Apartment communities are unique, they are hyperlocal, designed to fit into the market they serve, and are developed based on a ton of demographic data to support its need in the market. They also run on a unique sales model, known as inbound marketing. To achieve this, you must reach into the market, let searching renters know you exist, and find a way for them to consider your community in their rental housing search. But what are today’s renters really looking for when they land on your apartment website and how do you stand out above the rest in the crowded marketplace?
Welcome to the twenty-first century, a place where websites are so much more than a pretty picture, especially in the multifamily housing space. We internally equate them to a hybrid of running an airline, with pricing, availability, an array of options for seats, destination, and of course, buying a ticket, or in our case applying for that unit. We then bundle that scenario with how savvy online merchants drive traffic, through pushing content on their website and social channels, all while building a large digital footprint. It makes perfect sense - but not all visions are understood.
Leveraging The Power of Content
In the world of digital marketing, search engine optimization is a vital component for any business that wants to gain visibility and attract customers through organic search. The heart of any successful search engine position strategy is content. Search engines like Google use complex algorithms to determine the relevance and authority of web pages, and content is a critical factor in both. High-quality content that is well-written, original, informative, and engaging is proven to rank well in search results. Creating relevant content is the key to the kingdom of organic search results.
Producing high-impact content has been proven to be effective in promoting customer engagement, enhancing your online presence, and establishing your place in the market. Unlike traditional marketing methods, content marketing that is built into your website through blogs builds more web pages, which over time creates a large digital footprint. That content plays a larger role than any of the items on your extensive digital marketing checklist, as it brings diversity and scale to an otherwise static website through expanding metadata, title tags, and attracting valuable backlinks.
Weaponize Your Social Media Pages
Social media has undoubtedly become a powerful tool to connect with target audiences and promote brands. But did you know that you can leverage social media to boost your search engine rankings and attract more traffic to your website? Through sharing your blog content from your website, you not only boost your online visibility, but also create high-quality backlinks through interlinking your post back to your website. The value in maintaining active profiles on various social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are that they increase your appearance in search results.
As managing multiple social media profiles can be time-consuming and requires significant resources, automating social media posts has been proven to be highly valuable. One of the primary benefits of automating social media posts is consistency. Through automating posts, you can maintain a consistent posting schedule, and ensure that followers always have fresh content to engage with. Automating social media posts can improve efficiency, streamline activity, and make it easier to manage multiple profiles, all while pulling the burden off staff to maintain these distribution channels.
Bringing Your Community to Life
What most marketing managers do not realize is that consistently posting content is the most powerful marketing tool they can deploy, and the value it yields is the highest return on investment against any other marketing channel. In analyzing data across websites that are leveraging content marketing, we see a minimum of forty-percent increase in leads, versus those that do not. This is a significant piece to the puzzle, especially since apartment marketing never sleeps.
In addition to all the search engine benefits content will bring, don’t ever forget about that prospect on the other end of your website. Today’s renters are looking for more than pricing and availability, they are looking for a living, breathing community. One that is active across multiple social media channels, distributes relevant content on a frequent basis, and has a website that provides more than transactional or fluff information. They are seeking a community with a personality, one that makes you feel more approachable, credible, and integrated with your residents.
AUTHOR
Kerry W. Kirby is a renowned entrepreneur, technology innovator, and philanthropist. He is the founder and CEO of 365 Connect, the leader in providing the most advanced automated marketing, leasing, and resident engagement platform for multifamily communities across the globe. Executing on a progressive vision of creating leading-edge products and services, Kerry has won more technology awards than any other company in his home state of Louisiana, as well as the industry he serves. Prior to founding 365 Connect, Kerry worked in the multifamily housing industry developing communities across the Southeastern United States. Kerry’s eye for finding buildable sites with incredible locations was his formula to creating an array of successful ventures.
Kerry W. Kirby has earned widespread recognition and numerous prestigious awards throughout his career. His accolades include the Louisiana Governor’s Technology Award and Titan Entrepreneur Award, both highlighting his outstanding contributions to the tech industry. For nine consecutive years, he has been listed on the Silicon Bayou 100 as one of Louisiana's most influential entrepreneurs. Most notably, Kerry became the first in the multifamily housing sector to receive the Bootstrapper Award, underscoring his remarkable journey of turning a scrappy startup into a leading proptech powerhouse without external funding.
Kerry W. Kirby serves on the Board of Advisors of Rainbow, a national nonprofit organization that provides service-enriched housing programs for over 32,000 affordable housing units across the country, and general-partner services to an additional 12,300 units. He is Chair of Technology Initiatives for the Multifamily Innovation Advisory Council, an executive membership level organization with over three million multifamily units represented, focused on assisting owners and operators explore innovative solutions that will drive change across the industry.
Kerry W. Kirby and his wife Melinda M. Kirby are actively involved in supporting communities and causes, with an unwavering dedication to humanitarian, educational, healthcare, and equality programs. Through the Kerry & Melinda Kirby Foundation, they provide resources to nonprofit organizations that accelerate progress by championing causes that give a voice to those that are often not heard. They have been highly recognized for their philanthropic commitment, being honored with a Communitas International Award for their significant impact in making a difference in people’s lives.