How to Build an Email List for Your Care Home

Introduction to Email Marketing for Care Homes

Do you want more people to know about your care home? Emails still work really well, even with all the fancy new tech out there. Most care homes don’t use emails enough, which means you can stand out if you do it right. An email list is just a collection of people who’ve said “yes, I want to hear from you.” This article will show you how to build that list from scratch.

Think about it – most families looking for care homes are busy, worried, and need clear info fast. Emails let you talk directly to them without the noise of social media or the cost of ads. But first, you gotta have people to email!

The cool thing about email is that you own your list. Nobody can change an algorithm and make your emails disappear like they can with social posts. Plus, it’s cheap! Email marketing for care homes costs way less than most other marketing but often works better.

Let’s dive into why care homes should bother with email lists at all, then get into the practical stuff about how to build one that actually works.

Key Benefits of Email Lists in the Care Home Sector

There’s a bunch of good reasons why care homes need email lists. First off, emails feel personal. When a family is making a big decision about care for a loved one, they want to talk to real people, not just see generic ads. Emails can feel like a conversation.

Did you know that emails get read more than social posts? It’s true! While your Facebook post might reach 5% of your followers, emails typically get opened by 15-25% of recipients. That’s huge! Plus, you can send different info to different people based on what they care about.

Here’s what makes email lists so valuable for care homes:

• You can send updates about residents directly to their families
• Share health tips and care advice that positions you as an expert
• Announce events, new services, or staff changes
• Offer virtual tours to people who might be interested
• Send testimonials and stories that show why your care home is special

The biggest benefit? Building trust over time. Care home digital marketing strategies work best when they focus on trust, and emails are perfect for that. Someone might not need a care home today, but if they’ve been getting helpful emails from you for months, guess who they’ll call first when they do need one?

I’ve seen care homes use email to completely change how they get new residents. Instead of always chasing new leads, they build relationships through email and people come to them.

Website Optimization for Email List Building

Your website is probably the first place people will give you their email. But most care home websites don’t do a good job asking for it! Let’s fix that.

The most important thing is to give people a reason to sign up. Nobody wants “more emails” – they want helpful info. Offer something specific and valuable, like:

• A guide to choosing the right care home
• Monthly newsletter with care tips and advice
• Updates about events and activities
• Early access to rooms when they become available

Put sign-up forms in places people actually see them. The footer that nobody reads? Not great. Try these spots instead:

1. Pop-up that appears after someone has read half an article
2. Banner at the top of your homepage
3. Sidebar form on all blog posts
4. Dedicated landing page just for email sign-ups

Make the form super simple – just ask for name and email at first. You can get more info later. Don’t scare people off by asking for their life story right away!

The team at digital marketing services care homes told me that care homes with clear sign-up offers get 3x more email subscribers than those without. One care home I worked with added a “Family Guide to Dementia Care” as a free download and got 40 new subscribers in the first week.

Remember, your website works for you 24/7. Make sure it’s always collecting emails even when you’re busy caring for residents.

Leveraging Social Media to Grow Your Email List

Social media and email lists should be friends, not competitors. Your social accounts can be one of the best ways to get more email subscribers if you use them right.

First thing – don’t just post “sign up for our newsletter!” That’s boring and nobody will do it. Instead, share bits of the awesome content people will get if they join your list. For example, post a short care tip, then mention “We share tips like this every week in our email – sign up to get them all!”

Try these social media tricks that actually work:

• Run a simple contest where entering requires an email address
• Post about exclusive content that’s “email subscribers only”
• Share testimonials from people who found your emails helpful
• Use pinned posts with clear sign-up links
• Add email sign-up links to your bio/profile sections

Instagram and Facebook are usually best for care homes, but don’t ignore LinkedIn if you want to connect with healthcare professionals who might refer people to you.

How to use social media for care home marketing is all about being consistent and authentic. Social media gets people to know, like, and trust you – which makes them more likely to join your email list.

I’ve seen care homes use Facebook Live tours that end with an invitation to join the email list for more behind-the-scenes content. Super effective! Just make sure you’re actually providing value, not just asking for emails all the time.

In-Person Strategies: Events and Industry Networking

Not all email list building happens online! Care homes have a big advantage because you can meet people face-to-face at events, which builds trust fast.

When you host events at your care home, always have a way to collect emails. It can be as simple as a sign-up sheet or as fancy as a tablet with a digital form. Just don’t forget to ask! Good events to host:

• Open houses
• Educational workshops about elderly care
• Community gatherings
• Support groups for families
• Seasonal celebrations

Industry conferences and networking events are gold mines too. Bring business cards with QR codes that lead to your sign-up page. When you meet someone interested in what you do, you can follow up by adding them to your list (with permission, of course).

Partner with other businesses that serve the same audience but aren’t competitors. Maybe local doctors, physical therapists, or senior service providers. You can promote each other’s email lists to reach more people.

The team at activity days promotions care homes found that care homes which collect emails at every in-person event grow their lists twice as fast as those that don’t. One care home I know added a simple “Join our family newsletter” sign-up sheet at their Christmas event and got 35 new contacts in one day.

Just remember to follow up quickly with new contacts while they still remember meeting you!

Content Creation to Drive Subscriptions

Content is king when it comes to getting email sign-ups. The better your content, the more people will want to get it in their inbox regularly.

What kind of content works best for care homes? Helpful, practical info that solves real problems for families and potential residents. Think about what questions or worries people have about care homes, then create content that answers those concerns.

Some content types that work really well:

• How-to guides for navigating elderly care decisions
• Checklists for evaluating care homes
• Real stories from residents and families (with permission)
• Expert advice from your care staff
• Simple explanations of complicated care topics

You can create this content as blog posts, videos, podcasts, or downloadable PDFs. The format matters less than making it truly helpful.

Blogging content management care homes is a great place to start. Each blog post can include a sign-up form that offers more related content via email.

One strategy I’ve seen work amazingly well is creating “content upgrades” – where you offer an expanded version of a blog post as a PDF in exchange for an email. For example, if you write a blog post about “5 Questions to Ask When Touring a Care Home,” you could offer a downloadable checklist with 20 questions for people who sign up.

The key is making content so good that people actively want more of it in their inbox.

Best Practices for Care Home Email Marketing

Once you’ve started building your list, you need to keep people happy they joined. Bad emails will make people unsubscribe fast, and all your hard work getting them on the list will be wasted.

Here are the most important things to get right:

• Send valuable stuff consistently. Whether it’s weekly, fortnightly, or monthly, stick to a schedule so people know what to expect.
• Write subject lines that make people want to open. “March Newsletter” is boring. “3 Ways to Help Parents Adjust to Care Home Life” is much better.
• Keep design simple and mobile-friendly. Most people will read your emails on phones, so they need to look good on small screens.
• Segment your list when possible. Send different content to families of current residents versus people just exploring options.
• Always be personal. Use people’s names and write like you’re talking to one person, not announcing to a crowd.
• Make it easy to unsubscribe. This builds trust, and you only want people who actually want your emails anyway.

Working with a digital marketing agency can help ensure your emails look professional and follow best practices. They can also help with the technical parts like setting up automation.

I worked with a care home that sent a simple welcome series of 3 emails to new subscribers. The first email had an 82% open rate because it was personal, helpful, and delivered on what was promised when they signed up. That kind of engagement is gold!

Measuring Success and Refining Your Approach

How do you know if your email list building is working? You gotta track the right numbers and keep making things better based on what you learn.

The key metrics to watch:

• List growth rate: How many new subscribers you’re getting each month
• Open rate: Percentage of people who open your emails (20%+ is good)
• Click rate: Percentage who click links in your emails
• Conversion rate: How many email subscribers actually become residents
• Unsubscribe rate: How many people leave your list (under 1% per email is good)

Most email platforms like Mailchimp or Constant Contact will show you these stats automatically. Look at them at least monthly and try to spot patterns. Which emails get opened most? What subject lines work best? When do people tend to unsubscribe?

Use what you learn to keep improving. If certain topics get more opens, create more content on those topics. If people are unsubscribing after a certain email, figure out why and fix it.

Outsourcing digital marketing care homes can be a good option if tracking and optimizing feels overwhelming. They can help you understand what’s working and what’s not.

I’ve seen a care home increase their open rates from 12% to 28% just by changing when they send emails and writing better subject lines. Small changes can make a big difference!

Don’t get discouraged if growth is slow at first. Email lists tend to grow slowly then accelerate as you build momentum. The care home I mentioned earlier started with just 50 subscribers but grew to over 500 in 18 months as they got better at the process.

Frequently Asked Questions

How often should care homes send emails?

Most care homes find that once or twice a month works well. More than weekly can feel like too much, while less than monthly means people might forget they signed up. Quality matters more than frequency though – better to send one great email a month than four mediocre ones.

Is it OK to buy email lists for my care home?

No, don’t do this! Bought lists have poor engagement, can damage your email sender reputation, and may violate privacy laws like GDPR. Only add people who have specifically asked to hear from you.

What email platform is best for care homes?

Mailchimp is popular for beginners because it’s free up to 2,000 subscribers. Constant Contact has good templates for care homes. ActiveCampaign is great if you want more advanced automation. Choose based on your budget and technical comfort level.

How can I avoid my emails going to spam?

Use a proper email platform (not just BCC from Gmail), don’t use spammy words in subject lines, keep your list clean by removing inactive subscribers, and always get proper permission before adding anyone to your list.

What should be in the first email to new subscribers?

Thank them for subscribing, remind them what they signed up for, deliver any promised content (like a download), tell them what to expect in future emails, and include one valuable tip or piece of information to start providing value immediately.

How long should care home emails be?

Keep them fairly short – most people scan rather than read in depth. Aim for 200-400 words per email with clear headings and short paragraphs. One main topic per email works better than covering lots of different things.