--- title: DavaCare 90-Day Proof-of-Concept Plan type: article created: '2026-04-05' updated: '2026-04-05' source_docs: - raw/2025-12-04-ai-training-106261840.md tags: - lead-generation - ppc - budget-justification - davacare - senior-living - proof-of-concept - cac - ltv layer: 2 client_source: null industry_context: null transferable: true --- # DavaCare 90-Day Proof-of-Concept Plan ## Overview When a client is unwilling or unable to commit to the recommended marketing budget, a 90-day proof-of-concept plan bridges the gap. Rather than asking for more money upfront, you demonstrate ROI within the existing budget by fixing allocation problems — then use the results to justify a larger investment. This plan was developed for DavaCare, a multi-location senior memory care provider, using the [[knowledge/ai-strategy/ai-powered-client-strategy-framework|AI-Powered Client Strategy Framework]]. DavaCare was spending ~$3,000/month on Google Ads against a recommended budget of $20,000/month for a projected 17x ROI. The core insight: **the problem isn't the budget — it's how the budget is being spent.** --- ## Business Economics (DavaCare) Understanding the unit economics is essential before pitching any budget conversation. | Metric | Value | |---|---| | Monthly rate per resident | ~$5,000 | | Average length of stay | ~3 years | | Customer LTV | ~$180,000 | | Allowable CAC | ~$7,000 | | Monthly vacancy cost (30 beds) | ~$165,000 | | Total revenue sitting empty | ~$4.2M | At $3,500/month in retainer fees, a single new move-in generates roughly 3x the agency's annual fee. This framing is essential for client conversations about budget. --- ## The 90-Day Plan ### Objective Use the current $3,000/month Google Ads budget to prove the lead generation model works — without asking for additional spend. ### Current Baseline (at $3k/month) - ~257 conversions/year (~21/month) - ~$100 cost per lead (CPL) - Budget misallocated: St. Francis and Pewaukee campaigns running at $199 CPL vs. $86 for top performers - 3 locations with no ads running at all ### Month 1: Fix What's Broken - **Reallocate budget** away from underperforming campaigns (St. Francis, Pewaukee) toward top performers - **Add negative keywords** to eliminate non-buyer-intent traffic (research terms, job seekers, etc.) - **Audit search terms report**: filter last 90 days by cost, identify wasted spend - **Launch campaigns for missing locations** — 3 locations currently have zero paid coverage ### Month 2: Optimize and Expand - Review performance of reallocated budget; adjust bids and ad copy - Begin Google Business Profile (GBP) work: claim/verify all 10 locations, add photos, enable messaging - Launch review generation campaign (target: 16 → 50+ reviews; competitors have 50–100) - Add click-to-call buttons and simplify contact forms on location pages ### Month 3: Prove the Model - Compile results against success metrics (see below) - Prepare budget increase pitch with documented ROI - Present trade-off analysis to client ### 90-Day Success Metrics | Metric | Baseline | Target | |---|---|---| | Monthly leads | ~21 | ~30 | | Cost per lead | ~$100 | ~$85 | | Lead volume increase | — | +43% | | CPL reduction | — | -22% | | Conversion rate | ~5.4% | 7%+ | Hitting these numbers proves: leads exist, the funnel converts, and more budget equals more move-ins. --- ## The Budget Increase Pitch (Post-90 Days) After demonstrating results, present the ROI case for scaling: > *"With $3,000/month, we increased leads by 43% and cut cost per lead by 22%. We're now generating 30 leads/month at $85 each. At $8,000/month, we project 80 leads/month. At a 10% close rate, that's 8 move-ins/month — $1.1M in new LTV per month of marketing. The math: spend $8,000 to generate $1M+."* ### What the Client Loses by Staying at $3k/Month Be explicit about trade-offs: - 3–4 locations remain with no ad coverage - Slower organic growth (content budget constrained) - More prospects lost to competitors during consideration phase - Estimated **$2M+ in lost lifetime revenue** over 12 months - Every month of delay costs ~$165,000 in vacant bed revenue ### Framing the Choice > *"We can make this work within $3,000, but let's be clear: we're running a proof of concept, not a full lead generation program. In 90 days, I'll show you data that proves this works. At that point, we'll need to decide: stay small and fill maybe 10–15 beds over the year, or invest properly and fill all 30."* --- ## Scaling Path Clients rarely jump from $3k to $20k. Expect a gradual ramp: 1. **Day 1–90:** $3,000/month proof-of-concept 2. **Month 4:** Present results; propose doubling to $6,000 3. **Month 7–9:** Scale to $10,000–$15,000 based on demonstrated returns 4. **Month 12+:** Full $20,000/month program if beds remain unfilled or waitlist is the goal Note: once beds are full and a waitlist exists, the allowable CAC changes — a 3-deep waitlist makes a 4th position worth very little. Revisit budget ceilings as occupancy improves. --- ## Data Needed to Refine the Model To sharpen projections, collect from the client: - Exact number of vacant beds per location - Average revenue per bed per location (varies by care level) - Which locations are holding beds for private pay vs. open to new residents - Current referral sources and volume See [[clients/davacare/_index|DavaCare Client Overview]] for account context. --- ## Related - [[knowledge/ai-strategy/ai-powered-client-strategy-framework|AI-Powered Client Strategy Framework]] - [[knowledge/lead-generation/davacare-12-month-strategy|DavaCare 12-Month Lead Generation Strategy]] - [[knowledge/ppc/budget-reallocation-playbook|PPC Budget Reallocation Playbook]]