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Jan 07
2010
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Episode 32 - It's the same but different and better
Posted by: Mark Juleen on Jan 7, 2010 04:26 Tagged in: Untagged
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After some discussions this week with fellow apartment nerds I had some thoughts about how new media is the same but different and better. Enjoy!
As seen @ Tidbits from The Apartment Nerd
If you missed Episode 31 check that out as well, would love your thoughts.
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Comments (7)
I guess what I don't understand is where are the resources going to come from? I say "resources" because social media still costs resources even though they aren't as often directly cash expenses (unless you talk about labor cost with a new dedicated employee). Now, that's not completely accurate as labor can sometimes be stretched if there is overcapacity, but that's not what I'm hearing, with many communities being understaffed to begin with.
So I guess I'd like to hear more about how taking a diversified approach is going to be funded...
(By the way, I don't mean to be argumentative - just don't understand the economics of what you are proposing.)
So I guess I'd like to hear more about how taking a diversified approach is going to be funded...
(By the way, I don't mean to be argumentative - just don't understand the economics of what you are proposing.)
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@Mike Thanks for the comment. I think one of the biggest challenges is understanding the nuances of each platform. You are absolutely correct that each needs a consistent message and they need to work together. I believe this is why hiring 30lines or Firebelly or another new media marketing company is a solid decision to make.
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@Brent Are you ready for a long comment. 
This is a challenge and a hurdle so many struggle with. The main issue really isn't where the resources are coming from, but how people are stuck in their thinking and perspective. It's scary to take risk and it's scary to change. I just don't think that is an excuse. So here's what I've done in the last 2 years, and how it's been a wash when it comes to dollars invested.
1. I just went for it and dropped the print guides. Yep, we did it.
2. Pooled together the new found saving for our Indianapolis Area Apartments and created a kick ass marketing fund for the city/market.
3. Hired an online media agency to help me with our online brand and online assets.
3. Allocated some of the $ saved to completely redesigning, optimizing, and overhauling our website(s).
4. Allocated some of the $ to adding additional ILS listings.
5. Dove in head first to personally understand as many social media channels as I could. I mainly did this on my own time.
6. Along with online media agency helped build online social assets like blogs, facebook pages, a YouTube channel, and Twitter account.
7. Organized a strategy for on site teams to blog.
8. Watch physical traffic from year to year (in a down market year) go up. Watch website traffic from year to year increase 50%.
9. Always believe there is a better way to do things. Innovate, innovate, innovate.
10. Rule #76: No excuses. Play like a champion.
So that's it in a nutshell for me and J.C. Hart, and we're still rolling with some killer new projects for 2010. As I continue to say, there is no cookie cutter approach. What works for me won't work for everyone, and social media in general isn't for everyone. That said, I do truly believe that anyone can at least do something to build a better online brand. It may not be with Twitter or Facebook, but more time dedicated to your online assets shouldn't be a decision that is limited by economics.
This is a challenge and a hurdle so many struggle with. The main issue really isn't where the resources are coming from, but how people are stuck in their thinking and perspective. It's scary to take risk and it's scary to change. I just don't think that is an excuse. So here's what I've done in the last 2 years, and how it's been a wash when it comes to dollars invested.
1. I just went for it and dropped the print guides. Yep, we did it.
2. Pooled together the new found saving for our Indianapolis Area Apartments and created a kick ass marketing fund for the city/market.
3. Hired an online media agency to help me with our online brand and online assets.
3. Allocated some of the $ saved to completely redesigning, optimizing, and overhauling our website(s).
4. Allocated some of the $ to adding additional ILS listings.
5. Dove in head first to personally understand as many social media channels as I could. I mainly did this on my own time.
6. Along with online media agency helped build online social assets like blogs, facebook pages, a YouTube channel, and Twitter account.
7. Organized a strategy for on site teams to blog.
8. Watch physical traffic from year to year (in a down market year) go up. Watch website traffic from year to year increase 50%.
9. Always believe there is a better way to do things. Innovate, innovate, innovate.
10. Rule #76: No excuses. Play like a champion.
So that's it in a nutshell for me and J.C. Hart, and we're still rolling with some killer new projects for 2010. As I continue to say, there is no cookie cutter approach. What works for me won't work for everyone, and social media in general isn't for everyone. That said, I do truly believe that anyone can at least do something to build a better online brand. It may not be with Twitter or Facebook, but more time dedicated to your online assets shouldn't be a decision that is limited by economics.
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Hey Mark,
Thanks for sharing so much of what you do. And those are some great results for your efforts! And that did help clarify that it wasn't like you were keeping all of your ad locations plus social media - the loss of your print ads funded all of your new endeavors, which appear to be more effective.
So of course my next line of thought is whether this strategy could work for other companies/communities. For a long time, when we were discussing this concept with Eric, it was all about whether it could "scale". But as the conversation moves forward, I think the biggest obstacle is the company culture and how social media works within that culture. I could see many companies doing EXACTLY what you have done, and yet fail miserably because of the intangibles associated with social media. I'm sure many communities continue with many of their marketing efforts simply because it is easier to pay someone else to drive traffic to them. And with that type of mentality, a social media endeavor doesn't stand a chance.
I can also see it failing if a company only does it "half-heartedly". Yes, a community can set up a fan page and a twitter account, but if they never truly support it, then it ends up being a waste of time. Like if I tried to build a table, but only bothered to make two legs...
Anyway, I kind of went off on a tangent there, but ultimately, when people see success like you are achieving, they want to find out if they can replicate it. And I think in that vein there are probably a lot of other intangibles that are key to your success beyond the list you have written!
Kudos!
Thanks for sharing so much of what you do. And those are some great results for your efforts! And that did help clarify that it wasn't like you were keeping all of your ad locations plus social media - the loss of your print ads funded all of your new endeavors, which appear to be more effective.
So of course my next line of thought is whether this strategy could work for other companies/communities. For a long time, when we were discussing this concept with Eric, it was all about whether it could "scale". But as the conversation moves forward, I think the biggest obstacle is the company culture and how social media works within that culture. I could see many companies doing EXACTLY what you have done, and yet fail miserably because of the intangibles associated with social media. I'm sure many communities continue with many of their marketing efforts simply because it is easier to pay someone else to drive traffic to them. And with that type of mentality, a social media endeavor doesn't stand a chance.
I can also see it failing if a company only does it "half-heartedly". Yes, a community can set up a fan page and a twitter account, but if they never truly support it, then it ends up being a waste of time. Like if I tried to build a table, but only bothered to make two legs...
Anyway, I kind of went off on a tangent there, but ultimately, when people see success like you are achieving, they want to find out if they can replicate it. And I think in that vein there are probably a lot of other intangibles that are key to your success beyond the list you have written!
Kudos!
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Brent,
You're certainly right. There are intangibles, but you could say that for any company really. I even think another company could replicate what we've done and do better depending on their intangibles. In the end a unique approach is what is needed that fits with the core values and goals of a company. Those values and goals may not include an online overhaul, and that's OK as it's not for everybody.
I wrote a post about iPods vs. MP3 players http://www.multifamilyinsiders...tegory/510 earlier this year. Both do the same thing. One demands a higher price and is much "cooler" to own. The other just does it's job and is compared mainly by price. From my perspective, building a better online brand can help a company strive toward being more like and iPod and less like a plain MP3 player. To each their own, but we're striving to be more like an iPod at J.C. Hart and that includes building a better online brand.
You're certainly right. There are intangibles, but you could say that for any company really. I even think another company could replicate what we've done and do better depending on their intangibles. In the end a unique approach is what is needed that fits with the core values and goals of a company. Those values and goals may not include an online overhaul, and that's OK as it's not for everybody.
I wrote a post about iPods vs. MP3 players http://www.multifamilyinsiders...tegory/510 earlier this year. Both do the same thing. One demands a higher price and is much "cooler" to own. The other just does it's job and is compared mainly by price. From my perspective, building a better online brand can help a company strive toward being more like and iPod and less like a plain MP3 player. To each their own, but we're striving to be more like an iPod at J.C. Hart and that includes building a better online brand.
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I think you are definitely undervaluing what you have done in social media! Granted, the people who come to MFI tend to be the best of the best in our industry, so they would definitely have more ability to replicate what you have done, but when we talk about the industry overall, I think it would be much more difficult for them to keep up with you. Of course, I'm a fan so what do I know?
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What Do You Think?
Whether it's a print guide, an ILS, social media or the next big thing, your chances of being seen and driving interest about your brand will always increase if you're visible to your audience in more places. As the way we consume media and make purchases changes, I think the more important issue will be understanding the nuances that will enable marketers to get the most out of each of those channels.
What works in a full-page won't work on Craigslist, and what works on Craigslist may not work on Facebook. Knowing how to get the most out of each channel, and how to integrate each of those channels to create a strong, consistent message will deliver the best bang for your buck.