Topic: Anyone using Modern Message?

This is a 4-yr-old company that incentivizes residents to write reviews (you control which ones get posted) and earn "points." The rewards are for 'liking' on Facebook and other social media activities that boost your property. Their website is Modernmsg.com

It seems like a no-brainer idea but I am wondering if others have used this and how satisfied they were at the activity it generated. Also I'd be curious to know if they found it worth the cost.

Thanks!

I'm not a fan of paying for reviews...and not because of the expense. I would much rather get an honest opinion - good, bad or ugly -so that I can address issues and truly improve the experience my residents have. How honest are your reviews going to be if they earn points or other incentives for a good review? I feel that if I and my team are doing our jobs, we shouldn't have to pay for good reviews. I also think you lose a little respect from your resident/prospect base when they know you engage in the practice.

I've also secured leases from prospects who saw bad reviews and appreciated our forthright and direct response that addressed the issues, outlined solutions and showed that we do care.

For anyone curious, we did a write-up on Modern Message a while back: www.multifamilyinsiders.com/multifamily-...munities-on-facebook

Their service has changed a bit since that write-up, but it should give a general idea about what they do.

Hi everyone,

Glad to see a discussion around Community Rewards. I'd encourage anyone who characterizes the program as "paying for good reviews" to participate in a demo to learn more about the program first. The platform was carefully designed to engage all residents to equally earn points for completing tasks, such as leaving a review... good, bad, and ugly. The platform will never solicit only "good reviews". Turns out, the overwhelming majority of residents have amazing things to share about their apartment if you have good strategy to engage them.

Yes, I wasn't concerned about the "paying for reviews" angle since it appears to be set up that AFTER a resident makes a good review, they are then prompted for a way to push it forward to another venue. I was thinking about other pitfalls, such as: (1) people posting near-nothing minor reviews just to collect points and get gift cards etc. and (2) what are the odds it has no effect on generating reviews?

While I appreciate the honesty of letting reviews come in as they will, and responding to the negative ones, the stakes are much higher now. With Google's changeover in search engine rankings in April, reviews will become more powerful than ever. A handful of revenge-seekers can tip the boat with reviews.

Some customers don't take the time to read reviews and only look at "rankings." I am one of them! If I am on Yelp looking at restaurants and see that the restaurant I'm seeking has only 2 stars out of 5, I move right on--though if I read more thoroughly, I might see that there are only TWO reviews that gave it that ranking, from a disgrunted couple!