How to Build a 90-Day Marketing Plan That Aligns with Census Goals

A solid marketing plan is great. But a solid marketing plan that’s tied directly to your census goals? That’s what drives real growth.

In senior care, too many providers operate on a spray-and-pray approach — a newsletter here, a brochure there, and maybe some social media when someone remembers. But without alignment to intake targets, referral cycles, and staffing realities, that effort doesn’t translate into admissions.

Here’s how to build a focused 90-day marketing plan that supports your census goals — and doesn’t burn out your team.

Step 1: Know Your Census Goal

Start with clarity:

• What’s your current average census?
• What’s your ideal or target census in 90 days?
• How many inquiries, assessments, or referrals does that require?

Example:

You want to grow your home care census by 10 clients. If your inquiry-to-admission rate is 25%, you’ll need at least 40 qualified inquiries over the next 90 days.

Step 2: Identify Your Top Growth Channels

Not all referrals are equal — and not all channels move at the same speed.

Break your channels into three buckets:

• Fast Movers: Past clients, partner referrals, Google ads
• Mid-Term Builders: Local SEO, content marketing, social media
• Long-Term Plays: Events, reputation-building, community partnerships

Pick 2–3 priority channels to focus your energy.

Step 3: Align Marketing Activities to the Funnel

Think in three layers:

Top of Funnel (Awareness):

• Run local SEO audits and updates
• Publish blog content tied to family concerns
• Share team culture posts on Facebook and Instagram

Middle of Funnel (Nurture):

• Send email sequences to recent inquiries or event attendees
• Host a family webinar or educational session
• Offer downloadable guides (e.g., “What to Ask Before Choosing Home Care”)

Bottom of Funnel (Conversion):

• Strengthen your intake response time
• Create a limited-time promotion or free assessment offer
• Send personalized follow-up messages to cold leads

Step 4: Plan Around Capacity and Team Bandwidth

Don’t overcommit to 20 initiatives. Choose the ones that:

• Align with your census goal
• Match your team’s bandwidth
• Can be executed with clarity and consistency

Use a 90-day calendar with weekly themes and checkpoints.

Step 5: Assign Roles and Track Progress

Every campaign needs an owner. Assign who’s responsible for:

• Creating content
• Scheduling emails
• Tracking inquiries
• Meeting with partners

Hold biweekly marketing check-ins to stay accountable and adjust based on what’s working.

Step 6: Measure What Matters

Don’t just count clicks — measure progress toward census. Track:

Inquiries generated per source

• Conversion rates
• Time to first contact
• Cost per admission (if applicable)

RaisedCare’s Take

At RaisedCare, we believe a 90-day plan should do three things:

✅ Clarify your growth priorities

✅ Align your efforts with your capacity

✅ Get your team rowing in the same direction

You don’t need a big marketing team. You just need a clear target and a focused plan.

Let’s build it together.

Sources

• Home Care Pulse. “2023 Growth Benchmarking Report”
• RaisedCare Marketing Planning Framework
• NAHC Strategic Census Planning Guidelines