Smart Girl Case Study: How The Gatesworth Turned Automation Into Authentic Connection

May 13, 2025 | Marketing Automation

A Smart Girl Digital Case Study: How The Gatesworth Turned Automation Into Authentic Connection
A Smart Girl Digital Case Study: How The Gatesworth Turned Automation Into Authentic Connection

How The Gatesworth Used Smart Automation to Build Trust, Save Time & Spark Move-Ins

Table of Contents:

Client Overview

The Gatesworth is a premier independent living community in St. Louis, known for its spacious apartments, beautifully landscaped grounds, exceptional dining, and vibrant lifestyle. With a wide range of amenities and engaging activities designed to support resident well-being and independence, The Gatesworth has long been a destination of choice for older adults looking to thrive in retirement.

But even with a strong reputation and web presence, the team faced a common challenge: how to move curious prospects from “just browsing” to truly considering a move.

The Challenge: Turning Interest into Action

Despite having a high volume of leads in their CRM, many were either unqualified or simply not ready to engage with a senior living advisor. Because The Gatesworth offers independent living only—a lifestyle choice rather than a needs-driven care level—advancing leads through the sales journey was often difficult.

The team needed a way to:

➤ Move Prospects Forward: Encourage early-stage leads to take the next step by fostering in-person engagement.

➤ Maximize Sales Efficiency: Prioritize qualified, active prospects and reduce time spent on unready leads.

➤ Build Trust & Connection: Establish meaningful touchpoints that nurture relationships and build confidence with future residents.

That’s where Smart Girl Digital stepped in—with automated solutions that didn’t just streamline the process but helped make it more personal.

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The Automation Solutions

Campaign Case Study #1: Lead Magnet Email Campaign – The Gatesworth

Meeting Prospects Where They Are—Gently

lead magnet for the gatesworth
➤ The Challenge: At The Gatesworth, the team knew that many prospective residents were intrigued by the idea of independent living—but they weren’t quite ready to take the leap. These early-stage leads were frequent visitors to the website but they weren’t quite ready to take the leap and complete a contact us form. The challenge was finding a way to engage with these prospects—gently offering support, guidance, and value—without pushing them before they were ready. The team needed a way to build trust and connection over time, so that when the moment was right, The Gatesworth would feel like the natural next step.

➤ The Solution: Smart Girl Digital created an evergreen 5-touch lead magnet email campaign triggered by a lifestyle magazine download. The strategy was designed to deliver ongoing value, highlight The Gatesworth lifestyle, and gradually build trust and curiosity. Content included practical resources, a “day in the life” feature, downsizing support, and social wellness insights—each with light CTAs and personal touches from the Sales Director.

➤ Campaign Highlights:

    • 26-day drip campaign tailored to the “thinking” stage
    • Emails featured a mix of education, empathy, and lifestyle storytelling
    • Dynamic list enrollment and automated lead posting to Sherpa

Results: 12 months [April 1, 2024 – April 1, 2025]

  • 70 Magazine downloads
  • 9 Return Tours after downloading the guide and going through the campaign 
  • The average open rate across all five emails is 104%, and the average click rate is 15.2%. 
  • The total number of emails sent in this time period was 387, and the total number of emails opened is 393 — indicating that some recipients opened the emails multiple times.
  • 6 move-ins with lead magnet touch incorporated 
19+ hours a month sales team time saved

Campaign Case Study #2: Welcome Email Campaign – The Gatesworth

Creating a Consistent, Caring First Impression

➤ The Challenge: The Gatesworth wanted to create a warm, informative, and timely introduction for new prospects and influencers who had just inquired. With only a short window to make a memorable first impression, the team needed a consistent way to educate and inspire leads while moving them closer to an in-person visit.

➤ The Solution: Smart Girl Digital designed an evergreen 4-step automated welcome campaign triggered when new contacts were added to Sherpa. The series featured tailored content based on contact type (prospect or influencer) using dynamic content blocks, ensuring each message felt relevant and personalized. Emails came directly from the Executive Director to foster familiarity and trust.

➤ Campaign Highlights:

    • Automated 10-day drip sequence to nurture early interest
    • Messages included community overview, lifestyle highlights, helpful resources, and a resident testimonial
    • Strategic CTAs invited readers to explore more online or schedule a visit
    • Dynamic content ensured messaging aligned with the lead’s role (prospect vs. influencer)

Results: 3 Months [January 1, 2025 – April 1, 2025]

  • 163 Participants Enrolled & 327 total emails sent
  • 23 Call-Ins from campaign participants
  • Average Open Rate: 82.6%
  • Average Click-Through Rate: 3.3%
  • Move in data
16+ hours sales time saved sending emails

Campaign Case Study #3: Re-Engagement Email Campaign – The Gatesworth

Gently Reigniting Dormant Interest

➤ The Challenge: The Gatesworth wanted to re-engage leads who had shown interest but never connected with a sales advisor, or had disengaged along the way. Many were facing emotional barriers: concerns about cost, fear of change, or the heartache of leaving a longtime home. These weren’t cold leads, but individuals quietly weighing a deeply personal decision. The challenge was to reignite interest with empathy—offering gentle, helpful touchpoints that built trust without pressure, so prospects felt supported and understood as they considered their next chapter.

➤ The Solution: Smart Girl Digital developed a 5-touch re-engagement email campaign designed to speak directly to the concerns and motivators of these prospects. Themed around the idea of “Why Wait?”, the content gently encouraged readers to reconsider their hesitation and highlighted the benefits of moving sooner rather than later. The campaign included downloadable resources, social wellness insights, and real resident testimonials to build trust and emotional resonance.

➤ Campaign Highlights:

    • 26-day automated drip campaign sent to “Lost” or “Future” leads in Sherpa
    • Topics included: emotional readiness, downsizing, cost concerns, and socialization
    • Light, informative CTAs aimed to open conversation, not push a sale

Results: 12 months [April 1, 2024 – April 1, 2025]

  • 1,116 individuals enrolled
  • Average Open Rate: 53% — well above industry benchmarks (25–35%)
  • Average Click-Through Rate (CTR): 4% 
  • 58 goals completed:
      • 36 calls 
      • 15 return tours
      • 7 initial tours

Campaign Case Study #4: Post Tour Survey Campaign – The Gatesworth

Closing the Feedback Loop

➤ The Challenge: The Gatesworth wanted a simple, effective way to gather feedback from prospects who had recently toured the community. The goal was to assess the quality of the tour experience, identify potential follow-up needs, and uncover opportunities to improve. Tour feedback was often missed or inconsistently collected, creating gaps in the customer journey.

➤ The Solution: Smart Girl Digital implemented a 2-step automated email campaign triggered by the completion of an “Initial Tour” task in Sherpa. The campaign was designed to send a timely, branded follow-up email from the Executive Director asking for feedback via a quick survey. If no response was received within 7 days, a second reminder email was sent. Responses were tagged and categorized automatically based on satisfaction score, enabling customized follow-up based on sentiment.

➤ Campaign Highlights:

    • Triggered 1 day after a tour is logged in CRM
    • Tailored outreach to either the prospect or their related contact
    • Branded emails with survey CTA to gather insights on the tour experience
    • High scores prompt a thank you + Google review request

Results: 6 months [January 1, 2024 – April 1, 2025]

  • 7 post-tour surveys completed – All 5 star ratings
  • The campaign achieved a strong average open rate of 73%
  • The average click rate was 42%, signaling extremely high engagement in the emails.

Overall Results

Campaign Comparison Chart

Automation Overview & Impact

  • 40% of Move-Ins now originate from digital marketing channels.
  • Since launching marketing automation in January 2024, the community has achieved:
    • Net gain of 40 units
    • 99% occupancy

Strategic automation and targeted digital engagement are driving measurable results.  

Lessons Learned & Best Practices

Marketing + Sales Alignment Ensure sales understands the workflow strategies and each strategy aligns with the community’s sales process.
5 Campaigns Created Over 12 Months
Right Partner, Right Fit Work with a partner who understands your sales process & methodology.

Personalized, Stage-Based Messaging Align content with where the prospect is in the journey. [e.g., Welcome Campaign]

Smart CTAs that Match the Moment Balance education with action—customize CTAs by stage or status.

Here’s what data tells us about the digital landscape today:

  • More leads originate from digital sources than ever.
  • Sales strategies that rely on “quick wins” may not maximize results.
  • Leasing counselors will continue to work with growing volumes of digital leads.  
  • Today’s prospects are younger (Avg age 76-84) and often start research online.

What does it take to differentiate your automation campaigns from competitors?

Personalized Messaging: Deliver tailored content at the right time based on the customer’s stage, motivators, and objections.

Tech Stack & Integrations: Ensure your platforms are connected and tracking the full digital journey to power smarter campaigns.

Sales & Marketing Alignment: Align teams around shared goals, consistent messaging, and lead handoff strategies.

Continuous Optimization: Refine messaging, workflows, and targeting based on data insights and performance.

Want to jumpstart your own marketing automation?

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Download our free Automation Bonus Bundle—a curated collection of checklists, campaign templates, and real-life examples to help senior living marketers build smarter, more efficient email strategies. Whether you’re nurturing leads, re-engaging cold prospects, or following up after tours, this bundle gives you the tools to make it happen.
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