Social Media

Social Media is powerful—that’s pretty much recognized across the board. But a massive social following doesn’t just happen overnight (unless you're like Jeremy Lin or Madonna). Which is why it can be beneficial to promote your community’s virtual presence in the real world.

Here are 21 examples of how businesses create visibility for their social media platforms through means which are offline. Some tactics could clearly translate to the multifamily biz, others would take a bit more creativity. So to get you thinking...

Dillard’s Breezeway Billboard - In a fairly basic attempt, Dillard’s invites shoppers to get updates on special offers and events through their social media platforms, by placing a sign near the store’s entrance. Easy, simple, to the point. 

NAA’s UNITS magazine published a Satisfacts Research survey in their April issue titled “All That Apply:  Residents’ Leading Marketing Sources.”  The web-based survey queried 34,000 apartment residents who had moved within the last year, asking what sources they used from a prepared list of 36 possibilities, giving the option to check up to 20 of these sources. 

A survey question like this can tell us a great deal . . . notably that shoppers are utilizing an abundance of information resources, not surprising for most of us.

But does it really tell us that “Drive-by/signage” is the “leading” source, or that social media is “rarely used”?

Doug Miller, President of Satisfacts, was quite gracious in spending time with me over the phone recently to discuss the methodology behind the survey.  Here’s what I learned, and what you should also know:

·      Survey question:  “When you rented at your community, what sources of information did you use to find out about the community?  Check all that apply, up to 20.” 

·      The list of sources was a simple list, no clarification or further explanation provided

·      There were 15 Internet sources listed under the heading “Internet”, as in “Internet – Apartments.com”, “Internet – Property Website/Portal” and so on.  But many sources were omitted, like RentMineOnline.com, Oodle.com, ApartmentList.com, RentSocial.com and many others that carry apartment content. 

·      Similarly, all print publication sources were listed with an “Apt Guide” heading . . . “Apt Guide – For Rent”, “Apt Guide – Apartment Guide”, “Apt Guide – Apartment Finder” and “Apt Guide – Other”.  While those of us in the industry can muddle through that one, would the typical apartment resident be confused?  As one of the provider names is the same as the heading (Apartment Guide), it is easy to imagine that there was some respondent error here.

·      Facebook was included as one of the “Internet” choices, as well as Twitter and MySpace (really?), but other social media sites were not listed – like Pinterest, community or management company blogs and other sources where the industry has seen a great deal of activity.   

·      ApartmentRatings.com was included as an “Internet” source, but not Yelp.com or the many other ratings & reviews options we see the consumer utilizing.

·      There’s nothing at all in the survey about Mobile as a source – and that means none of the many apps and mobile sites were taken into consideration.  As mobile is the fastest-growing digital resource, this is a big missing component.

So, back to my original question:  Does the survey really tell us that drive-by/signage is the “leading” source?  Just my opinion, but don’t most of us drive a neighborhood we’re thinking about living in?  And while that helps us to know if the geography is right, does it really help a consumer narrow down the specific apartment community they want to take a look at? 

Also, with over 80% of Americans now using the Internet (via their desktops, laptops, smart phones and every other digital device with internet connectivity), and over half of Americans purchasing on line, does it really follow that the highest percentage any Internet provider garnered in the survey (Rent.com) was only 14.1%?  It just doesn’t add up.

Speaking of “adding up,” I saw a recent communiqué where one marketing provider was totaling their print and Internet percentages from this survey to come up with their “share” of usage.  Not so fast – since the survey asked respondents to “check all that apply,” there is overlap in the percentages; totaling is completely erroneous, as the same respondents checked multiple sources. 

As a long-time industry supplier with many years in the marketing arena, it troubles me that some readers might misunderstand these survey results, and that other marketing experts in the field are using the information inappropriately.  Shouldn’t we really be asking (in addition to a more precise usage survey) what sources are meaningful or most helpful?  What type of information is critical in making a decision on where to rent?  How important are ratings/reviews and friend’s recommendations in making your decision?  It seems to me that those questions would give us much more insightful, actionable answers.

I'd love to know your thoughts!

To all you property mangers, regional mangers, COO’s and property owners – here’s a secret - the success of your property lies within the brand and managing it accordingly. Just as Coke and Apple create brand awareness for their products and devote an entire team just to branding and each one of us is our own personal brand that needs to be managed on a daily basis, so too does your property.  If your property doesn’t have a distinguishable brand that your staff live and breathe every day then how will your property stand out from its competitors?  You will be no different than the property down the street or the next town over.  

For example, if your property’s brand is to be “social” then your managers, leasing agents and maintenance staff need to manage it accordingly.  They need to have the brand in mind as they perform their respective roles. In other words, your property manager needs to be planning resident events and updating the property Facebook page and Twitter account, your maintenance team needs to know everyone’s name and have a constant smile on their face and your leasing agent needs to be vocalizing the brand to every prospective resident. It’s truly amazing when you change someone’s mindset to manage from a brand’s perspective, not just from a “this is my job and this is where I work perspective,” how you can enhance and distinguish the property.  

With social media constantly changing, it can seem like the options are endless, so where do you start? Look no further!  Here are 25 things you should be doing with social media right now:

1. Set up an account and start taking pictures with Instagram.  It is an easy photo taking and sharing app that was recently purchased by Facebook, so there are big things to come!
2. Create a Pinterest board of apartment-friendly decorating ideas for your residents.
3. Partner with a popular neighborhood restaurant to provide your residents with a Facebook exclusive offer.  Post a status update with coupon code to redeem 20% off.  It will make your fans feel really special.
4. Tweet street cleaning schedules to make sure your residents don’t get tickets.
5. Take a poll on your Facebook page asking residents what brand of coffee they would like in the lobby this month, then let them know you listened!
6. Choose a resident to highlight as your Resident of the Month on Facebook in an effort to help everyone get to know their neighbors.
7. Create a Facebook group for your employees to swap ideas, ask questions, give praise for a job well done and get to know each other.  Make sure the group is set as private.
8. Start Trivia Tuesdays on Twitter and give away small prizes to your residents for correct answers.
9. Ask your residents to Like you and follow you on social media websites!  You would be surprised how simply asking will help grow your fan base.
10. Keep your LinkedIn company profile up to date with current job openings and company information.  You can recruit top talent this way.
11. Read multifamily industry blogs, like Multifamily Insiders and Apartments.com/blog, to stay on top of trends and news.
12. Start a blog that provides relevant apartment living, neighborhood and community information for your residents.
13. Respond to all comments and mentions on social media, whether positive or negative, in a timely, professional manner.
14. Create Facebook events for your community get-togethers so residents have all the information on the website they check most often, as well as the ability to see who else is attending.
15. Tweet the weather forecast first thing every morning to help your residents decide what to wear.
16. Host a charity like-a-thon and donate a certain amount of money or volunteer hours for every new Like you get on Facebook during a period of time.
17. Add your social media profiles to all of your current marketing materials, so people know you are active on those websites.
18. Start accepting maintenance request via your Facebook wall.  Make sure to respond to each request and follow up after the job is complete.  This will show current and prospective residents how great your customer service is.
19. Create a Facebook application with your leasing office and community staff photos and bios, so your residents know who to go to with questions, as well as the names of the people that make their community run smoothly.
20. Tweet fun, easy recipes that residents can make during the work week.
21. Wish residents happy birthday on Facebook or Twitter.
22. When the first of the month is rolling around and rent is due, tweet out a reminder for residents.
23. Create a social media policy and training course for your employees to ensure they understand the importance and responsibility of online behavior.
24. Capture nice things your residents are saying about you online and repurpose them in marketing materials or in a slide show that plays on your lobby TV’s.
25. Monitor mentions of your property management company name, community name and neighborhood on social networking websites and respond accordingly. 

Resident Social Media meets Outreach Marketing

Pick a box…Do you like me? Yes, No or Maybe.  Remember when getting important information was as easy as passing a note in gym class, checking a box and passing it back?  It still is!  The beauty of the internet and social media (Facebook, Pinterest, etc.) allows us to find out all kinds of pertinent information on our current residents and potential new residents too!  This is a perfect marketing marriage!  This strategy, much like this post, is quick and easy to apply.

Whether you are just getting started with your social media strategy or you’re paving the way for others in the industry, it is imperative to have a policy in place.  In this digital era, your employees need to be well versed in appropriate online behavior when they are representing, not only themselves, but  also the brand.  Policy can be a scary word for employees, which is why your social media policy should really be more of a set of guidelines.  Here are a couple tips to get you started on your set of guidelines:

1.    Team Effort – Creating a social media policy at your company should be a team effort.  Gather a cross-functional group from departments like PR, legal, strategy, sales, marketing and senior leadership.  All of these people will play an important role in crafting your guidelines.

2.    Common Sense – Make sure to include guidelines that you may think are common sense in your policy.  You cannot assume everyone thinks the same way and it is better to be safe than sorry.  Some examples of this would be:

Unfortunately, it’s sort-of a part of my job description to monitor Twitter activity surrounding industry conferences in far away, sunny places and look with envy upon attendees’ waterfront-hotel-“look at my awesome view!” instagram portraits. But last month, as I watched the pictures, tweets, and facebook updates roll in from the Texas Apartment Association Education Conference, I became increasingly convinced: these guys got game. I’ve seen industry conferences of national audiences that struggle to get this sort of online buzz. And here this conference in San Antonio was the talk of the town — because you see, if hashtags were municipalities, #TAA2012 was booming like Skagway during the Klondike great gold rush.

Well, curiosity got the better of me. Using online stalking skills innate to all people under 30 — with maybe the exception of those associated with amish communities — I got in contact with Joel Nihlean, TAA’s Marketing & Communications Manager, who generously agreed to an interview. As I anticipated, Joel’s a social media rock star. With a strong background in event management, web writing, public relations, and graphic design, he has successfully planned, managed, and implemented the association’s marketing programs and e-communications since he started working with them in 2010. Also, he’s an unabashed, self-professed nerd; so we were fast friends and he taught me the secrets to becoming a pinball wizard (step 1: kicka%^  Alf tattoo)

It takes one to know one… a community manager that is! The task of community and Facebook humanitarian is sure to keep one on his or her toes. It’s always good to know what others in a peer group have to say. Mashable recently shared great insight from community managers of notable brands. Take it from these guys, they know how you feel!

 
1. Don’t be a one-hit wonder: Teresa Wu, community manager at Google Docs, says rather than sporadically connecting with users, establish a humanistic connection to create a long lasting relationship. Invite them to a community event and take the time to get to know your residents. Valuing them as individuals rather than renters makes a huge difference.
 
2. Set up meet and greets: Etsy Community Strategist, Morgan Evans, has found success by encouraging members of a community to meet with one another and form groups that draw out commonalities that would otherwise remain dormant. Promoting peer networks is a great way to jumpstart engagement and makes your residents feel supported. Setting up Facebook events for your residents is a great way to get the ball rolling.
 
3. Seeing is believing: Use photos to connect to your residents. McKee Floyd, director of brand development at Sweetgreen, uses photos to do a lot of the work for him. Knowing the power of image association, he says his Facebook fans see the image and make the connection to head to Sweetgreen’s Instagram page. Instagram photos can be shared on Facebook. By pairing the creativity of Instagram with the viral quality of Facebook, you double the power of your campaign and engage multiple users. McKee also shared a cross-pollination tip: “Photos or content featuring your product or branding are priceless. Use a tool like statigr.am to share these photos easily on your Pinterest page or Facebook Page. Always give a shout out to the creator — they’ll appreciate the kudos and keep spreading your brand love.”
 
4. Identify your power residents: Morgan of Etsy touches on some good points. Knowing those in your community who are vocal online is vital to your business. Word of mouse is just as, and maybe more, powerful than word of mouth. Support these people as much as possible. They are some of your most valuable assets. Ask them to use the Recommendations App to post a referral to attract new potential residents.
 
5. Helps us help you: Jonathan Goldman of Jetsetter says to get to know your customer service team. You may not always know the answer but a social media specialist with the For Rent Marketplace Team can help!