Many care homes know they should do more marketing but lack a structured plan. Activity is often sporadic: a Facebook post here, an open day there, and little understanding of which efforts actually drive private enquiries. For a comprehensive overview, see our complete care home marketing guide.
A 90-day marketing plan gives owners and managers a clear roadmap for improving the enquiry journey and measuring what changes.
1. Set Clear Goals and Metrics
Start with specific goals such as:
- • "Increase suitable private enquiries from the verified current baseline"
- • "Improve the measured conversion from enquiry to completed tour"
Define the metrics you will track:
- • Enquiries per month
- • Tours booked and attended
- • New residents admitted
- • Source of each enquiry (Google, Facebook, referrals, etc.)
This ensures you can evaluate which activities contribute most to occupancy.
2. Map Your Current Enquiry Journey
Document how people currently find and contact you:
- • Referral sources such as Local Authorities, hospitals and word-of-mouth
- • Online routes such as Google, directories, website forms and social media
- • How phones are answered and how follow-up is handled
Common gaps include missed calls, lack of consistent recording, and families not being reminded about tours. Knowing these gaps helps you focus your efforts.
3. Fix the Foundations in Month 1
The first month should stabilise your digital and offline basics.
- Google Business Profile: complete all fields, add new photos and update the description
- Website: ensure clear "Book a tour" and "Request a call" buttons plus dedicated pages for key services
- Reviews: start a simple process to ask happy families for Google and sector reviews each week
- CRM or enquiry log: implement at least a basic log, ideally a CRM that records every enquiry and follow-up
By the end of Month 1 you should capture every enquiry and present a consistent, professional online presence.
4. Launch Campaigns in Month 2
With foundations in place, start targeted marketing campaigns.
- Google Ads: create campaigns for "care home [town]", "dementia care home [area]" and "respite care [area]"
- Facebook and Instagram Ads: run local campaigns showing real life in the home and inviting families to book tours
- Content and social posting: use an approved cadence the home can sustain, with useful local and service information rather than filler
Set a controlled media budget from your available capacity, fee model and acceptable acquisition cost. Advertising spend is paid directly to the platform and should scale only after qualified-enquiry and admission data supports it.
5. Improve Conversion in Month 3
Once enquiries start to increase, focus on turning more of them into residents.
- Mystery shopper call audit: arrange for a "distressed family member" to call, record the conversation and score it against a checklist. Use the results to train staff on tone, information and invitations to visit
- Tour experience: design a consistent tour route and script, and provide a short takeaway pack summarising care, fees and next steps
- Follow-up system: call families within 24–48 hours of their visit to answer questions and send a warm follow-up email summarising what you discussed
Improving conversion from enquiry to tour and from tour to admission often produces larger gains than simply generating more leads.
6. Review and Refine at Day 90
At the end of 90 days, review the data.
- • How many private enquiries did you receive compared with your baseline?
- • How many tours and new residents resulted?
- • Which channels produced the best results?
You might find, for example, that Google Ads generated most new enquiries, Facebook Ads worked well for respite, and word-of-mouth remained important but is now supported by reviews and content.
Use these insights to decide:
- • Which campaigns to maintain or scale
- • Where to adjust budget
- • Which processes need further refinement, such as call handling or tour scheduling
Simple 90-Day Marketing Outline
Google Business Profile, website calls-to-action, review process and CRM/enquiry log.
Google and Facebook Ads, consistent social posting, one new blog article.
Mystery shopper calls, staff training, improved tours and structured follow-up.
Assign responsibilities and dates for each action and review progress weekly. Treat marketing as a measured part of occupancy management rather than an occasional extra.
Conclusion
A 90-day marketing plan provides structure and accountability. By establishing the baseline, launching controlled activity and improving conversion, the home finishes the period with evidence about what is generating suitable enquiries and admissions.