Month: August 2021

Floor Plans for Apartments in 2D and 3D

Written by Stacey Feeney on August 23, 2021. Posted in All Articles, Graphic Design. 2 Comments on Floor Plans for Apartments in 2D and 3D

Floor plans are the key ingredients to every apartment marketing toolkit. Leasing specialists need to demonstrate the unique selling features and accurately convey unit layouts when directing prospects to the right home. Having high quality and visually appealing floor plan images is paramount to the apartment leasing process – they will be used on the community’s website, brochure, and individual floor plan marketing sheets. Floor plan renderings are surprisingly affordable and worth every penny – scroll on to see your options!

2D – Line Drawings

The original, classic design without any extra fuss! Architects and developers love this style. If you have simple floor plans that don’t need a lot of explaining, the 2D style will work just fine. Add in dimensions so renters can decide if their favorite couch or bed fits. These are a sleek, modern option you can dress up on your floor plan sales sheets. Simple, yet to the point and effective for demonstrating your apartment unit layouts.

2D – Finishes & Furniture

If your property has distinctive finishes, add them to your 2D floor plans. Showcase which rooms have carpeted and hardwood floor styles. Personalize the kitchens to feature colored cabinetry, countertops and your appliance package. Once you’ve laid down all the property details, layer in some furniture to show how to maximize the space. With WFH spaces being so popular these days, try showing a desk as part of the furniture styling package.

3D Floor Plans

The 3D customization options are endless – these are great for new developments where people may not get to tour a real model until construction is complete. They also work for older properties where you may not have the budget to decorate a model unit. 3D floor plans allow any type of property to finesse their floor plan style with different finishes, furniture and color schemes. Modern, contemporary or customized furniture collections allow you to match these to your brand aesthetic. Virtual leasing has become the top way to lease this year, a premium floor plan will help you close that sale on the spot!

Marketing Sales Sheets

No matter which style floor plan you create, marketing sales sheets can bring them to life. Brand them with your property’s logo, colors and unique design elements. Label them with the square footage, bedroom and bathroom count. List your apartment’s features and amenities so prospects will be reminded of all the selling points of your property. Maybe add a price quote area so leasing consultants have room to personalize and create a sense of urgency. Make sure to include the community’s contact information, have them printed and send this handout home with those still browsing.

How to Order Floor Plans

Just reach out – send us an email or fill out our website contact form and you’ll be on your way to beautiful new floor plan images. If you have architectural floor plan blueprints, send them over with a mood board of your interior finishes to let us know what color of carpet or wood-look flooring is in the unit; also cabinet colors, appliances, countertops, etc. If your community was a takeover you may not have access to the original architectural files and that is okay! Simply provide any existing floor plans the community has been using or have your onsite team snap a few pics and measure the space for us! Either way, we’ll get it done.

Maximize your new floor plans by putting them everywhere – your website, social media photo albums, ILS ads, email templates and, of course, your brochure. zipcode creative can help with all of the above to make your apartment branding look amazing.

Apartment Copywriting That Will Convert Prospects

Written by Stacey Feeney on August 8, 2021. Posted in All Articles, Writing. 1 Comment on Apartment Copywriting That Will Convert Prospects

Apartment copywriting is more than just what you see in Mad Men. While copywriting from bygone eras was all about catchy ad campaigns, the copywriting discipline has expanded over time—and especially as digital and social media have exploded—to encompass anything and everything related to marketing your apartment community.

From taglines to full website copy to social media captions, copywriters are experts at conveying emotion, showcasing a brand’s unique selling points, and getting prospects to convert. If you’re looking for help creating a distinct identity for your property management company and to elevate the marketing experience across your assets, it may be time to enlist an expert.

Establishing a Brand Voice

Just like your visual branding, creating a distinctive voice for your brand will help set you apart. An experienced copywriter will help you develop everything from your voice characteristics to your brand guidelines to ensure you have a strong personality and clear presence across all of your marketing materials. That way, everything from your website to your direct mailers to your onboarding materials all sound cohesive and consistent across your apartment copywriting.

Developing a Tagline

Taglines are short catch phrases or slogans that help to supercharge your marketing. They often accompany your logo or community name to help reinforce your brand and make it more unique. Like Nike’s “Just do it,” or Apple’s “Think different,” taglines should embody your brand, your mission, and your personality—all while also being memorable.

While a tagline may seem simple, it is actually one of the most challenging marketing elements to develop. An experienced copywriter will be able to distill your brand into a few words—typically between three and six—that evokes emotions, is aspirational, and tells a story.

Writing a Headline Library

Headlines are the first thing that residents or prospects see when they review your marketing materials, so you need to make them count! Instead of using the same phrases over and over or opting for commonly used terms and turns of phrase, creative headlines can really draw people in and help them engage with your community.

Work with a professional who knows the industry to develop your apartment copywriting and create a comprehensive headline library for all of your marketing materials. From one-pagers to resident events, they can craft a wide range of different phrases that you can plug-and-play into the website or new marketing materials. You’ll have everything you need at your disposal, all while developing interesting and engaging content for your community.

Phrasing for Your Amenity List

The features and amenities at your apartment community are what set you apart from the competition, so it’s important to have a quick-reference amenity list that draws prospects’ attention. Professional apartment copywriting will transform everything that you have to offer into a concise, easy-to-digest list that speaks to the exact amenities prospects are looking for today. Order of popularity, current trends, and industry phrasing will all be taken into consideration when entrusting the amenity list to a copywriter.

Brochure and Website Full Length Copy

When it comes to marketing, your brochure and your website are some of the most visible materials, so it’s best to have a pro create the content. From your homepage to your contact us form, having a copywriter handle the content creation will help to create more compelling content that keeps people engaged and converts prospects into residents.

Every website and brochure should have similar content, including:

About Us
Community & In-Unit Amenities List
Floor Plans
Photos
Neighborhood Information
Contact Us

By working with an experienced multifamily copywriter, you can showcase your community in the best possible light and demonstrate how you differ from competitors. Attract more prospects, lease up faster, and minimize turnover with professional apartment copywriting as part of your marketing plan.

Ready to revamp your marketing materials with a copywriting pro? Reach out to zipcode creative today to get started!

marketing-collateral marketing-collateral

Marketing Collateral Must-Haves for Multifamily Branding

Written by Stacey Feeney on August 3, 2021. Posted in All Articles, Branding. 1 Comment on Marketing Collateral Must-Haves for Multifamily Branding

Create a cohesive, branded experience for residents and prospects alike with strategic marketing collateral. For apartment communities, the prospect and resident experience is about more than just the apartment itself. That’s why it’s vital to build a cohesive experience from their first interaction with your community, through when they move in, and even until they move out.

By creating an improved experience at every stage, you’ll keep residents happy and pique prospects’ interest, all at the same time. Here are some of the must-have marketing collateral you’ll need to deliver an elevated approach to multifamily living.

Postcards & Mailers

Even before you get prospects in the door, postcards and mailers can help you drum up interest and create new leads. Send out postcards with your eye-catching branding to nearby neighborhoods to generate interest in on-site tours. Give prospects a sense of what your community offers and what sets you apart through your marketing collateral before they even set foot through the door.

Stationary

From letterhead paper to envelopes to business cards, customized stationery is the perfect way to incorporate your branding across your marketing collateral. Whether you add a subtle embossed logo or opt a full-color approach, there are nearly endless ways you can customize your stationery to suit your needs. Use it for thank you notes after on-site tours, to give to prospects after they visit, or to send notes to vendors and partners for a more polished and professional touch.

Brochure

A brochure is one of the most important pieces of marketing collateral you can create for prospective residents. From showing off floor plans to emphasizing your wide array of amenities, a brochure often includes the most important information about your community. That way, they can reference it after their tour as a refresher of their favorite aspects. Consider using your brand colors and design elements in unique ways while keeping the brochure effortlessly blending in with all of your other marketing collateral.

Floor Plan Sheets

Having a one-pager handout available with the floor plan a prospect is interested in is an easy way to send them home with a reminder showcasing exactly what they were looking for in a home. Prospects will be able to get a better sense for the different units, and can easily understand the different layouts. Try making your floor plan sheets the same size as your brochure. Then you can simply tuck in the extra floor plan sheet of their interest in the front cover of the brochure for an all-in-one info packet about your community!

Sitemap

Property sitemaps are based on your community’s architectural plans and feature a bird’s eye view of the property itself, while displaying the location of community amenities, units, parking, offices, and more. As a result, they’re the ideal way to give prospects a good sense of the community at a glance. Just like with your floor plan sheets, keep your sitemap the same size as your brochure so it’s easier to create an all-in-one package with everything that prospects need to know.

Flyers

Creating a cohesive experience doesn’t stop after your residents move in. For resident events, renewal specials, or for referral incentives, create flyers that mimic your community’s brand. By using the colors from your branding and incorporating your community’s logo, it’s an easy way to create a put-together and unified look throughout your marketing collateral.

Greeting Cards

Small touches are what distinguish the great communities from the good ones. Don’t forget to prioritize your residents’ birthdays and holidays with thoughtful notes or greeting cards. Infuse each card with your community’s colors and your logo for a thoughtful way to stay in touch with your residents for their entire lease. You can even add one in their welcome packet for a more personalized touch.

Maintenance Card

Create a more elevated resident experience with the addition of maintenance cards. Design a business card or 4×6 card that your maintenance staff can leave on the kitchen counter or in the entryway to alert residents that they’ve been inside their home working on repairs. That way, your residents will be notified when someone has entered their private space and will also know that their issue has been resolved for a win-win solution.

“Leave a Review” Card

Generating positive reviews about your community is one of the easiest ways to attract prospects and generate leads. Encourage your current residents or those or are moving out to leave a review of your community. Add a postcard to your marketing collateral and hand them out a few times a year to generate continuous new online reviews to increase your ratings.

Need help crafting the right marketing collateral for your community? At zipcode creative, we’re experts in developing multifamily branding and translating that across materials for a cohesive and impactful experience. Get in touch today to learn more!

Design examples in this post of Capriana, Exchange, ENSO, LORE, and Talia are ©Fairfield Residential | Work executed by Stacey Feeney, owner of zipcode creative, while under creative direction and employment at Fairfield Residential.

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