Online webinars are a great way to build awareness of the Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly. You can bring PACE alive in a way that brochures never could. It's the next best thing to a tour.
Here are 10 reasons you should host online webinars:
Reach Caregivers
Caregivers are pressed for time. It's very hard even to get out for a caregiver support group. Zoom makes it easier for caregivers to learn about PACE, compared to coming in for a tour.
Reach Potential Participants
Many younger seniors -- ages 55 to 70 -- know how to use Zoom, since the pandemic forced everything online. Younger seniors as a demographic are, based on our internal data, very interested in the social aspects of PACE and the specialty medical services, such as dental, vision and hearing.
Build and Refresh Your Referral Contacts
You'll want to organize your email list to reach referral partners. This nudges you to build the list and flex your email marketing skills. You'll want to send curiosity-creating invitations, "share this" emails, and a series of reminder emails.
You're also going to use the online webinar as a happy reason to make quick phone calls (yes phone calls) to your contacts in the community and offer them valuable information that helps them stay up-to-date on what's available in their community.
Showcase PACE Healthcare Expertise
Showcase that your PACE is a healthcare expert for older adults. PACE *is* the gold standard in senior healthcare, let's lean into that.
Invite different people from IDT to make cameo appearances on your webinars.
Low Investment
Online events are 1% as costly as hosting an event in-person. You don't need to serve refreshments, or stay open after hours. Even if only 5 or 10 people show up, if they are engaged, you still have a positive return-on-investment. Decide in advance what "success" looks like for you.
Keep the investment low for attendees also - by keeping it short. Don't use up precious time for long introductions, get right into things and save time for Q+A. The perfect webinar is scheduled for 30 minutes - 15 minute presentation and 15 minutes of Q+A (you can always "stay longer" if people want to stick around for more questions). Hour-long webinars are becoming things of the past -- it's too big of a commitment to ask of attendees. Promoting "only 30 minutes" makes it more inviting.
Solve for Turnover at Community-based Organizations
Referral sources in your community always have new employees that benefit from learning about PACE. Make it easy for them, and they'll appreciate it.
Sharpen Your Presentation Skills
Online webinars are a low-stakes way to sharpen presentation skills in your outreach team. Iron sharpens iron. And, you always learn something from watching your own replay.
More Online Marketing
You must promote the webinar online: Facebook, Instagram, Eventbrite. And not just "one post." Having an online event is just like having any event, and it will nudge you to increase online marketing.
Build Your Community IDT Team
We advocate for thinking of community partnerships as Your Community IDT Team. If you partner with another local organization, that is 2 email lists to market to. It compounds your reach. Invite your professional network to "see what it is we do."
Create Content for Social Media
Record the webinar and edit the best snippets into social media posts. Easy peasy.