Multifamily Edition: 5 Easy Social Media Updates to Keep Prospects Engaged

By Sara Monzingo

Welcome to 2018! The holidays are through, and everyone is getting back into the swing of business-as-usual. For multifamily in particular, right now is a great time to take stock of your online presence and revamp your approach. During this lull before leasing season picks up again come April, you have time to be strategic and assess your brand.

But where to start? Keep reading to uncover five quick ways to overhaul your social profiles for a fresh look and feel in 2018.

1. Does your business description need updating?

A lot can change in a year. From renovations and remodels to new amenities, something may have changed since your business description was last written. Not to mention, it is not at all uncommon for Facebook or Google to make updates or changes to the format or even add new profile features. Take a look – and be sure you are taking full advantage of the information you can provide.

Focus on important keywords, including location or neighborhood terms, your business name and type, floor plan offerings and more. Be descriptive, but concise. And always consider what features give you an edge on your competition. Remember: your business description is your digital elevator pitch.

2. Do your profile images need a refresh?

One simple change that can really upgrade the appearance of your profile is updated profile images. Social platforms like Twitter and Facebook have large format cover images that are front and center for visitors to your page. Swapping this out for something new is an immediate mini-makeover.

Have you had new photography done recently? Here is a great place to showcase it. Choose images that are vibrant, colorful and focus on your top selling points or features. Keep your target demographic in mind. You also have an opportunity here to have a little fun with seasonal themes. Pool photos are great in the summer. Fireplace photos have a cozy winter feel. Make sure the picture you choose crops well into the format for the platform you are updating.

4. Have you checked for accuracy lately?

It may seem obvious, but is your name, address, and contact information correct across all listings? Have you looked to see? While a mishap here may seem minor, it could steer prospects in the wrong direction. Consider that listings often receive preferential placement on search engine results pages. Making sure you are accurate and consistent can make it simpler for prospective residents to get in touch with you when they need to. At minimum, be sure to check your contact information, website links, and business description or business type across all listings and social pages.

Consistency is key even when it comes to spelling, capitalization, formatting and abbreviations. Many apartment communities have creative names where numerals are used in combination with spelled out numbers. While this is unique and can help your brand stand out and appear innovative, if it’s written differently on different social sites it can cause confusion. In fact, from an SEO perspective your entire web presence is stronger when you are more consistent across the web.

Keep in mind there are a lot of potential business listings out there online – up to 50 or more. If this is making your head spin, take a look at SweetIQ by ReachLocal. This powerful listings management tool can help you monitor and update listing information across the web in one easy-to-use dashboard.

4. Do you have a plan for posting?

When leasing season is hot and your site team is having trouble keeping up with property tours, it may not be a great time to plan your social media attack. But earlier in the year you may have a little more time to come up with a measured approach. A plan is necessary because regular, fresh content (whether paid or unpaid) is what will be the basis for building your following throughout the year.

Consider frequency of posts, topics for posts, dynamic images, videos and creative calls to action. If it helps, make a calendar that can make it easier throughout the year to keep regularly updating your pages with new content. Great ideas for multifamily posts can include community events, fundraisers, neighborhood news or activities, favorite take-out or delivery spots for residents, and other lifestyle related topics. Think of good conversation starters for your current residents. These will prompt them to be more engaged, creating an online community that could be rich with referrals.

5. Are you promoting leasing specials or pricing?

For multifamily, social media could be a great opportunity to promote specials, pricing and availability. You can use it to broadcast your specials and availability to the right demographic. This can help you stand out against your competition, increase click through rate of your posts and even result in a phone call about a particular floor plan. Get creative, and use tools like Facebook Live to give a live tour of one of your model units. On any of these posts, be sure to include a call to action that gives the viewer a means of contacting you directly.

Give these five tactics a whirl, and you are on your way to a social media presence that will set you apart and draw prospects in. But this is just a start. For a social media strategy that really kills, you’re going to need to incorporate multiple platforms and paid media. ReachLocal can help. Ask us how today!