal.
How Brightview Senior Living Revolutionized Their Social Media Strategy with TikTok
Brightview Senior Living has made waves in the social media world by expanding their strategy to include TikTok. Senior Living Executive caught up with Julie Masiello, Senior Vice President Marketing and Technology with Brightview.
While Brightview started their social media journey with Facebook in 2016, they found that TikTok offers a more vibrant and engaging video platform for showcasing their senior living communities. And, unlike traditional top-down corporate posting, Brightview empowers their associates from various communities to share the fun that their residents experience every day by creating and sharing content. These Vibrant Living associates have a keen understanding of the brand, the residents, and stay up-to-date with the latest TikTok trends. With this approach, Brightview communities have been able to grow their followers and viewers organically.
Brightview is actively looking to expand their program to all of their communities. To achieve this, they are developing a social media bootcamp through their PR firm to encourage more active engagement on TikTok and social media as a whole.
The impact of Brightview’s TikTok presence is undeniable. The Vibrant Living (programming) associates developed a TikTok video that went viral the week before the AFC Championship football game between the Baltimore Ravens and the Kansas City Chiefs. Brightview White Marsh residents decided to welcome Taylor Swift to Baltimore with this TikTok video.
This TikTok video was viewed nearly 700,000 times, with more than 113,000 likes, comments, and shares – it reached 157 million people nationwide on various media outlets. It appeared on the Today Show, Inside Edition, People Magazine, Parade Magazine, Daily Mail, SiriusXM, as well as many local and regional TV, radio stations, and their websites. It was also syndicated on NBC, where it was played on 336 TV stations across the country. In public relations terms, that coverage was worth nearly $800,000 in publicity value.
The involvement of Taylor Swift’s followers “Swifties” and the businesses featured in the TikTok video was remarkable. Swifties far and wide added comments to talk about how nice and classy the message was from our residents. And, the businesses mentioned in the video went above and beyond to show their appreciation to Brightview’s residents by providing meals, t-shirts, and other treats.
Ms. Masiello expressed her desire to use these types of videos as a means to challenge assumptions about senior living and to showcase the vibrancy of their communities. By presenting a positive and authentic image, Brightview aims to attract both potential residents and employees.
“I want to leverage these videos to overcome some of the assumptions made about what senior living is and what we do,” commented Julie Masiello of Brightview Senior Living. “The more we can show the industry in a positive way, the more we can influence people to take a look at what we have to offer. This applies to both attracting perspective residents and perspective employees.”
Brightview is enthusiastic about their TikTok strategy and hopes that the senior living industry will embrace these platforms to highlight the happiness and vibrancy of their residents and communities.
TikTok Sparks Good
On TikTok, the world’s stage for creativity, you can spark connections, get inspired, and weave meaningful narratives. From passionate creators to small businesses, everyone has the opportunity to uplift and influence, touching hearts and driving positive change wherever they can be found. And with “TikTok Sparks Good”, a one-of-a-kind docuseries, this impact leaps off screens to share enlightening success stories in compelling 60-second bites, narrated by the very forces behind them. This isn’t just content—it’s a movement, a channel bound to drive actual impact beyond the digital realm.
This high-impact series lives on the TikTok Impact website, a canvas where small businesses shine, illuminating countless narratives of economic growth and community empowerment, all thanks to this innovative platform. It’s here, in these stories, that we see how TikTok isn’t just a part of the economy—it nurtures it, fuels it, and makes it dance.
Take, for instance, Independence Village in Waukee, Iowa, a cherished part of the “TikTok Sparks Good” campaign. With more than 120,000 followers, this vibrant senior living community shares laughter, stories, and joy with the world, proving that connection and inspiration know no bounds. And with their newfound platform, they’ve been able to cultivate a robust and supportive community of followers who keep coming back for more.
But it’s not just small businesses making an impact on TikTok. The platform has also become a stage for social activism and awareness. From the Black Lives Matter movement to climate change, creators are using their voices and reach to educate and mobilize others to make a difference. And with TikTok’s global reach, these messages are spreading far and wide, reaching audiences that may have never been exposed to them before.
But what sets TikTok apart as a platform for change is its emphasis on creativity and storytelling. Through short-form videos, creators can convey powerful messages in a unique and engaging way. It’s not just about raising awareness, but also about inspiring action and sparking conversations that leads to real change. And with its algorithm that promotes diverse content, TikTok is breaking down barriers and bringing people from all walks of life together.
Now is the time for the senior living industry to take control of the narrative surrounding our industry and show everyone the incredible services we provide to seniors in our communities. With recent media coverage and increased attention from lawmakers, it’s more important than ever for us to tell our story. With every video your communities post that showcase the vibrancy, sense of community, the inclusivity and connectivity our residents enjoy, we are one step closer to educating lawmakers on the value senior living truly provides.
So, while TikTok may have started as an entertaining platform for short-form content, it has evolved into something much bigger – a powerful tool for positive change and global impact. It’s a reminder that with creativity, connection, and storytelling, even the smallest actions can have a big impact on the world.
Staying Relevant and Engaging
TikTok is a fast-paced platform that constantly provides new trends for users to participate in. This makes it essential for communities to stay up-to-date with trends and create content that resonates with their target audiences. By leveraging these trends, sales and marketing professionals in the senior living industry can keep their brand relevant and engaging.
At the end of the day, TikTok may be a relatively new platform, but it’s quickly gaining popularity and transforming the way businesses connect with their audiences. By leveraging this platform effectively, sales and marketing professionals in the senior living industry can reach a younger demographic, showcase their community, and stay relevant in an ever-changing digital landscape.
For those of you who live by statistics, here is a snapshot of TikTok users, growth rate and more.
- TikTok active users: TikTok has more than 1 billion monthly active users.
- Number of downloads: TikTok has been downloaded more than 4.1 billion times.
- Overtaking competition: Considering it was only released in 2016, TikTok was the 6th ranked social media app in 2021. TikTok has surpassed X (Twitter), Telegram, Reddit, Pinterest, and Snapchat in monthly active users.
- Company valuation: TikTok’s parent company (Bytedance) reportedly reached a valuation of $223.5 billion in 2023.
- User growth rate: TikTok had a 1157.76% increase in its global user base between Jan 2018 and July 2020; the U.S. saw a 1239.29% user growth rate between 2018 and 2023.
- Market penetration: There are 5.3 billion internet users, 23.02% use TikTok’s video sharing service. Monthly U.S. TikTok users have now passed 150 million, equaling nearly half of America’s population.
- Average time on the app: Americans 18 and over are estimated to spend 55.8 minutes per day on TikTok.
Crafting a Comprehensive Social Media Strategy
While TikTok’s appeal is evident, a strategic approach to all social media marketing is critical for success. Understanding the each platform’s trends, creating content that aligns with the predominant user patterns, and maintaining an active presence are all pivotal. Furthermore, establishing a content calendar, encouraging user-generated content, and collaborating with influencers can all contribute to a robust TikTok marketing strategy.
Recognizing that each platform has its own algorithm understanding what’s native to the platform’s culture and consumption trends is essential. This doesn’t mean abandoning your brand’s voice or identity, but rather finding creative ways to integrate it into the vernacular of each platforms user culture.
To further assist you on your social media journey, we’re offering a downloadable checklist tailored to senior living social media managers. The checklist provides guidance on creating, optimizing, and maintaining a robust social media strategy that best aligns with your community’s ethos and business goals. storytelling, community building, and strategic content creation, TikTok opens a new chapter of engagement and visibility for the senior living sector.
For those ready to explore the uncharted waters of TikTok, the time is now. The platform’s potential is as boundless as the creativity it ignites, and for senior living communities, the opportunity to connect with an expansive digital audience has never been more within reach. Let’s embark on this journey together and showcase the vibrant stories, experiences, and communities that define senior living.
