There are two realities for the multifamily industry in a coronavirus world:
Reality #1: The priorities and routines of your renters have shifted indefinitely.
Reality #2: Your social media strategy can’t stop, it must adapt.
Four months into the pandemic and it still seems we are all getting our bearings when it comes to being active on social media. But it’s time to settle into the new normal and start connecting with your audience to meet your goals.
When COVID-19 hit, there was a lot of speculation that the multifamily industry was going to experience a significant recession, but in reality, our sector has fared more favorably so far than other sectors like office and retail. If anything, this fact is more motivation to restart the heart of your social media strategy.
Here are three tips we recommend to include in that strategy:
Post in Real-Time (AKA Limit Scheduled Posts)
Depending on your normal routine for posting on social media, you may be used to planning out content weeks in advance and scheduling them ahead of time. We recommend to schedule less and publish more in the moment. Often, scheduled posts that are more sales-focused and promotional come off as stale or rehearsed. When your renters see you being authentic, they will respond likewise.
Prioritize Conversations Over Clicks
This is a hard one to get behind — we know.
However, it’s imperative that you place more emphasis on engagement. New leads and leases will come over time, but you can very quickly anger your audience by seeming insensitive to current events with promotional-driven content.
A successful multifamily social media strategy during COVID-19 starts with conversations, especially in times of such unknown and upheaval. Utilize social media for what it was originally intended for — connection.
Social media’s strong suits have always been igniting conversations, building communities, supporting others, storytelling, and entertainment. Capitalize on that.
Post With a Purpose
It’s OK to share images of your property, but as you plan your posts, consider the why. More specifically, how does the post entertain, inform, educate, or benefit your audience?
Your renters and prospective leads have a lot on their minds and you have mere seconds to catch their attention as they scroll on Facebook or Instagram. If your post doesn’t have a clear purpose, you hit two possible problems:
- Your audience gets annoyed and is less likely to pay attention to your posts in the future
- Or, you missed an opportunity to make a conversion because they did pause to read your post but it didn’t have a purpose
Types of Content to Share During a Pandemic
To recap, we’ve concluded that sharing posts regularly on social media is necessary, but what exactly should you be sharing? The pre-COVID-19 sales-y stream of content just won’t cut it with your audience anymore.
Here are six content categories that we recommend multifamily properties utilize in their social media strategy:
1. Occasional Property Updates
If something at your property has changed — such as front office hours, how the property staff is working differently, the status of closed community amenities, and so on — share it.
Additionally, we encourage you to share anything your staff may be doing to support residents, especially those impacted by COVID-19.
If you are offering a promotion on available units, aim to mention it in only 20% to 30% of your content. Again, staying sensitive to the situations your prospective residents may be experiencing is key.
2. Positive News
Your audience likely sees an overwhelming amount of coronavirus mentions, so there’s no need to add to it. Rather, share positive content that provides a nice change of pace for your audience, such as good news, uplifting stories, or funny anecdotes.
For example, our affiliate, OpenProperty is running a campaign called “Community Kindness: where they share acts of kindness occurring throughout all sectors of the multifamily industry. Through this campaign, they have been able to increase Facebook engagement by 12%, post clicks by 32%, and web sessions by 76%.
Residents are looking for things to smile about nowadays on social media, and your multifamily property can be there to offer it.
3. Apartment-Related Tips
Establish your multifamily property as a resource and ensure you are sharing relevant, informational content. Consider your audience when planning and publishing posts to your page. For example, it’s a great idea for apartments to share things residents can do while at home — since social distancing is still practiced in many communities This content might include:
- Apartment DIYs
- At-home workouts
- Crafts
- Easy dinner recipes
- Self-care tips
- Home decor ideas
4. Safety Steps
If your community still operates with in-person staff, make sure to share any steps your property management team is taking to ensure the safety and health of your employees and residents.
Here are a few:
- Are you regularly sanitizing the front office and other high-touch points on the property?
- Are you providing employees with protective gear and disinfectants? Are you checking in with residents?
- Do you have hand sanitizer stations set up in high-traffic areas like the leasing office or mailroom?
Not only will this help increase your residents’ comfortability and confidence in continuing to rent with your property but it will also highlight your care for the individuals under your roof.
5. Virtual Events
If your property management team is hosting virtual events where your residents can connect, make sure to promote the details all over social media and in your resident e-newsletter.
Feel free to turn each event into a Facebook event or group — allowing your residents to engage and receive real-time updates.
With the assumption that your residents are over 21, a great event idea is a virtual happy hour where each resident needs to craft their own unique drink to “bring” to the “party.” Events like this, that play off of things your residents already enjoy, are the best ones!
6. Coronavirus World = Social Media World
Social media has dominated the marketing world for years — and that has not changed during COVID-19.
What has changed is what your residents expect to see from your property’s social media, and that is compassion, understanding, and sensitivity.
When it comes to sharing content to your social media platforms, what matters most is that your property doesn't disappear. When you continue to post on social media, you’re telling your residents that you care about their well-being and are here to support them.