What Works in 2024 for Generating More Billable Hours & Clients

What Works in 2024 for Generating More Billable Hours & Clients

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Dennis Gill: Right. So welcome to CareSmartz360 On Air, a home care podcast. I’m Dennis Gill, a senior sales consultant at Caresmartz.

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Dennis Gill: So today we have a powerhouse in the house, Welton Hong.

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Dennis Gill: the CEO and marketing magician behind Ring Ring Marketing

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Dennis Gill: is here to spell the secrets on how home care agencies cannot just survive but thrive.

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Dennis Gill: You heard that right? He’s mastered the art of using a mix of paper, click, magic

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Dennis Gill: SEO, and digital visitory like local search and website, redesign.

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Dennis Gill: Walton and his team are on a mission to supercharge online presences, elevate reputations and catapult growth like never before.

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Dennis Gill: So buckle up because we’re diving into the genius marketing tactics that are ringing up results for home care agencies. So let’s give a warm welcome to one and only Walton Hong. Welcome to the Podcast Walton.

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Welton Hong: Thank you, Dennis, really appreciate for having me on your podcast.

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Dennis Gill: I know we do really appreciate you taking out the time today for us. So, without wasting any further time, let’s straight away. Dip in with the questions. The 1st one from my side would be that what digital marketing strategies are most effective in 2024 for attracting clients seeking in home care services, specifically.

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Welton Hong: Right. So, Dennis, that’s a very, very good question. As you probably know, there’s many a each agency will work with might be different. However, the general framework is, we like to go after what I call low hanging fruit, right? All agency owners they all have

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Welton Hong: X amount of budget to spend. It’s not like we all got unlimited amount of money to spend. That’s wishful thinking. So what we typically do is to make sure we are working on a process. We call it a growth ladder. Start with this.

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Welton Hong: then, once that’s working, they add on the next one, they add on the next one as we go. But typically the 1st thing that we typically love to go after is, 1st of all, not a surprise is to kind of if you look at a funnel.

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Welton Hong: a a marketing funnel, a buying journey, or a consumer journey. We typically like to go bottom up before their phone rings. Typically as folks are checking on your reviews.

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Welton Hong: Reviews are so critical, no matter how strong the referral source is, no matter how good online presence you are, no matter how good is your website

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Welton Hong: if we lack in reviews or you have a lot of negative reviews.

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Welton Hong: Unfortunately, they’re gonna go to your competitor. So whenever we added

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Welton Hong: agencies. The 1st thing we look at is reviews. It’s so critical these days, right compared to 15 years ago. Probably not a big, big decision

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Welton Hong: maker. But these days

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Welton Hong: what we 1st audit is always reviews. Then going up the journey. That would be your website.

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Welton Hong: because all eventually all traffic online offline referral. They’ll come to your website.

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Welton Hong: If your website is not converting right, let’s say, when they go on your website, they cannot find out who you are.

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Welton Hong: What you do.

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Welton Hong: How are you different?

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Welton Hong: Right? How are you different? Compared to other agencies?

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Welton Hong: They’re most likely they’re gonna bounce off of your website.

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Welton Hong: So if, again, is, that’s why those 2 things are so critical is reviews and website.

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Welton Hong: then next is then to worry about which strategies to get more people onto your website.

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Welton Hong: And that’s where Google

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Welton Hong: come into play.

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Welton Hong: The reason we favor Google a little bit more is it’s a little bit more targeting those who are already looking for you.

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Welton Hong: So what I mean by that is, let’s say, you have

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Welton Hong: Let’s say, if you have leaky roof typically these days, we go direct to Google type in roofers nearby.

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Dennis Gill: Yeah.

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Welton Hong: Right? That’s their problem. Aware, they go straight to Google, just like the good old days like the phone bug

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Welton Hong: these days. If they’re already problem where

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Welton Hong: they are looking for home care agency.

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Welton Hong: Typically most of them go straight to Google.

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Welton Hong: They type in home care near me. They might type in home help near me. So that’s why we favor. It’s not. We favor Google more than social media. It’s just those are low hanging fruit. They’re looking for. You.

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Dennis Gill: Okay, got it, got it.

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Welton Hong: Then, lastly, is within Google, which I’ll elaborate a little more. But social media is a little more for branding

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Welton Hong: to look at funnel. It’s a little more higher up. It’s great for branding. Push your messages out there, then.

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Dennis Gill: Okay.

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Dennis Gill: got your point, Gotcha point.

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Dennis Gill: And what specific BBC tactics should agencies focus on this year to generate more leads and convert them into billable hours.

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Welton Hong: Right? So if you look at Google ads, Google ads, these days, people call this Ppc paper click ads, obviously, it’s only when people click on your ad.

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Dennis Gill: Yeah.

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Welton Hong: You have to pay

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Welton Hong: if you don’t click on the ad. It costs you nothing, right

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Welton Hong: but Google ads these days. If you just go on Google type in home care near me or type in Las Vegas, I mean Las Vegas, for example, if I type in Las Vegas home care, typically you’ll see a bunch of ads at the top already.

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Dennis Gill: Yeah.

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Welton Hong: It’s getting more year to year. The cost per click is going to go up for sure guaranteed right, as more and more competitors are bidding on these ads. But typically, since you’re spending money to junior leads

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Welton Hong: is, I would really advise those home care agencies.

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Welton Hong: 1st of all is to choose your keywords wisely

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Welton Hong: rather than going very, very broad.

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Welton Hong: to go very, very narrow. Narrow means really going after those with high intention.

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Welton Hong: Right? And

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Welton Hong: also the thought typically is, Hey, let me have a very large territory

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Welton Hong: and start with those geography that you tend to get better clientele

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Welton Hong: right and doing a 20 mile radius.

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Welton Hong: maybe just focus on a few zip codes that you might wanna generate more clientele. Then.

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Dennis Gill: Yeah, frankly, because the thing is, I’ve also been doing the presentations for K. Smart 3, 60 for the past 5 years, and we do get many agencies through Ppcs. So I’m really worried about that thing. Yeah.

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Welton Hong: On the work.

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Welton Hong: Yeah, cause they’re high intention already. They’re really looking for you.

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Dennis Gill: Yeah, definitely. Definitely. So marketing team does work on that part.

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Welton Hong: Hi.

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Dennis Gill: Okay. And so what changes or trends are you seeing in local SEO that home care agencies can capitalize on this year? Specifically.

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Welton Hong: Yeah. So overall, if you look at the overall landscape of Google, I’ll just talk a little more specific about Google. My favorite section is still going to be that local

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Welton Hong: search. If you just type in home care near me, you’ll see that map section

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Welton Hong: where it lists out. 3 closest or 3 of the best home care agents.

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Dennis Gill: Yeah, it does come up like that. Yeah, on the map. Yeah.

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Welton Hong: Right. I love that because it’s free.

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Dennis Gill: Definitely definitely.

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Welton Hong: Section is getting more and more competitive because Google only recommends 3.

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Welton Hong: So that section here is, I would really advise agencies to make sure you are actually ranked in there as one of the 3.

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Welton Hong: And the 1st thing that Google typically looks at to see who should be right in there is going to be the Agency’s Google business profile to dumb it down space of Google listing.

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Welton Hong: So you want to make sure your Google listing is claimed. It has all of the relevant information in there.

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Dennis Gill: By such a.

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Welton Hong: Your phone number hours, photos, products and services. Those are very critical information to put on there. Because that’s what’s shown first, st

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Welton Hong: not your website.

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Welton Hong: So many of you thought, hey, those information are on my website.

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Welton Hong: But you want those information to reside in your Google listing. Because that’s what Google looks@firstst

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Dennis Gill: Okay.

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Welton Hong: So definitely, yeah, the trend here is more and more the classic SEO is, how well ranked is your website. Unfortunately, it’s getting further pushed down because got ads at the top. You got

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Welton Hong: 3 map listing. Really? Do people scroll

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Welton Hong: lower and lower, dump for.

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Dennis Gill: Yeah, right.

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Welton Hong: Definitely focus on that local search area.

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Dennis Gill: Definitely, definitely, because we always they always start with the ads thing. Yep.

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Welton Hong: Yeah.

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Dennis Gill: Okay, okay? And so, Alton, how can homecare agencies effectively enhance their online reputations to drive more businesses in 2024 from the other aspects that we’ve already discussed.

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Welton Hong: Right? Yeah. So reviews as we know, it’s 1 of the most critical thing.

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Welton Hong: And this, whether we work with agencies or not. 1st thing here is you gotta ask for reviews.

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Welton Hong: You just gotta ask for reviews. It’s not like restaurants. Naturally, you got without even asking

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Dennis Gill: Yeah, they get the rupees.

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Welton Hong: Leave reviews. They already natural people know they need to leave reviews.

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Dennis Gill: –

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Welton Hong: But home care typically

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Welton Hong: the clients. They will go on Google to leave negative review more than leave to review, because they’re one of that.

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Dennis Gill: Yeah.

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Welton Hong: So the whole. You need a strategy to ask for reviews.

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Welton Hong: and my recommendation is to definitely there’s tools out there that help you solicit reviews.

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Welton Hong: but that does not replace you from calling

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Welton Hong: your client

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Welton Hong: to survey them. That’s still the most critical thing. The reason here is, if you call them after the service.

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Welton Hong: That’s it’s 1st time they use. You definitely want to call them up, just checking on them. How happy are you with the service

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Welton Hong: if we’re happy, that’s awesome. Now you send them an email or text them

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Welton Hong: with a link to Google Review.

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Dennis Gill: But.

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Welton Hong: If the big thing biggest thing here is, if you’re not happy

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Welton Hong: now, you just prevent a negative review from going on Google.

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Dennis Gill: That’s why.

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Welton Hong: I would definitely say, if it’s the 1st time they used your right service, I would definitely call them up just to make sure they’re happy. Then, if happy, ask for a review. No, shamelessly, just ask right? If not, ask. They don’t know. They gotta leave you a review.

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Welton Hong: But definitely. There’s tools out there. We have a tool. I’m not trying to plug anybody’s tool, but there’s so many tools out there that help you. You’re putting your name. The customers in there to help you solicit solicit reviews.

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Welton Hong: But again, that is not better than you physically calling up the client. That is always number one thing to do.

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Dennis Gill: So. Reviews are a very integral part of this thing.

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Welton Hong: Oh, yeah.

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Dennis Gill: Okay, okay? So lastly, I wanted to check with you that, are there any emerging marketing tools or technologies? You believe home care agencies should invest in, to grow their client base and increase billable hours in the near future.

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Welton Hong: Yeah. So there’s always new shiny metal things that comes out all the time as far as marketing badges go. But it’s interesting if you look at the overall strategy, the ones I outlined your Google

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Welton Hong: getting shown on Google for those who are looking for you already, having great website stellar reviews.

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Welton Hong: But when I worked with agencies, what really lacks is having a powerful software

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Welton Hong: that is so critical

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Welton Hong: to be in the back end, to be operating the agency, even a Crm system. Once these leads do come in.

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Welton Hong: you gotta work on these leads

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Welton Hong: to turn those into assessment.

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Welton Hong: Right? Those are typically what we are very good at making our clients phone ring. But what really lacks is what after

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Welton Hong: happens afterwards. That’s where a tool really matters right. If you convert a few of those

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Welton Hong: you don’t need to spend much money on on running ads.

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Dennis Gill: Yeah, you’re right. You’re rightly said.

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Welton Hong: It’s really coming down to software.

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Dennis Gill: Software. It is obviously we have been working for the software tool. So I’m completely aware what the agencies love about, that, what the agencies they lack. If they don’t have the softwares, so definitely does help them a lot.

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Welton Hong: Oh, yeah, it won’t know where to find one.

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Dennis Gill: Guest. Mods, 360. Yeah.

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Dennis Gill: right? So thank you. Thanks a lot, Welton. For sharing your expertise today. And it was great, great talking to you, and obviously your audience must have heard great things about those things, and they will definitely learn more about it. And to a lovely audience. Thank you for tuning in until next time. I’m Dennis Gill, signing off

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Dennis Gill: Chow.