Banner

Training Trivia

It is wise and acceptable to use a criminal background check to eliminate any candidates with a criminal record prior to getting to final interviews when hiring.
Powered by Grace Hill
 
 
Total votes: 34
Home Insider Blogs Ellen Thompson's Blog Three E-Mail & Social Media Marketing Tips
Enter your email address for weekly access to top multifamily blogs!

Apartment Blogs


Sep 20
2011

Three E-Mail & Social Media Marketing Tips

 Print

Posted by: Ellen Thompson on Sep 20, 2011 14:50

I finally did it. I culled the herd. I unsubscribed to most of my email lists.

Why? Some were pushy, some were irrelevant, and one actually offended me. I haven’t seen multifamily marketing make these mistakes, but keep them in mind as you plan your campaigns.

Don’t post too much. Whatever your platform, be respectful. I quit Ann Taylor’s list because I didn’t need to hear about a weekend sale 4 times in 5 days.

Keep it relevant. I live near Philadelphia. So why did Groupon send me deals in Birmingham and Chicago? Remember the nature of your products, too. Last year I purchased custom window treatments from Smith & Noble. While I’m very pleased with the results, I don’t plan to purchase new ones for at least a decade.

Don’t offend me. Humor is a valuable tool, but listen to yourself. I dropped off Philadelphia Magazine’s e-mail list because a blogger used crass and insulting stereotypes for residents of my area. It was meant to be funny, and some readers thought so. But if it was too mean-spirited for my inbox, how many others felt the same way?

Want to keep your email and social media connections growing? Keep your content compelling, but know your audience. Respect them. A few carefully chosen, well-timed words are your most powerful marketing tool.


Comments (4)Add Comment
62
written by Brent Williams, September 20, 2011
When you discuss frequency, do you mean 4 or 5 touch points total or by medium? We share webinars in a variety of different places, but for any one medium, it doesn't hit that number...
2272
written by Ellen Thompson, September 20, 2011
Hi Brent,

I was referring to endless emails. E.g. notifications about a holiday weekend sale on Wed, Fri, Sat, Sun and Monday.

I don't feel your are over promoting webinars (and I would let you know if I did :-) ).

Ellen
62
written by Brent Williams, September 20, 2011
Thanks Ellen - If you ever want to use our email strategy, to highlight both good and bad aspects, please feel free. I think it's always good to use an actual practice and dissect what is right and wrong, but most people don't appreciate it when you assess their stuff. smilies/smiley.gif Besides, I think it would be interesting to see what you thought we could improve upon.
2272
written by Ellen Thompson, September 21, 2011
I agree that most people don't like it if you assess their stuff without permission, but I have found it to be a great closing tool (in my case assessing SEO during an unrelated sale). In fact, I have built some of my best relationships by overstepping this kind of boundary.

I am always happy to give you feedback, but there is probably someone else in this forum who is a true email maven who has stats to back up what is the ideal frequency, time of day, etc.
feedSubscribe to this comment's feed
What Do You Think?


security code
Write the displayed characters


busy

Insider Blogs

Brandon Hollembeak The mobile payment revolution is beginning written by Brandon Hollembeak
  Jim Davoren of Apartments.com buying lunch from a food truck by swiping his credit card on an iPad. Chances are you've either heard of or seen mobile payments happening, as opposed to this time a year ago, when the conversations were just sta ...   (Read More)

Tashina Wortham 21 Ways to Show You’re Social [in pics] written by Tashina Wortham
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 comm ...   (Read More)

Jeffrey Spanke "Rest in Peace, George Carlin." written by Jeffrey Spanke
Think of the resident that you hate. But I don’t hate anybody! I love what I do, and everyone is my favorite person in the world. I work in Moonbeam Twinkle Apartments, just under the mystical rainbow of Avalon, down the street from the chocola ...   (Read More)

Judy Bellack What does the Satisfacts Research survey on “All That Apply: ... written by Judy Bellack
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 m ...   (Read More)

Brent Williams Fair Housing Does Have “Costs” And Should Be Part Of The Dis ... written by Brent Williams
I have a one year old daughter, so when I think about where I want to live, one of the major elements is simply whether there are other families with young children in the area.  So imagine me touring an apartment community and asking if there a ...   (Read More)

Read More Blog Posts