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Home Insider Blogs Mike Whaling's Blog We Create Commonality
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May 03
2009

We Create Commonality

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Posted by: Mike Whaling on May 3, 2009 01:00

“It doesn’t matter if it’s a company or a campaign, you build around commonality. If it’s real people and real communities, then it’s valuable. Otherwise it’s just playing around online.”

~ Chris Hughes, Co-founder, Facebook.com and New Media Director, BarackObama.com


Neighbors share commonalities.In the multifamily industry, we’re in the business of creating and cultivating real communities. Our customers are people who may choose to do very different things and lead very different lives, but they have all chosen to share a commonality - their neighborhood.

That in itself puts you a step ahead. Why? You don’t need to be an expert at building an online community ... you’re already part of one, a real community with real people.

No other industry can offer that. At least not one I can think of.

So use that commonality to your advantage. Give your community places to connect with each other, places to highlight the unique things that make your location special, places to build around the commonality inherently shared by neighbors. It could be a central courtyard as easily as it could be an online gathering place.

Not everyone will participate, and that’s fine. It’s not like everyone you know is on Facebook, either. (Then again, maybe they are.) Regardless, our industry is uniquely positioned to offer an experience to residents that other businesses simply can’t deliver to their customers. All you can do is make that offer.

Not sure where to start? Just look at your residents and the interesting, unique things that they do everyday. Strike up a conversation; discover their passion. Provide ways to help them tell their stories and connect with each other, and they’ll gladly make opportunities to tell your story, too.

We are in the business of building and operating communities. Real, vibrant communities with real, dynamic people. Even if the four walls inside the apartment are plain beige boring, there’s a good chance that the residents living there are anything but. For multifamily, social networks shouldn’t be places to broadcast our latest leasing specials. Instead, they should be used to highlight the commonalities that connect the real community that you’ve worked tirelessly to build.

It’s a big, squishy idea that doesn’t necessarily fit tidily into business functions like marketing, customer service or resident retention. But connecting with others that share similar interests makes people feel welcomed, comfortable, more likely to want to stay for a while. And that’s always good for business.

What ways can you think of to build around the commonality in your community? Leave your thoughts in the comments ... I’d love to hear from you.

(Photo credit: stolenmoments, renedepaula on Flickr.)


Comments (3)Add Comment
62
written by Brent Williams, May 04, 2009
Mike - WONDERFUL post, and I like how you focus on the fact that our residents are assets unto themselves. Anytime I talk to someone who understands this key point, I hear specific stories about how they have woven their residents into their service/product. Like Eric @ Urbane talking about his resident's logo creation or hearing about a resident's band playing at an event, these companies truly understand that their residents are their largest untapped resource.
143
written by Scott Schneider, May 05, 2009
Speaking of residents as assets, I wonder if it would be beneficial for the leasing office to keep track of each resident's profession? What if I have an HVAC emergency at 9pm? Instead of calling a repairman, maybe there's a resident who can do the same job for a lower (or free?) price, just to help out his neighbors? I need to think more about this, but I'm convinced there are possibilities here.
77
written by Mike Whaling, May 05, 2009
Thanks, Brent. Those are both great examples of this approach in action.

Scott, I completely agree. I've seen a few communities that are trying this, effectively providing the opportunity for residents to include themselves in a local directory. Private social networks can be used similarly. The best examples I've seen are at properties that have specific niche audiences like artists and musicians ... it really adds to the sense of community at these locations.
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