Unlock Health's Larry Williams Shares What's Actually Working in Senior Living Marketing Today

In this episode of The Grow Your Occupancy Podcast, Julie Podewitz, CEO & Founder of Grow Your Occupancy, chats with Larry Williams, Senior Director of Market Strategy & Growth at Unlock Health, for a candid and highly practical conversation about what’s actually working in senior living marketing today. From the very first search a prospect makes to the final move-in decision, Larry breaks down how communities can better understand and influence the modern customer journey, including how search behavior differs between prospects and their adult children, why industry jargon often misses the mark with prospects, and how local data should drive every marketing decision. The conversation goes deeper than tactics. Larry shares how to prioritize marketing investments when budgets are tight, why paid media (search, social, and programmatic) often delivers the fastest impact, and how communities can avoid the “shotgun approach” by focusing on what truly drives results. Julie and Larry also tackle one of the biggest challenges in senior living today: aligning marketing and sales. They emphasize that leads alone don’t drive occupancy; conversion, follow-up, and a seamless handoff between teams are what ultimately create success. And perhaps most importantly, they highlight a powerful shift happening across the industry: authenticity is winning. Today’s prospects aren’t looking for perfectly polished messaging, they want real stories, real residents, and a genuine sense of community. If you’re looking to sharpen your marketing strategy, improve lead quality, and ultimately drive more move-ins, this episode delivers actionable insights you can put into practice immediately.