The mobile market is booming, and while you may have joined the latest trend with a mobile phone purchase of your own,  this technology can now be incorporated into your community by reaching residents and prospects in the way they most prefer—text messaging.  In return, your community can save time and resources with just a quick trip to the computer.  With an easy log in to your chosen texting platform, designated employees can type in a short text message and with a simple click, your message is in the hands of your subscribed residents, prospects or both.

Imagine reaching your residents quickly with notifications like:

• “Your lease is almost up. Stop by the leasing office to check out our latest specials to renew!”
• “Just a friendly reminder, rent is due Monday.”
• “Sorry we missed you. You have a package waiting in the leasing office.”
• “Powerwashing this Thursday.”
• “The next resident social is April 15th. See you at the pool at 2pm.”

While meeting the goal of reaching renters any time, any place,  incorporating a text message campaign can improve your marketing efforts and resident satisfaction.  Avoid wasting time and decrease the risk of your carefully developed message falling into the bottomless pit of emails.  Want to make an impact on prospects and stand out among the competition?  Have prospective renters opt-in to your text message program while visiting your property and send follow-up texts easily tailored to their preferences and needs.

Before recipients can take advantage of the offers and information you provide them, they need to give permission to be added to your text database by sending a text to a specific number with a keyword, often referred to as ”opting-in.”  To help persuade them to “opt-in” to receive your text messages, we have included some inexpensive tips to build your text database below.

Build Your Text Database With These Hot Tips:

Text-A-Resident

• Ask residents to opt-in when they stop by to drop their rent checks off.
• Distribute fliers around the property encouraging people to opt-in.
• Make the text program announcement at your next resident social.
• Have a raffle. For example, all residents that “opt-in” during the next 30 days will be entered to win a prize.
• Place a sign that says, “Ask me about our text program” in your clubhouse.
• “Go Green.” Residents can do their part by opting-in with this “green” initiative that gets away from paper notifications.

Text-A-Prospect

• Encourage prospects to opt-in to your text program while they wait for the next available leasing consultant.
• When prospects ask for more information, let them know they can “opt-in” to receive upcoming specials and promotions on their mobile phone.
• If prospects are looking for something that you don’t have available on that day, let them know that things change often and you’d like to be able to text them when something becomes available.
• Train your leasing team to have prospective renters “opt-in” during tours of your community.
• Place inexpensive door-clings with text sign up information throughout the property. 

For more information on making mobile a successful part of your marketing plan visit the YourSolutions Blog.

* Frost & Sullivan

** Mobile Marketing and Advertising Agency, Textopoly