TypoDuctions is proud to present our very own Jonah Blumenthal, who was recently featured on SNN Voices, presented by Skilled Nursing News. Jonah discusses the importance of building up your facility’s online presence. If you’re interested in learning more about any of the services mentioned below, please reach out to our team at info@typoductions.com, or send Jonah a personal hello at jonah@typoductions.com. We look forward to hearing from you!
Skilled Nursing News: Jonah, you have founded or co-founded several companies, including TypoDuctions, where you are now chief marketing officer. What career experiences do you most draw from in your current role?
Blumenthal: Before co-founding TypoDuctions with Amitay Stern, I learned a lot while working as the head of business development for a major electronics distributor. In that position, I focused solely on maintaining client relationships. Rather than focusing on hitting sales metrics or gaining more accounts, I spent my time making sure our clients felt taken care of — that they had someone to go to.
That experience laid the foundation for my relationship with Amitay and our approach to client success. We often joke that I’m not allowed to talk to employees, and Amitay’s not allowed to talk to clients. That’s because I view my role as a client advocate. We’ve learned that a company needs that balance of yin and yang, and that’s how we approach our clients: Amitay focuses on growing TypoDuctions and providing an unmatched quality of service, while I focus on meeting our clients’ needs daily.
You co-founded TypoDuctions in 2015 to help health care providers, primarily SNFs, with their social media efforts and online branding. What did you see in the industry that led you and your partner to found the company?
Blumenthal: There was a glaring issue we recognized from the beginning: the lack of marketing creativity in the health care industry. From an online standpoint, we saw that everything from promotional videos to social media looked the same. As a result, they all fell flat. They were missing a spark.
Along with that, owners and operators were struggling to see the value of social media. At the time, nobody was investing in their online presence because they were less in tune with the power of a digital storefront.
And so for us, it clicked! We knew we could take a uniquely creative approach to help SNFs stand out among the rest, and empower them to control the narrative that was already taking shape about them online. Bringing fun, levity, and creativity to an often stigmatized industry continues to drive TypoDuctions today.
What are the top three benefits that an SNF gains from having a strong online presence, including social media?
Blumenthal: The first is public perception. Residents and families are most likely referred to SNFs by hospitals and case managers. That’s why a positive online presence is so critical. Any family member searching for quality care will first look online. If they discover a negative reputation, families will quickly move on to the next referral.
A positive first impression is everything. Being a facility with glowing reviews, professional photos and videos, and viewer-focused social media pages makes a positive impact on census numbers.
The second is employee recognition. Every company in the world highlights their employees’ successes, so why not SNFs? It should be no different. Social media is a unique opportunity to praise your staff in a tangible way, make your team feel valued and nurture a positive work environment.
Finally, there is a huge benefit for families. Social media connects people. That is more important now than ever. Allowing families to engage online with their loved ones through photos, comments and community-driven content helps SNF residents feel closer to their families. This is true amid a global pandemic, but also when families are unable to visit from far away.
What are the top challenges that SNFs face on the road to that strong online presence?
Blumenthal: I see three big ones. The first is just the act of taking the leap. For many owners, online presence is something easier to ignore — out of sight, out of mind. Deciding to tackle your online presence and grow your business through digital marketing is the first big step. That’s why we aim to make it as pain-free and fun as possible.
The second is stepping away from the do-it-yourself method. You wouldn’t ask a friend to give you medical advice. There’s a reason you hire a professional. When you try to improve your online presence on your own, you often do more harm than good. Creating better content yields better results, and taking shortcuts can result in damage to your Google ranking, or cause you to be flagged by moderators on various platforms.
Lastly, communication remains vital. Our account managers work hand-in-hand with your existing staff to create authentic and engaging content. We don’t want any exciting events to go unnoticed on social media. This is why a strong line of communication is the key to success!
I know you’re a data person — what is the most interesting data point that shows the importance of a strong online presence in SNF?
Blumenthal: Research shows that 84 percent of people trust online reviews as much as a personal recommendation. That’s why Google rankings and reviews are arguably the most important data point. Google is the most used search engine, and likely the first thing potential residents will see or notice when they look into your facility.
On the flip side, the number of followers you have is seldom tied to online success. People are not likely to follow a nursing home on social media unless they have a family member at the facility. What’s important is that your page looks professional, positive and clean when potential residents and families come to investigate.
As we noted, you have founded other companies, most recently a digital recruiting company called DRIFT targeting frontline staff. Why did you found the company and what has the result been thus far?
Blumenthal: We already knew about the incredible staffing crisis facing the industry. Due to our reputation in the digital marketing and social media space, clients started coming to us to harness the power of social media to attract high-quality staff. As we began testing, we found that our access levels as industry leaders allowed us to target applicants far more effectively than the average HR department.
From there, we brought in three people: a powerful business partner with 10 years of experience in health care recruitment, a Facebook marketing expert and a rock-star operator to build out and optimize our process from start to finish. Over the last seven months, we’ve grown exponentially to service over 100 accounts. We’ve turned things around for facilities that were struggling to maintain coverage, and gotten them fully staffed with quality frontline employees in a matter of months.
We’re so proud to be tackling the national staffing shortage head-on.
What is the relationship for an SNF between a strong online presence and the ability to recruit?
Blumenthal: Staffing and online presence go hand-in-hand. Everyone wants to work in a positive environment. Today, the internet is the first place people look to learn about how a company treats its employees. Websites like Glassdoor and Indeed are built to empower and inform candidates about company reputation, and many candidates will refuse to interview at locations with negative reviews.
On the social media side, do residents and staff look happy? Are there fun events, and a positive community atmosphere? Beyond posting jobs, your overall online presence is essential to attracting quality staff. A positive first impression makes a huge impact on recruitment.
Coming into the year, no one knew fully what to expect in the skilled nursing industry. What was the biggest surprise in the industry in the first half of the year, and what will the impact of that surprise be for the second half of the year?
Blumenthal: Of course, I can only speak from my standpoint, not a clinical one, but I have been amazed by the industry’s willingness to embrace video marketing in the age of COVID-19. Many of our clients have discovered how incredibly powerful videos can be. They’re super sharable, and they make it so easy to get a sense of the warmth, love and quality of care that takes place at the facility.
The impact? Videos help protect census numbers regardless of COVID-19 restrictions. Our team is now traveling all over the country to capture the magic. We’re on fire making promotional videos, music videos, virtual tours and helping facilities make a genuine connection with potential residents, even when visitation becomes impossible.
Editor’s note: This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
TypoDuctions is a full-scale digital marketing agency specializing in health care marketing. With years of experience in the health care space, TypoDuctions puts an invaluable marketing mastery to work for SNFs, offering customized packages, explosive ideas and technical expertise to suit their unique needs. To learn more, visit typoductions.com.
Republished with permission from skillednursingnews.com. You can view the original article HERE.
Want to connect with Jonah? Email: jonah@typoductions.com
