Most companies think branding is for giants like Apple and Google. After all, these tech monsters yield a combined $270 billion in value from their efforts. All the result of a well-coordinated branding effort that includes frequently focused messaging and a consistent visual presence at every touch point.
However, just because you’re a smaller property management company, don’t think for a moment that branding isn’t just as important for you.
Branding maintains consistency with messaging, emails, and other regularly used outreach tools that over time leaves with the consumer a lasting impression of the quality of your company. Done properly, branding can also influence the reactions and thoughts prospective residents, current residents and first-timers have when they interact with your property. First impressions last a lifetime - and with so many other choices out there for your potential residents, it's important that you're building trust and brand loyalty every step of the way - whether they're still a potential lead or an active member of your community.
Think about it—a potential resident is evaluating whether or not they want to live at your property (or continue living at your property.) If they walk away feeling like your company is “cheap”, lackluster and disorganized, they’re going to pass you over and set their sights on somewhere else. Having a strong and consistent internet presence is more important than ever - resident communities have become a world full of choices. Properties are a dime a dozen in the mind of the resident, so it’s your job to present yourself to them in a way that lives up to a quality standard that says you are unique and worthy of their trust. It's safe to assume that they're going to check out your community's online presence, whether that be through reviews, ad campaigns or social media - so make sure that you're keeping your communication clean, consistent and on brand.
90% of consumers expect that their experience with a company will be similar across all platforms and devices. (Source: Crowdspring 2017.) This means that they are expecting a seamless, consistent experience with every message they get from you—including color, flow, and overall quality. This may seem like a daunting task - but it doesn't have to be. Branding can get complex, for sure—especially for a small property manager with limited resources. However, this doesn’t mean you should abandon ship. There are some places for quick branding wins that are easy to implement. Consistency is a great example. Consistent presentation of a brand increases revenue by 23% on average. (Source: 2017 Brand Consistency Impact Study) By presenting yourself consistently, over time, consumers will internalize a “quality level” with your property and come to expect that from both you and your competitors. Creating email templates that showcase your communities logo and brand identity is an easy and affordable way to give a "big brand" feel to any property, with minimal costs and time needed to get started. It's a huge value add for your marketing and retention efforts, without the huge upfront costs.
With that in mind, where are the simplest opportunities to ensure consistent and high-quality messaging to all of your current and prospective residents?
You have your communication points and you have your standardized brand. Marry the two and create consistent identity pieces. With email messaging for example, both to prospective or current residents, make sure all of them are consistent with one another and look like they’re cut from the same cloth. When done properly, these assets should be able to stand entirely on their own yet still relate to one another on a visual and written level. In the last 3 years, email rates on mobile devices have increase by 180%, pushing companies to focus more on creating mobile-friendly email campaigns and newsletters. If you're using email to update your residents on community happenings, events, and important dates, why wouldn't you use this opportunity to build loyalty through a branded, beautiful email? It’s simple, game-changing features like this, that can help you leverage something simple like “branding consistency” into huge double digit increases in revenue - and it's a change you can make today.