What Senior Living, Health Care Companies Value In Vendor Marketing

Senior living providers are balancing cost pressures, staffing challenges and resident expectations. New data on search behavior, building trust and “buying intent” helps explain what might actually lead operators to partner with vendors.

Senior Housing News’ parent organization, WTWH Media, compiled data from senior living providers and other health care professionals in the 2026 edition of the M2: Marketing to Health Care research, fielding 905 responses.

While these results reflect a broader cross-section of the health care ecosystem than just senior living, 16% of respondents were senior housing providers. The data shows how providers think about procurement and evaluating new services and partnerships.

The top three most valuable content types include best-practice guides or how-to playbooks at 64%, followed by case studies with measurable outcomes at 53%. Additionally, 51% said they valued research reports with data and benchmarks.

Through the M2 report, respondent behavior showed that vendors are not the most valuable content sources, with 63% saying professional associations and accreditation bodies were the most trusted, followed by 54% choosing conferences and live events as the most valuable content source. Forty-seven percent of respondents said academic or research journals were the third most valuable form of content.

Sixty-six percent of respondents said they engage with vendors due to clear, concise communication, followed by 46% who interact with vendors because of evidence of return on investment or cost savings. Another 36% said they choose to engage with or purchase from a vendor because of its demonstrated understanding of specific market challenges.

How respondents engage with search engines is also important to note. Search behavior data shows that 50% of respondents said they search for keywords tied to current projects or challenges, followed by 20% using search engines for problem-solving queries. Another 19% said they use search engines to find best practices and guidelines, according to the report.

Branding and brand awareness appear to play a large role in how operators choose their vendor partners, with respondents sharing why they would not work with an unfamiliar vendor. Seventy-two percent cited concerns about quality, while 33% said unfamiliar vendors lack evidence of long-term stability. Another 32% expressed doubts about a new vendor’s compliance with standards and regulations, the report shows.

The top five actions that indicated buying intent among operators include attending a webinar or virtual event where a vendor is presenting, requesting a product or platform demonstration and downloading clinical or operational guides and e-books. Using online searches to find health care-specific information and reviewing case studies from providers, payers and health systems also indicated buying intent, according to the report.

In assessing content value prior to clicking through, 57% of respondents said they evaluate the reputation of the source, followed by 54% who seek a concise summary or preview of insights. Another 42% said they consider the timeliness of the research or data.

Respondents also shared their views on AI-generated content, with 52% saying they were neutral depending on the quality of the content. Twenty percent expressed a positive sentiment toward AI-generated content if it is transparently disclosed, while 17% said they preferred human-authored content, the report found.

Trends that could most influence how operators evaluate vendors next year include value-based care and cost efficiency (67%), patient engagement technology (51%) and data interoperability (50%). These trends were followed closely by staff shortages, regulatory changes and generative AI and automation.

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