When discussing social media platforms/apps, the question of "what is the next big thing" is always just a breath away.  I doubt Yik Yak is the next big thing, but it could be incredibly useful for our industry.  To sum up the idea, it is similar to Twitter, in that the posts are short, but anonymous, and hyper local.  It is also very top-heavy with college kids, which makes it invaluable for student housing properties.

As I think about how to share this app, I am immediately hesitant, because I know a certain percentage will think, "Great, a new place to share my specials!"  Please don't.  But then how to actually use it?

To be honest, I'm not sure how to answer that question right now.  My first thought is market research.  You can get so much information about your target audience by simply reading what they are talking about and care about.  Are they watching the NFL playoffs?  Are they going to certain restaurants or bars?  Are they playing certain sports?  All of these things can be integrated into your operational plan that defines the lifestyle you are trying to create and support at your community. 

That, of course, is more passive market research, while I believe you can also do more active research, as well.  Ask a question that helps define what amenities to focus on, for example, "Do you use your apartment community pool?"  I'm not sure if that is the best wording of the question to get feedback, but you get the idea - you can test drive your ideas before implementing them, although I can guess that if they believe you are a business they might react negatively.

Even though I mentioned that sharing specials would be a horrible idea, that doesn't mean that marketing itself couldn't be done.  For example, if someone mentioned their dislike of their apartment, there is a natural "in" that would not come off badly.  I know those who do this actively on Twitter, although I don't know if there are any automated tools that would make this realistic for Yik Yak right now.

Also, if you have events that are open to the public, it might not be a bad to share info about them, although I can't say for sure, and if you did, it would have to be done very delicately.  It would have to be beneficial to the audience and not completely self serving, of course, but you might be able to pull it off.

What do you all think?  Downloading the app takes about 2 seconds because there is no real profile system.  Try it out and let's do a mini-brainstorming session on how it can be used in the comments below!  (Share below if you downloaded it, even if you don't have any ideas quite yet)

(Hat tip to Alex Jackiw who inspired this post by sharing an article featuring Yik Yak)