Maybe you're working on wrapping up Q4 and your numbers weren't what you'd hoped. Maybe they're better and you want to keep that momentum—good on you!

If you truly want to get an edge in 2024 in your community, turn your focus to multifamily branding, the beautiful, well structured sister to marketing.

Where to begin?

Start here.

We've written a lot about brand consistency. We've also written about aligning brand with your property class. It's imperative that you're realistic about how you present your community via your brand. Your prospects can't be set up to fail right off the bat if you overdo it on the brand (or if you under-do it). Get your branding in order and keep it consistent.

How: Take your property class and figure out how best to brand it according to the quality and offerings of the community and the pricing and budget you'll have. 

When creating brand guidelines for apartment communities ask: if your brand was a celebrity, who would they be and why? When you make your brand into something that feels more tangible, it's easier to see what choices should be made next. And then, it's easier to create a brand persona that is relatable.

Another way to inject personality into your brand is to use actual people. Your staff. Your on-site management team. Your marketing crew. Even your CEO. A little transparency through a few fun facts, and you'll find people jiving with the experiences you're sharing. Behind it all, humans are running the show. It's okay to let them know that.

How: Do super-short form interviews with the people behind the scenes. Revealing the faces (and personalities!) behind the names is always a good move.

How can you market an experience? There's a whole thing called experiential marketing. It's exactly what it sounds like. But if that's not clear enough, experiential marketing is when a group creates an experience that can leave a long-lasting impression on the resident (or prospect). The hope is that it's talked about, and remembered for a long while.

You know what's fun about memories? They're better when they're shared. That means when your prospect or customer experiences something out of the ordinary (positive or negative) they're going to tell their friends and family. That's immediate word-of-mouth marketing too. So: Make sure the memory is going to be positive.

Storytelling is vital to an impressive brand. Pick a topic and run with it. One of our favorites is location—why is your community such a game changer for the area? Who does it benefit, how does it make a difference, and why was it set in this precise spot? If you don't have a good story—like any friend would have told you after you get a cast put on for tripping over your own feet—MAKE one.

Next, tell the story of your company. How it got its name. What you're passionate about and why.

Then, create a story around the culture of your residents. They're living life in your community, there's plenty of fodder there. Include their positive experience, testimonials, and reviews in your marketing materials. Don't have any? Ask for it! When your prospects see the real-life goodness that stems from signing a lease at your community, they'll be one step closer to moving in.

How: Hire a content writer to really bring the story to life. Make your staff available for questions, since research and experience will plug directly into how real the story is. Get creative and communicate well.

Going with some giveaways? Decide what would appeal to a fair percentage of your population and lean into a branded giveaway that will connect—something they would actually want or find clever.

Vibe check. What kind of space has your community set up shop in? Who would likely live in your apartment community?

And then: are your residents eco-minded? Go for reusable branded cutlery.
Retro-loving? Seek out cute pins of your brand elements.

Luxe above all else? Leather keychains for new residents (think a classic hotel experience)

How: Think about what branded items connected most with you—and why. Then translate that into an experience for your residents and prospects.

Speaking of hotels and airlines—they love to point out and thank their Golden Super Special Star Loyalty Members with all kinds of deals and points and special offers. At the end of the day, it was created to foster brand loyalty (we've got to rack up those points and use them) and to make their customers feel special.

When you can foster lease renewals, this will help keep turnover down, because you're creating a desire to stay in the community through rewards. Plus, it can create excitement for those seeking out a place to live—benefits galore.

How: With your residents, you can replicate this kind of program. Create brand ambassadors by offering special access to certain areas at specific times. You could also create a referral reward program.

This year, armed with a variety of new ideas to try (or keep doing), 2024 Multifamily Branding is going to be yours—all yours.