Like, comment, share, repeat—oh, the world of social media. More and more, it’s surrounding our daily lives to the point where without social media, is life even real? Just kidding… kind of.
For some it’s annoying (yes, we’re tired of seeing Susan’s #MotivationMonday quotes, too 🙄), but a forward-thinking property management company understands just how important social media is for its marketing efforts.
The thing is, most don’t understand how to turn social media into a marketing tool. They may find it hard to increase engagement, discover new leads, build relationships with future residents, and retain their current residents.
But guess what? Our marketing team at LeasingKC works with tons of apartment owners to turn their marketing efforts into the ultimate cashflow tunnels. Since we know the apartment biz inside and out (and any crevice in between), we’ve discovered a few tried-and-true ways to make the most out of your property management company’s social media efforts.
Read on to learn some social media marketing tips for property management companies to take your business to the next level 📈
Why social media?
Well, why not? Social media gives you access to thousands (even millions) of people. Now, we’re not saying you have to try to reach all of those people. That would be a waste of time. We are saying, however, that with so many people already using social media on a daily basis, why ignore the opportunity?
If you’re a numbers kind of person, here’s something to ponder: in 2005, only about 5% of Americans used social media, and by 2011 that number jumped to 50%. Now a whopping 72% use some kind of social media.
We don’t know about you, but we think that’s a whole lot of people you could be marketing to. Alright, so moving on. Let’s talk about how to get started with social media marketing tips for property management companies.
Tip #1: Build a strong brand
Who are you and what makes you different from other property management companies? If you can’t answer that, then your brand isn’t strong enough. Go into social media marketing without branding, and you’ll get thrown into the pile of general, cookie-cutter pages no one visits.
What is branding?
Branding is more than just color schemes, fonts, and choosing to write in AP style. It’s your voice. How you interact with users. The thing that makes you, you. When coming up with branding strategies two things to keep in mind: your target audience and your employees.
It goes without saying that you have to consider your target audience, because they’re the ones you’re reaching out to. If your apartments are more family-driven, you probably don’t want to post any of those not-so-kind friendly memes you find hilarious. On the other hand, if your focus is on people in their 20s, you don’t want to seem like their uptight college professor.
Next, you have to keep in mind your employees and the kind of environment they create at the leasing offices. Your social media efforts should match the experience future residents will receive in person. For example, if you all are pretty conversational in person and walk around in t-shirts and jeans, you don’t have to brand your social media to sound and look like a businessman in a suit.
Find what works best for you, and soon you’ll get the hang of it 😉
Tip #2: Engage with your audience
Don’t just post and go. In any circumstance, ghosting is never good. People on social media, and life in general, are wary of businesses. If you just “sell” on social media and log out, you’re going to seem impersonal, and that’s going to hurt your ability to build true relationships.
Instead, reply to comments you receive (try doing so within 24 hours). Engage with other people’s posts. Honestly, this is one of our more fun social media tips. For property management companies in Kansas City, you can really find new ways to get to know your audience. Plus, as time passes, they’ll be more comfortable with engaging with you, and may even decide to live at your apartments based on that engagement experience alone.
Engagement is also key for maintaining your relationship with your current residents. If they’re on the fence about staying or not, that relationship could make the decision a lot easier. Keep in mind that social media isn’t just meant to “sell” your apartments; it’s also a way to show your residents that you care.
Now speaking of selling…
Tip #3: Stop trying sell your apartments
Isn’t marketing meant to sell something?
Yes, and no. Not all marketing is focused on 24/7 advertisements. Here’s a reminder: no one likes ads.
Think about it. How often do you ignore the ads you see? Unless it’s something that you really wanted, you probably don’t pay much attention to them. So if your feeds are all about your business and why someone should stay with you, no one is going to pay attention to the property management social media accounts that are attempting to simply sell them things all the time. No one. At the same time, you don’t want to ignore showcasing your listings. It’s all about balance.
The key: don’t expect to get a ton of conversions from social media.
But I don’t get it.
Instead of always selling, you should see social media as a way to increase brand awareness. The more people know about your company, the more likely they’ll think of you when they actually do need your help. Social media allows you to boost attendance at events, stand out from competitors, and create a relationship with thousands of people. Really, it’s about the long game, not quick sales. Plus, social media doesn’t just help you pull in more residents—it helps you retain your current residents too.
Tip #4: When in doubt, get outside help
There’s only so many hours in a day, and if you don’t have time to research social media best practices, there are people out there that do. Because of that, one of our biggest social media tips for property management companies is to simply ask for help. For example, LeasingKC offers a variety of packages to help property management companies grow on social media.
The perks of working with us?
Well, we don’t just work with owners to maximize their marketing efforts; we also help future residents find the perfect place to live. That means when people are looking for apartments in the Kansas City area, we are the experts they turn to. As a result, our website and social media outlets have thousands of people looking for your services, and all you need is access to them. We can even highlight your property on social media to get the word out about all the great things you have to offer!
BTW: LeasingKC reaches over 5,000 users on social media and over 25,000 people through our newsletter. Whew, that’s a lot of opportunity!
Just a few of the services we offer:
- Tagging back to your social media accounts from ours
- Including your properties in newsletters
- Track impressions and clicks on social and in e-blasts
Basically, we cover your bases so that you can focus on engaging—the right way—with your audience.
Kansas City Marketing Tips and Tricks →
The biggest takeaway?
For the most part, social media will not only be a tool you can use to get leads, but it should, more importantly, engage with your current residents. Give them a reason to stay!
The biggest mistake we see Kansas City property management companies make is not focusing on retention. Imagine if all of your residents only lived in your property for one year. That’s a lot of move-ins, move-outs, contracts, and labor! However, when your goal becomes retention, and you can get your average client to renew their lease more often, that can truly impact your business in a positive way.
Learn more social media marketing tips from LeasingKC
If you’re in the Kansas City area, let LeasingKC be your bridge between you and your future residents. LeasingKC is a rental listing site run by local experts to help people find Kansas City apartments, rental homes, condos, and lofts.
Along with social media for property management companies in Kansas City, we also provide a variety of cost-effective marketing plans that allow property managers and landlords to maximize their investments.
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