This time two weeks ago, I was riding in a gondola overlooking the breathtaking Napa Valley. While basking in the California sunshine, I was assimilating the plethora of messages I had just taken in during my time at the Multifamily Social Media Summit¹.  I’ve summarized these learnings into three key takeaways:

Content Should Be Curated w/ the Resident Ego in Mind

A simple adjustment in the way you formulate the content on your website and social channels will make all the difference in your SEO, property perception and ultimate ability to generate leads. All of the content on your website and social channels should be drafted with your prospective resident in mind. Don’t just promote your property; address your audience, their needs, and concerns. Play to their ego.

First, determine your property’s personas—these are your ideal customers and their individual motivations, challenges, needs, and wants. Second, determine the questions they are asking and the information they are seeking. Third, formulate the content on your website and social channels around these findings.

As was said a plethora of times during the Summit, content is still king. Be informative. Answer the questions your audience is asking before someone else beats you to the punch. Be the Wikipedia of your space and broadcast that content on your website and other social channels.

Reputation Matters

As was mentioned in an earlier post², it can be a challenge to monitor your online reputation. The residents in your community will be having conversations about your community and the service you provide whether you like it or not. Subsequently, prospective residents are sure to be listening in on those conversations. Be a part of the conversations that your residents are having about your property. Monitor popular review sites. Respond to comments. Leverage your residents to be your brand ambassadors. Go above and beyond when it comes to customer service. Ask your residents to leave a review and comment on what you are doing well. As was wisely stated during the Summit, those will be the stories that will resonate with prospective residents and ultimately transcend your brand.

Mobile Optimized, Visual Content is Imperative

According to the SatisFacts 2015 online renter study, 60 percent of all renters used a smartphone or tablet during their recent search. As the study suggests, it’s more important now than ever that property websites are responsive and optimized to allow smartphone and tablet users the ability to view property websites in the correct and ideal layout.

In addition, as was noted by several speakers during the Summit, visual content on your website and social sites—videos, photos and infographics—help drive engagement and draw your visitors’ attention. If your site is optimized for mobile viewing, it allows for your attention grabbing visuals to create lasting impressions that will ultimately leave site visitors wanting to learn more.

We Want to Hear from You

Were you at the Social Media Summit? What were your key takeaways? How are you revamping your marketing strategies to implement what you learned during the Summit? Let us know in the comments!

By: Michelle Perroni

¹http://multifamily-social-media.com/

²http://rentsauce.com/social%E2%80%A2culture/online-trends/words-wings