Do any of y’all do any boots on the ground outreach marketing?

I'm curious, do any of yall do any boots on the ground outreach marketing? We have exhausted every online avenue, bandit signs, banners, flags, you name it and have only a trickle of traffic. If so, has it worked for you. Boots on the ground marketing is all that I have not done!! Your input is greatly appreciated.

One of my old managers made the leasing manager dress up in a chicken suit and ride around on a moped, does that count?

Look at your area, is there a big hospital nearby? A college? A shopping mall? Any major businesses?
We usually go in and offer flyers with a concession. Like $200 off move in for “local hospital name”workers only. Or if there is a big chain restaurant, we’ll ask if they have any coupons we can stick into our new move in welcome packets and then leave our flyers with them.
If your rents are really high, luxury building though, obviously a person who’s working at a grocery store chain isn’t gonna have the income. So not much traffic there.
Again colleges are good because you will sometimes get roommate situations or college students with guarantor situations.etc.

Allie Gartside we're in more of a blue collar hospitality zone. My concern is the employers will toss our material, but i may try it anyway!

Flyer parking lots. Instead of full sheets cut flyers in half.. offer maybe 0 app fee if applied by deadline date.
Just be careful.

We did it every week before covid.

Yep I have and we do preferred employer program as well

Yes we do and it produces nothing.

Laundromats tear off flyers

in 2019 as qe were doing a full renovation I spent every Thursday morning going to each and every factory, business, colleges, dr offices, redimeds, anything like that, stores that would allow, in our town(small) and the 2 or 3 surrounding as well. filled up in 2020 and marketplace has been my go to ever since!!!

Go to the local pizza delivery places and offer to have out their flyers to new move ins if they tape your flyer to the top of their delivery boxes

Set up a referral program for existing residents. $200 off next month’s rent for each referral who moved in.

do you have an advertising campaign with an online marketer or app? if yes, speak with your account manager for help, do an account review and review pricing, also shop your leasing agents.
As far as boots on the ground outreach, identify large employers in yur viciinty, then connect and reach out, ask to form a preferred employer discount, marketing, advertising in their break rooms, brochure to new hires or prospective hires, etc
school districts, hospitals, nursing homes, etc

Pull your demos and see if you have any places you can go. And pull your traffic from past 60 days and call them. Ask for referrals from your residents and if you can, offer it to other people in the community nearby- other properties, chamber, hotels, restaurants, etc

Every time I eat out or pick up food, I ask for to go menus for our welcome packets. And in exchange I leave my property info and biz cards. I’ve done it for years and it’s helped so much.

Is there a transportation hub near your community (such as a commuter train? In the Bay Area there is Bart or the Light rail) if so, create a small postcard that says “If you lived at #### apartments, everyday would be like this”, then as they go to pay for parking you pay for them.
If you accept pets, connect with a local shelter and organize a pet adoption day. For prospects and residents offer 6 or 12 months “free pet rent” if they adopt. Obviously marketing the event is important but the ones that I have held have been great to pull in traffic and of course has been a hit with residents.
If there is a walkable farmers market or local event, see if you can get a booth. Use existing collateral and any branded products to give out as gifts. Advertise an offer that if they come tour and lease you will refund the application fees at move in. Team members should wear branded shirts.
Just a couple of ideas that worked for me ??

If that’s truly all you haven’t done, we need to chat about what you are paying for to date and why it’s not working like it should. Evaluate the companies you are paying for digital campaigns, and other programming, and ask the hard questions… Feel free to contact me if you wish to discuss further.

OH I forgot to tell you---Joined the Chamber and went to all events, took the list of employer/members and reached out/visited them to offer referrals. One thing that was particularly helpful was we got ONE lady who worked at a short term hotel where big companies brought in their employees while they looked for apartments/homes as they relocated, and she referred a ton of people and quite a few leased.