Erica Campbell's Blog

Mark Zuckerberg and friends took to the stage on September 22, 2011 at the F8 Developer Summit in San Francisco, CA to update developers and businesses that build products around Facebook on what's to come. I was able to sit in on the live feed as well as a follow-up webinar called ‘Revolutionizing The Second Internet’ that featured Rick Marini, CEO, BranchOut, Reggie Bradford, CEO, Vitrue, David Berkowitz, VP, Emerging Media & Innovation, 360i, and Justin Kistner, Director of Social Products, Webtrends.

Facebook’s team announced an ambitious series of features including an updated version of the Newsfeed, Timeline, Ticker, and a New Class of Apps that will greatly enhance the platform and potentially have a far-reaching impact on how 800 million people use the web. The news is very exciting for For Rent Media Solutions and our clients that are using Marketplace on Facebook to showcase listings. The growth is rapid on Facebook, and these new modifications are bringing their product to the next level. Let’s focus on the four major changes Facebook has introduced:

1.      Updated Version of Newsfeed

The Internet connects us like no other medium, and social networking sites are a great way to stay in touch and turn connections into business. Here are the top ten opportunities that social networking offers and why you should stay connected in 2010:

1.     Spread a consistent message/image to a large audience about your brand, identity, and products/services

2.     Meet people in your industry, find employees and employers, ask for referrals, and get/give advice

Every seven seconds someone in America turns 50.* Where will they live? The 50-plus population is the fastest growing segment of the housing market.** Adjusting to retirement and "empty nests," many will move to communities that offer lifestyle choices that meet their new needs.

Housing for the senior market includes a variety of different options, including independent living, assisted living, nursing homes, and continuing care. Whichever definition your community fits into, providing the right amenities to the after 55 demographic is essential.

According to Encyclopedia.com, many seniors like to do one of the following in their spare time: travel, walking and other light exercise, reading, going to theater (cinema and live), volunteer work, and listening to music. Knowing some of these preferences can help ensure your community offers what after 55 residents want, making your community highly desirable. Things like:

Maximize your marketing efforts and reach more prospective residents with a community video. Highlighted below are the top eight ways to generate even more exposure through various social networking avenues using your community video.

1.      Email Signature:
Including a hyperlink to your video in your signature allows prospective residents easy access to virtual contact with your property.

2.      Facebook® Status Updates:
Posting the YouTube^TM link in your status update provides a measurable distribution channel allowing syndication of your video through fans' newsfeeds. It affords residents the opportunity to showcase their apartment community to family and friends who are potentially searching for apartments, leading to increased views and positive sentiment.

Budget Season.  The words alone instill panic in the hearts and minds of many.  Is there anyone out there who actually enjoys this process?  To help you not only survive the budget season, but perhaps even prosper, we'd like to offer a few tips that will hopefully make this year a little more stress free.

1. Be organized.  Set a time aside each day to work on the budget, and don't allow yourself to get side-tracked.  If you're a list user, make one.  Crossing items off will make you feel like you're accomplishing something.  Take a look at last year's budget and identify those areas that will be automatically renewed this year.  Sure, some of the numbers may have changed, but it's a great place to start.

2. Delegate.  Ask your co-workers and support staff for help!  Task them with researching their areas of responsibility.  After all, who knows better what their needs will be for the coming year?

With online advertising, you can increase your community's visibility and drive more traffic to your property.  By following these simple techniques, you'll expand your branding opportunities while keeping your community in front of potential residents.

Update Your Listings.  Did you know that Internet users make a judgment about your site in 1/20^th of a second?¹  Be sure to make the most of your online presence by keeping it current!  Up-to-date ads will draw people to your listings quicker, making it more likely that prospects will contact the leasing office.

Our research shows potential renters search for properties three ways²:

 By Nadeen Green, Senior Legal Counsel at For Rent Media Solutions

When you got ready to leave home today, you knew there was the possibility that someone could wrongly come into your home to steal things, so you probably locked your door, and perhaps set an alarm.  Then, when you got behind the wheel of your car, you knew there could be an accident, so you buckled your seat belt.  No one is telling you not to leave home or not to drive, but both of these activities pose risks.  Everyday we take risks, and the better informed we can be about risks, the smarter and safer we are. 

The same is true for advertisers as they embrace social media to promote their apartment communities.  Social media is a great innovation, but it does have its risks, and the better informed advertisers can be about those risks, the smarter and safer they are.

Do you ever wonder what your high school sweetheart, quarterback, class clown, cheerleading captain, class nerd, and valedictorian are up to these days? You may have lost touch with these people over the years but all is not lost. Baby boomers and beyond are finding social networking sites appealing for the same reasons most people do - to stay in touch with people. They are interested in reconnecting with old friends and classmates whom they haven't talked to in more than 30 years.

 Currently, 16.5 million adults age 55 and older engage in social networking, according to Internet monitoring site comScore. A consumer survey of U.S. consumers from the NPD group, Inc., a leading provider of reliable consumer research, shows that 61% of baby boomer Internet users (age 44 to 61) had visited sites that offer streaming or downloadable video, while 41% had visited social networks.

There are helpful, even enjoyable and easy-to-use, Web sites that offer social benefits such as networking opportunities, research tools, and helpful articles on everything from retirement to long term care. These sites allow you to sign up and join, meet others, post articles etc, while others provide access to useful information regarding life after 55. The industry experts at After 55^TM Housing and Resource Guide and SeniorOutlook.com continue to stay abreast of new media trends and want to provide you with a list of social networking sites that can benefit you.

There are a lot of different versions out there of how the Seven Deadly Sins apply to social media but here are some that For Rent Media Solutions has put together to assure that you are making the most of your social media marketing campaign.

Mobile phones and Web based communication platforms are increasing their presence and popularity among the lives of hundreds of millions of people globally. From sharing monotonous and routine details of every day life to alerting people to breaking news or product launches. You've probably heard a lot about Twitter, the free micro-blogging social network that's growing faster than Facebook as we speak. Still, you're probably wondering what Twitter is and how it actually works.

Have no fear, For Rent Media Solutions (@AptsForRent) has been spending a lot of time on Twitter lately, and have put together a guide to help Twitter newbie's get started. Twitter is estimated to have around 5 to 10 million registered users. According to Compete.com, Twitter received more than 14 million unique visitors and more than 8 million page views in March. Oprah Winfrey set up a Twitter account and tweeted live for the first time on her April 17 show. According to Engadget's Ryan Block, 1.2 million people signed up after she did. Is this a coincidence or is it the "Oprah Effect"? If your company doesn't have a Twitter account, make it a priority to jump on the bandwagon. Still not convinced? Check out our lingo break down and tips and tricks below.