We all get an extra day this year to get more done, spend time with loved ones, start a new hobby, etc.

At New LifeStyles, we are using that extra day to give you a great chance to try our print and online advertising options. 

For new customers, or those who have not used our products since 2009 or before, we are offering ONE YEAR of print and/or online advertising placements for the cost of six months.

For example, a quarter-page  in both our guide and online, plus a link to your site would start as low as $45 per month!  This of course includes placement in our app, digital guide and mobile site.

Take advantage of this offer before the end of February 29th!  When leap day is gone, so is this deal.  You can start by reviewing our media kit and picking your items @ www.newlifestyles.com/media-kit , then e-mailing your area sales director directly.  Or you can call our office at 800-869-9549 or if you prefer e-mail directly (doug@newlifestyles.com)!

We look forward to working with you and providing you with a solid year of traffic and exposure.

Thanks!  Doug

Mobile use in the US continues to increase.  According to Google, more people today use a mobile phone than a PC. In the U.S., 76% of respondents report using a mobile phone whereas 68% said they use a laptop or desktop PC. As many people migrate to smart phones, this means mobile traffic will continue to rise as well.  Traffic to websites from mobile devices is now around 10% in the US (according to StatCounter).  

Here at New LifeStyles, we are seeing the same trend, with around 7% of our site visits coming from mobile devices, and that’s not counting App usage, which is why we invested in a mobile site and iPhone app in 2011.

What is your site’s mobile traffic? Most web statistics programs should track mobile usage. They should also be able to tell you which devices are accessing your site, so you know for which you need to optimize. Check your site on an Android phone, an iPhone, a Blackberry, an iPad, and other tablets. Do you have to scroll a lot? Is it difficult to complete forms? Are they too long?

Don’t miss out on 10% of the traffic to your site! Make sure it is optimized for mobile use today!

This can be done in a number of ways:

• You can build a mobile site focusing on your main goals, with shorter forms and less options.
• If your site changes according to window size (responsive design), optimize it for mobile views.
• Consider building an App for the devices that most access your site (you will need a separate App for each device).

This trend will only continue. Stay ahead of the curve and make your site friendly for mobile visitors!

Less Than 10% Of The Web In 2012 Is Mobile Ready

Search Engines Drive Mobile Traffic

If your community or senior-related business has been around awhile, you probably have an established set of marketing tools that have proven successful over the years.  This combination probably includes print options, community outreach, a web presence and perhaps some radio or TV.  With any investment, such as a home, there comes a time when you need to do some remodeling or adding on to the existing structure, especially as technology evolves.

A couple of things that we recommend are a mobile presence and maximizing your web site’s traffic.  If financially feasible, creating a mobile version of your site, or even adding an iphone app for your site is a great idea.  Today’s society is always on the go and often time demands immediate information.  Your existing site may not be user-friendly on the platform of mobile phones.  A mobile site or app can make your community or business’ information easy to access, getting the key points across to the user.  If you cannot afford these options, make sure you are listed with a company who has a search engine in a mobile or iphone app platform.  This is usually a very inexpensive or free option to make sure your company is receiving traffic from every source.  At New LifeStyles, our iPhone App just received a 2012 Silver Medal for New Products and Technology.  You can download it for free at the App Store.  Our web team can also create a mobile version of your site!

Having a web site is great.  It  provides real time data on your community or business at anytime during the day or night.  But, make sure you are using some form of Search Engine Optimization to guarantee solid traffic to your site.  Many companies are stopping at the building of the site and forgetting to maintain its presence on the web.  Its a great investment to maximize the value of your site.  New LifeStyles is among the many reputable companies that provide this service and we focus on the senior industry.

As always, make sure you are constantly updating your marketing programs to stay ahead of your competition!

There are many considerations when planning an ad campaign:

First, what are your goals? It is calls, visits or clicks, spreading a message, awareness or special offer? Set your goals & then decide how best to reach them.

Will you do a print campaign, billboards, TV, radio, online, direct mail, email, or a combination? All are viable options, depending on your goals. Don’t forget the studies showing you need 7 touches before a potential client will contact you! Use as many mediums as possible to present your message.

Speaking of, what is your message? Will it make people react and take the next step? Print it and have some people give you their feedback. More importantly, gauge their reaction as they read it. Does it have the “wow” factor? Does it promote your unique selling point? Does it contain a call to action? If you have a lot to say, offer to include an article/interview with the ad.

Once you decide on a message, you can start working on materials. It will be different for each medium, but needs to be tied together, have the same look and feel and the same message, so there is no confusion. Ads, whether print, online, or broadcast need to be simple! Don’t stuff it with text, people will tune out. Make your point & present the call to action. Why should they call, click or visit? Ads also need to be pleasing to the eyes/ear. Unless you are going for shock value, create an ad with pleasing colors, complimentary to your logo and pictures as well as the site/background where it will be printed or hosted. For audio, ask, “What will make them remember my message?” Consider landing pages for online campaigns. A simple web page with one offer/message from which you can gather information, track & not confuse the user. Try some test for email messages. Which gets more response?

Now you are ready for the easy part, ad placement. Always ask print & broadcast entities about including your ad online, as well.

You can’t & won’t know if you have a successful ad campaign unless you track it. Before the ads start, make sure you can track them. Will the online vendor track impressions, clicks & leads? Can you track them from your side as well to compare (again, consider a landing page, personalized URL, etc…)? How will you track print & broadcast ads? Did you use a specific URL &/or phone # or are you going to rely on someone to ask? The first is much more reliable due to human nature on both sides. Continue tracking past ad runs, as we see leads come from very old guides! You may want to ask if there is more than one referral (back to that 7 touch rule). And don’t forget to do some investigation on your own. Do you hear & see the ad/publication? When you search, do you find the site? Is your ad in a prominent spot?

Once you have results you can start tweaking. Which media/ad is bringing in more results? What is the cost per action? Are you getting unexpected publicity/traffic/other from a campaign? Tweak your ad type, creative, placement and message until you achieve your goals! 

Social Media is being touted as one of the best new mediums to reach your clientele. Whether it’s through blogging, discussion boards, social sites such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and others, there are numerous opportunities to reach current and potential clients and referring agents.

 New LifeStyles would like to help you reach those individuals thru our social network:

Be an active participant in the New LifeStyles senior living blog and/or forum providing answers to senior living questions:

You can drive the topic and market your community and services during a week in 2012.  Send one post with helpful senior living information and one with information about your community/services. Take the opportunity at any time to browse the forum to comment on and/or answer any posts, as well.

Reply now with the week you would like to promote your senior community or service on the New LifeStyles forum. All post will be linked on the New LifeStyles Facebook page, Twitter account,  and LinkedIn page.

Another value ad from New LifeStyles Media Solutions

Is it time for a new website?

Is your website bringing in the leads and traffic you exepct?

Does it show up on the search engines?

Do you need help in the social media jungle?

Let the web team at New LifeStyles Media Solutions help! We offer all of the services above and more with proven results at very affordable rates.

Check out our new site at www.nlmswebdesign.com for more information on how we can help you reach your online goals.

I’m extremely “challenged” when it comes to electronics.  If something doesn’t work, I usually turn it off and come back later, hoping it magically fixes itself.  With so many people having surround sound systems in their house, with great speakers and receivers, it is sometimes hard to figure out why no music is coming out of the speakers or no picture is filling the screen.  There is a disconnect someplace.  You either aren’t receiving the signal, the signal is getting lost somewhere in your system or there is a problem with the output device, either your great TV or cool little speakers.   (yep, there are probably 78 others things that could be wrong, involving components that cost thousands of dollars and have cool names, but I’m trying to keep it simple, so I can understand)

Leads and traffic can be like that, too.  The leads and traffic are your input, coming to you from multiple sources, such as print placements, online search companies and other mediums.  The system that converts these leads and traffic is your marketing materials, people and community/business.  When evaluating your marketing campaigns, you need to look at all checkpoints from the input to the output, which is your new independent living/assisted living residents, dementia care patients or home care clients.

Some companies only look at whether the input is turning into the output, not why.  There are no new clients coming from the traffic, so they pass on great traffic volume and put their dollars elsewhere.  While, in actuality, the traffic is coming to them, seeing poor marketing materials, an outdated web site, a poorly maintained property and choosing to move on to look at other options.  Additionally, the traffic and leads may not be being handled in a timely or effective manner by the community or company’s marketing personnel, causing a disconnect at that point in the system.

So, before you pass on some great leads and traffic “input” into your marketing pipeline, make sure that all of the components are working at their peak and quality “input” has a chance to result in new assisted living and nursing residents or home care or hospice clients.

No longer do we just make calls on our mobile phones… now we take pictures with them, surf the web with them, use them to find a nearby restaurant or address, text, email, check-in…  You name it! So why shouldn’t we be able to find senior living options on them? Now everyone can!

New LifeStyles has just launched our mobile web site. A simplified version of our web site, offering a quick and easy search to find the perfect senior living option. Users can also order a copy of any of our print guides.

We believe this site will be very useful to:

• Social workers, discharge planners, & any other professionals helping seniors & their families find care options
• Adult children who are told that their parents can not go home from the hospital alone, as they need care & rehab.
• Tech savy seniors who are starting to consider the good life of retirement. 

All of these people can now find the information they are looking for on one easy to use site, built for the smart phone. It’s easy to read with very few short forms only where necessary.

They can:

•  Map a location
•  Call a provider
•  View a slide show
•  Read a description of community & services
•  Link to provders sites to learn more
•  Email questions & more!

The mobile site is fed by the same comprehensive database of nationwide state licensed providers and more, as our web site, so users can find senior living options from Alaska to Vermont (and Hawaii).

Check it out and let us know what you think!

Marketing Budget 2012: Plan for Meaningful Strategies

Assisted Living Goes All-Inclusive

Marketing Doesn’t Have a Magic Wand

Top 14 Benefits of Social Media Marketing

Remember Grandparent’s Day Sunday : )

Another summer has flown by and now it’s time for school, football and hopefully a break from the heat (or rain depending on where you are).  It’s always nice to have something new to start school, but here at New LifeStyles, we thought it would be nice to give you something new for your Fall marketing.  It’s the New LifeStyles mobile site!  Your presence in our guides and on our regular site gets you a presence on our mobile site.  It works on all platforms by going to www.newlifestyles.com on your mobile device.  Now you can reach our comprehensive senior living and care information at anytime from anywhere.  It is a streamlined version of our site, allowing fast navigation for searching, ordering a guide and contacting advertisers or New LifeStyles.  Try it today!

September is the space reservation deadline for the following markets:

• SF Bay Area – already a number of new advertisers for the next edition.  Not too late to join them!
• South Florida – one of our largest distributions, almost 80,000 copies per edition
• Pittsburgh – another guide that will have a number of new advertisers this fall, with an extensive coverage of SW PA and Pittsburgh
• Orange County – One of the big originals, great distribution and strong online traffic.
• Santa Barbara – fantastic area, great way to promote your community or business
• New Jersey – distributed statewide and in PA, NY and DE.  A great value for your advertising dollars.
• Central Massachusetts – join the great variety of providers that have been long-running participants in this guide

New copies of our guide should be arriving for the following markets, you can also check them out online, via our web site:

-          Sacramento

-          Fresno/Bakersfield

-          Arizona

-          Colorado

-          Maryland/DC/Virginia

-          Northern New England

For more information, contact us immediately!

New LifeStyles continues to design and take multiple sites live every month.  We are diversifying the looks offered to clients and diversifying our customer base, giving you more creativity for you dollar and helping you make a great impression. To get the latest information on our web design division, friend New LifeStyles on Facebook , connect with us on LinkedIn, or follow us on Twitter.

We will be kicking-off the Fall in grand style, with great values on all of our advertising options.  You can invest in our long successful guides, our award-winning web site or both.  Make sure your web site is reflecting the current look of your community or organization AND receiving solid traffic.  If not, call us, we can help you align all aspects of your marketing plan.

 Doug