Beacon Hill management recognizes that older adults are becoming increasingly more comfortable online.  A poll conducted by Erickson Retirement Living and supported by other studies, found that 58% of 65 - 74 year old use the Internet with 91% of them using email as their primary means of communication and search for health information.  94% of the baby boomers use the Internet.  In fact, shoppers over the age of 55 spent almost three times the national average in online purchase in the past holiday season. 

 

According to Blaire Goldstein, Executive Director, “We were looking for a very unique way for our residents to celebrate Beacon Hill’s 25th anniversary and give back to the market that has supported us.  Our Marketing Director, Mark Zullo and agency, IVY Marketing Group, suggested that we develop a blog that would have multiple benefits including information for seniors and their families throughout our market area, as well as an activity that the residents could enjoy and develop.”  

 

With Beacon Hill management’s enthusiastic support, the residents formed a committee to determine what Let’s Talk should be and what should be in it.  They eagerly embrace the challenge to do something very different.  The group demonstrates their commitment with meetings every two weeks where they gather to brainstorm content and give ideas to IVY Marketing Group who is managing Let’s Talk. 

 

Let’s Talk is an online magazine on a blog platform.  Anyone can read it or comment to it.  But make no mistake, this is not a self-promotional website, online corporate brochure or advertising; in fact, self-promotion is strictly forbidden.  Rather, Let’s Talk is a living, interactive source for ideas, news, calendars and tips in many categories. It reflects the ideas, interests and opinions of the residents and what they believe older adults and their families will enjoy and benefit by reading.  Let’s Talk launched with articles about probiotics, recipes, technology tips, reflections about historic events and popular items during the year Beacon Hill opened its doors in 1984 and several teasers to encourage comments about current events.  Every month, nearly three dozen transitions to the magazine keep it current and its readers interested.

 

Two computer stations, dedicated to Let’s Talk only, are set up in Beacon Hill common areas to serve the nearly 75% of residents who do not have their own computers.  Residents can visit Let’s Talk at any time, check on the weekly menus and activities, play games, comment on articles and learn about area restaurants and resources right from the magazine.

 

“If we had asked Beacon Hill residents a year ago if video games would be popular, they would have laughed.  Now nearly 1/3 of the independent living population enjoy playing Wii on a regular basis and compete in our community tournaments.  Let’s Talk seems to have the same momentum.  It has started with a core group of residents and is being embraced by the marketing, social and of course, the computer club, as well as our population overall,” according to Zullo.  

 

According to Debra Sheridan, President of IVY Marketing Group, residents are made aware of Let’s Talk  through notices, invitations to give opinions and experiences, incentives, meetings and personal demonstrations.  The market area is being invited to participate through traditional marketing methods including Beacon Hill’s quarterly newsletter, The Beacon, direct mail, ads, incentives and links from our website.

 

Beacon Hill Retirement Community recognizes that the benefits of the online magazine requires a long-term strategy and the success of the efforts from a marketing standpoint cannot be evaluated in traditional terms. Management is using a different criteria to judge the magazine’s success like comments made, unique visitors, pages visits, etc.  Let’s Talk is as much a community service as it is a way to show the personality of the people who live at Beacon Hill.  It’s goal is to entertain, inform and educate seniors and their families who live in the area.

 

To see the Beacon Hill blog first hand, visit: www.letstalk.beaconhilllombard.com.