There's been a lot of discussions over the last several months on engagement .  We are noticing there is a need to connect with our customers on multiple platforms.  It starts with gathering information from conferences, seeking outside help through Social Media consultants or agencies, to making switches in our marketing plans.  With so many consumers out there not trusting or believing in what companies produce in their marketing, we need to change so the customers are the one's leading the relationships on and off line. Not only are they skeptical, but are time deprived. With the countless amounts of information available to us, means we need a reason to join a conversation or become involved. It's also about being connected, emotionally attached and experiences.  Anyone who works on site understands and relates to the emotional attachment and experiences of the everyday life of our residents.  What we have always done just got more complicated. Our residents want to be respected as individuals , take charge of the relationship and are not afraid to lead conversations.  Now is the time to truly connect with your customers on this emotional level, but how are you going to do it?

Before you get caught up in all the platforms available, you also need to understand being able to create engagement also means being able to deliver and follow through.   It seems so many are working very hard to discuss and find ways to get their brand online, but are oblivious to their customers emotions.  It's about building relationships with your customers.  Think of it like dating.  Getting to know someone takes time and hard work.  Once you meet that special someone you put the effort into truly  being able to understand and know what keeps the relationship strong.  So shouldn't we think of our residents like dating?  We need to understand who they are, how they feel, what drives their decisions and what is going to make them happy or not happy.  Finding that ability to connect and dig deeper will give you long lasting relationships over time know as "Retention".

We are aware our customers have a voice, can spread it to a large audience  online and gain a lot of attention by telling others about their experiences.  The question is  how are you going to get involved and show that your brand will not only engage in the discussions but also deliver.  My suggestion is to first  start by creating a rich experience that  your residents will benefit from.  Once you begin to create memorable experiences your residents will have a reason to be loyal to your brand, will become advocates and ultimately they will become the leader of the conversation and you will be right in the center of it all! If we give our residents a voice and a place for them to talk that is still connected to our brand, they will begin to take care of each other and you.  Think about what your goal is for engagement.  Is it to optimize the search engines or is it to optimize for the experience?  No matter your answer, get a plan in place. Whether you seek help from others who have experience and can guide you in the right direction or are willing to brave it along the most important factor is to follow through and don't give up!