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Author: Stacey Feeney

property management social media property management social media

Property Management Social Media Tips for Success

Written by Stacey Feeney on . Posted in All Articles, Marketing.

For apartments and property managers, social media can be a daunting task. Between all of the operational needs and maintaining the day-to-day, it’s easy for social media to slip way down your to-do list. But it plays a pivotal role in increasing resident happiness, appealing to prospective renters, and showing off all that your community has to offer. Kick-start your online presence with a few of our insider property management social media tips and tricks to get you going. 

Consistency is Key

Across all social media platforms, posting regularly is the most important aspect of engaging your audience. Between finicky algorithms and shifting news feeds, posting at least a few times a week will ensure that most people are seeing the content that you spend so much time on.

Try posting at different times each day to see where your engagement is the strongest. Once you get a sense for when your audience is online, start posting around that same time to increase your likes and comments and drive engagement. Instagram and Facebook provide insights that will tell you exactly what days of the week and times of day your posts are getting the most engagement.

Create High-Quality Content

Scheduling posts isn’t just one-and-done in property management social media. To create quality content that will get you noticed, you need to think about how the photo, caption, and graphics all work together to tell a story and add value for your audience.

For your imagery, be sure to pick something that grabs your attention and will stand out in the sea of sameness across social platforms. Consider outsourcing custom branded social media graphics to zipcode creative for both your organic posts and paid ads to help you really stand out. 

Once you’ve chosen your image, use your caption as an opportunity to deliver valuable insights that will spark a conversation in the comments or get your content shared with the masses. Finish it with a clear call to action so your audience always knows exactly what you want them to do next. 

PRO TIP: The two most popular types of posts either 1. Provide a lot of value on a topic of interest or 2. Are real and authentic, ideally showing real people (your staff or residents)

Share What Residents Care About

No matter how high-quality your content is, you won’t see the engagement numbers you’re looking for if you’re not tailoring it for your audience. Pick relevant topics for your community and your staff—like Resident Appreciation Day/Week and Maintenance Appreciation Day/Week, resident event announcements, and rent due reminders (although they may not be happy about these posts!). Remember, it’s primarily residents and staff who follow you on social — highlight timely events and important updates for the people who follow you. That way, you’re giving them the info they need while also upping your engagement. If a prospecting renter stumbles upon your page they will see everything you have going on and realize how fun it is to live at your community! For their benefit, intermix plenty of interior and exterior property amenity pictures and talk about them in the captions. If you can nail down a solid hashtag strategy you will reach more people outside of your circle. 

Prospect Focused Posts

If you want to cater to prospects, tell them all about your property! Seems obvious, right? Think of it this way – if it’s in your brochure, talk about it on social! 

Plan Ahead

Posting on the fly never results in the kind of quality content your accounts deserve. Instead of snapping photos last minute or repurposing old materials, be sure to think about your social media calendar at least a week ahead—even more if possible. Quality over quantity.

There are countless free tools online that let you plan your posts and set a calendar to keep you organized and on top of it. Try Hootsuite, Loomly, or Sprout Social to streamline your process from start to finish. Alternatively, you can also hire a creative agency like us to manage your platforms for you and run point on strategy and planning, content creation and scheduling, and ongoing engagement. 

Ready to get started on your property management social media plan? Work with zipcode creative on developing all of the social media assets you need to “wow” prospective residents and current tenants alike! We’re always here to design custom branded graphics for you anytime you want to take your posts to the next level. Get in touch today!

Images of Platform Apartments  are ©Fairfield Residential  |  Executed under creative direction of Fairfield Residential.

last minute gift ideas for multifamily last minute gift ideas for multifamily

Last Minute Gift Ideas for Multifamily Residents and Staff

Written by Stacey Feeney on . Posted in All Articles, Marketing.

The holiday season is upon us, and if we’re being honest – we’re thankful that 2020 is coming to a close!  As you plan out your holiday gifts, for both your residents and team members, it’s the perfect time to get them something special.  The challenges of this year have been immense, and we all deserve a little enjoyment as we round out the year.  Our gift guide will show you budget-friendly and last minute gift ideas for your residents and staff! 

Resident Gift Ideas

It can be tough to come up with a gift idea that pleases hundreds of residents. No branded products this year – give them something they actually want and appreciate! But don’t stress about timing, every last minute gift idea in our shopping guide is available on Amazon prime so it will be sure to arrive in time – hey that rhymes!  We’ve kept the options under $10 per resident gift to keep you on budget.

Mini Succulent – If your community is eco-friendly, play up that vibe and treat all of your residents to some fresh greenery.  Everyone loves succulents – they are easy to take care of and provide a very affordable last minute gift idea! Get a set of 12 for $30, which breaks down to only $2.50 per plant!  Double up for roommates or larger apartments. Include this with a custom designed card that shows your residents you care – we can help create the card for you! Here are some succulent/cactus themed ideas…

“Let’s ROOT for each other and watch each other GROW”

“ALOE YOU VERA MUCH.”

“ALOE THERE!”

“I’m a SUCCA for you.”

Acacia Wood Cutting Board – Slip one of these in every kitchen for just $10. We’ve all spent more time in the kitchen this year, and residents can use these in the kitchen or on their bar carts. If you’ve been hosting cooking demos or classes at your community – whether in person or virtual – this gift goes perfectly with that theme!

Coffee Coffee Coffee – This was the year that WFH took on a whole new meaning.  With coffee fueling most of that new office productivity, you residents will love this gift.  The colors and labels are completely customizable. Shop this 12oz bag for just $5 each on Amazon.

Candles – seriously, everyone LOVES candles. You can’t go wrong with sending a candle to your residents. This woodsy scented, gender-neutral one is available on Amazon for just $9. Add a custom gift tag to your DIY wrapping to express your gratitude for your residents, here are a couple of cute ideas:

“Take your candle and light the world”

“All the darkness in the world cannot extinguish the light of a single candle”

“Be the light that helps others see”

Staff Appreciation Gift Ideas

For the team that’s worked miracles this year to keep everything flowing smoothly, a great staff appreciation gift is a must.  We’ve included categories and options to help you narrow down the perfect gift; all while keeping it under $50 per person.

S’well Water Bottle – Bottles are the ultimate accessory.  They come in every color or pattern.  Whether your team needs their endless drip of coffee or fresh water on demand, these bottles keep drinks insulated for over 24 hrs.  S’wells keep up with the demand of the holiday hustle and bustle.  The team will love their new eco-friendly bottles and they run between $25-$45 each.

Portable Wine Glass – Stemless wine glasses you can take on the go are key this season.  Super durable, inventive and CHIC; these run $24 per glass.  You can gift them to everyone and still have enough money to pair it with a bottle of vino.  This collection from Goverre.com will be a hit.  Take the customization to the next level and create some customized wine labels to thank your team for their efforts.

Yeti To-Go Coffee Mugs – A hands down crowd pleaser for your whole team.  The Rambler model can be used for coffee or other off-duty beverages.  These come in a range of colors at $24 each, these are a great price point.

Amazon Echo Dot – If you have a diverse team with lots of tastes, you can simplify for yourself and get one nice techy gift that everyone can use.  A wireless speaker with Alexa capabilities will be a win.  Of course, they can take it home, or use it in the management office to keep the music going.  If you catch it in time, this echo dot is on sale for just $30, regularly $50 but either way – budget friendly!

Wireless Earbuds – With your staff on zoom when they are WFH or just simply because wireless earbuds are kind of the thing right now… they will love this last minute gift idea, available on Amazon for $50 and comes with a carrying case.

Charging Pad – Keep your staff’s phones charged so you can always reach them. Sleek design, available in 3 colors all for $25 and compatible with so many devices!

Gift Cards for All

Gift Cards – There is always the gift card route; which is guaranteed to please both residents and your staff.  There are endless options with cards and you can divy them out in a way that makes the most sense for your group.  Residents may enjoy a $5 Starbucks gift card to get their favorite holiday drink.  Snap up some $50 restaurant gift cards to treat your team members to a fancy dinner at a local fav.  You’ll get bonus points this year if you’re supporting a small business!  Visa and Amazon are also popular options to help your residents or staff feel the love.  

We can design a custom sleeve to match your sentiments.  Whether you want to wish happy holidays to everyone, or make it a thank you card with best wishes for the new year; personalization makes it more impactful.

The Final Details

No matter which gift you choose, complete the package with a branded card to showcase your property.  These will be perfect when you’re handing out resident holiday gifts.  zipcode creative can help with the card and, even, the signing.  How perfect would it be to have the card signed by the whole team, all in a completely contactless way?  It’s possible with digital printing.  We can make it all happen with just some names, some handwriting fonts and voila, a card with all the important signatures and none of the fingerprints! 

Why Apartments Need Cohesive Branding Why Apartments Need Cohesive Branding Why Apartments Need Cohesive Branding

Why Apartments Need Cohesive Branding

Written by Stacey Feeney on . Posted in All Articles, Branding.

Branding is arguably one of the most important elements for your rental property and your business. From brand colors to logo design, your branding is the face of your community and often, it’s the first thing people see when they walk through the door, which is why apartments need cohesive branding! This means creating memorable branding is one of the easiest ways for residents and prospective tenants alike to recognize your community and instantly give them an understanding of what you’re all about. 

What impacts my branding?

When it comes to defining your brand, the most important part is understanding not just your community’s amenities, but also knowing your target audience, business objectives, and your local and regional markets inside and out. If you’re targeting young professional renters, for example, your branding needs to resonate with that demographic. If, on the other hand, your perfect resident is an executive, or an empty nester, or a small family, your branding will shift and change for each of those groups to best appeal to them.

What’s the first step?

All the best branding processes start with a brand questionnaire as the very first step. This document includes a range of questions that will help you thoroughly define your brand, its values, and its mission while also identifying aspects of your target audience and the competitive landscape. By taking all of those elements and looking at them holistically, it allows a designer or a branding agency (like ourselves) to create a thoughtful and effective visual brand for your apartments that help you achieve your goals.

What is the logo design process like?

Defining a logo is one of the most important—and sometimes most challenging—aspects of building your brand. Your logo should reflect your company values and give people a sense of what you stand for. Whether you’re modern or traditional, bold or minimal, or strong or friendly, these traits should shine through in your logo, while also reflecting the ideals of the renters you’re trying to attract. 

Your answers to our brand questionnaire will help provide the foundation for creating the perfect logo. We’ll work together to select and design illustrations, fonts, and colors that all work together to both accomplish your own goals and appeal to your target audience. Keep in mind, designing a logo is much more than choosing fonts and colors – your property’s location conveniences, trends and history are taken into consideration, combined with the amenities and features your community has to offer, as well as the vibe and feeling you are setting out to portray. These things are all packaged together in a visual way that speak to your target market prospective renter. Have we convinced you of the ‘why’ apartments need cohesive branding yet? 

What is a brand style sheet?

Once your logo and all your other branding elements have been finalized, your brand style sheet is a one-pager that defines how you use that logo across different marketing materials. That way, no matter if your property manager, the corporate marketing department, or zipcode creative is creating a new asset, it will always look consistent.  

Your brand style sheet will show how to use your primary logo, secondary logo, submark, and other logo variations. It also lists all of your branded fonts and the specific colors used in your branding, so you always present a holistic brand to your residents and prospects.

What is a brand style guide?

While the brand style sheet is a great quick reference for your logo and branding, a brand style guide is a complete and comprehensive guideline to every branding element. This multi-page booklet defines your logo uses, fonts, and color palettes in more detail than the style sheet, giving you everything you need to know as you create new materials or update existing ones. It also includes brand imagery and photography, additional design elements, and more so that anyone designing will know exactly how to use what. You’ll never feel in the dark when creating new materials and always feel confident that you are using each brand element how it was intended to be used. Having brand style guidelines provides a consistent look and feel for your target market, ensuring that they instantly recognize your apartment community and understand what you’re all about. 

Ready for new branding?

If by now you are realizing why apartments need cohesive branding and you’re ready to take the next step to help your community stand out with new or updated branding, zipcode creative will help you reach your target demographic through quality custom designs. Fill out our brand questionnaire today to start the conversation of creating a new brand or modernizing an existing one.

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Celebrate Thanksgiving at Your Apartments Celebrate Thanksgiving at Your Apartments

Celebrate Thanksgiving at Your Apartments

Written by Stacey Feeney on . Posted in All Articles, Marketing.

Celebrate Thanksgiving at Your Apartments

Thanksgiving gives us all a chance to focus on the most important elements of our lives – family, friends and food.  It’s easy to boost your resident retention and goodwill with some festive activities.  This year, there are so many creative ways to celebrate Thanksgiving at your apartments, you won’t even miss the hosting.  We’ll show you how to incorporate cooking classes, a one-of-a-kind cookbook and a fulfilling food drive into this month’s marketing plans.  

Cooking Classes 

Create a menu of Thanksgiving favorites and host a virtual cooking class (or a series of them) for a fun and educational way to celebrate Thanksgiving at your apartments.  Plus, a cooking demo is the perfect type of event to welcome both residents and prospects – kill two birds with one stone – or something less gruesome, you get the point! 

Ordinarily a cooking class would be an in-person event, but with COVID still underway, consider inviting a limited in-person audience so that social distancing can be easily observed while recording the demo on Facebook Live to reach a wider audience.  Make full use of the community kitchen by showing off those stainless appliances and spacious kitchen island that is perfect for recipe prep.  Work the room while you work your recipe.  Feature your gas stoves or quartz countertops with festive ingredients and flowers.  Cooking classes make for a great recurring series by demonstrating one or two recipes a week all holiday season to keep residents and prospects entertained.  Make it a whole team affair, and have each leasing consultant pick their favorite recipe to record for the series! 

When hosted virtually, residents and prospects can tune in together to follow along and connect with one another.  Hire a specialty chef to make it a unique culinary experience or connect with a local culinary school to partner with your community.  Post the menu a few days ahead of time on your socials to get residents excited and grocery shopping so they’ll be prepared to follow along at home.  Once the session is recorded, you can always repost to help anyone that missed it live.

Community Recipe Book

Although the traditional Thanksgiving menu stays fairly consistent, no two families do it the same.  A great way to connect with friends and family this year is to ask them for some of these special recipes.  Let them know about a dish you’ve always loved but haven’t recreated in your own kitchen yet.  They’ll be flattered and happy to share.

As property management teams, take this a step further and do a community-wide recipe book to celebrate Thanksgiving at your apartments. Take recipe submissions and organize them by starters, main course, sides and desserts.  And don’t forget the drink recipes – Apple Cider Mimosa, yes please!  Once you’ve got the collection of recipes, share them with the community at the beginning of Thanksgiving week, giving residents time to shop.  On Thanksgiving Day, encourage residents to share pics of their culinary creations.

This creative endeavor doesn’t have to stop with Thanksgiving.  Feature unique recipes from your residents to showcase the collection of cuisines being cooked up across your apartment community throughout the year.  The cookbook could be a great resident retention or move-in gift in digital PDF form or as a printed, spiral bound book – in either case we can help design this for you.

Food Drive

In this thankful season, it’s important to connect with others in our local communities.  Food pantries see increased numbers of families in need of holiday meals each November and December.  With this challenging year, this will be even more paramount and it’s a great way to celebrate Thanksgiving at your apartments through a spirit of generosity.  People are always happy to come together to donate to a charity or food partner that makes a difference in their community.  If your residents aren’t hosting a big meal this year, they may be able to give extra non-perishables to the food drive of your choice.  It’s easy to set up canned goods collection boxes in the leasing office or lobby to catch residents each day.  Creating a campaign around seasonal giving can be a nice way to attract prospects as they see the good you are doing in the community.  Eblasts, flyers and social graphics can be bundled to really spread the word and increase resident donations this year.  This is a year for connecting and a common goal makes this a win for your property. 

Get the Word Out

Making your holiday events come to life is so much easier when you’ve got the marketing collateral!  A recipe eblast to your residents – no problem.  Flyers to highlight the food drive donation spots – easy!  We even design social media graphics so it’s as easy as save and post. Just let us know your plans and we can make sure your events look flawless – email us today.

Marketing Strategies to Impress Prospects on Self-Guided Tours

Written by Stacey Feeney on . Posted in All Articles, Marketing.

Improve the entire on-site experience to show off your amenities and turn prospects into residents with these marketing strategies to impress prospects on self-guided tours.

As self-guided tours become more and more popular in our ever-changing world, there’s one question on everyone’s mind: What’s the best way to stand out to residents? 

Without a leasing agent to showcase the best features and most popular amenities during an unattended tour, property managers and owners are being forced to think outside the box to adapt. Instead of relying on an agent to sell the space, it’s more important than ever to come up with creative ways to emphasize the unique elements of your property. 

Instead of leaving residents unimpressed or underwhelmed, use these creative tactics to show off the best of what your building has to offer. 

Easy & Efficient Entry

After residents have booked their tour, you’ll want to make the entire process as easy and simple as possible—almost as if by magic! When prospective residents first arrive, create a streamlined check-in process that grants them all the access they need right away. That could mean they’re let in by a doorman and given each key they need, or you could install a smart lock system that sends a code prior to their arrival.

Whichever method you choose, be sure to do a test run to ensure it all works exactly how it should. This is the first thing prospects experience when they arrive, so it’s important to double-check that it all goes smoothly to give the best possible first impression. A good first impression through ease of entry is one of the first marketing strategies to impress prospects on self-guided tours that shouldn’t be overlooked!

Multimedia Walking Tours

Your community has much more to offer in addition to the apartment units themselves – make sure to bring attention to the amenities and unique selling points of the entire building. While the apartment itself is likely what a touring prospect is most anxious to see in person, the community amenities provide an opportunity to set your property apart from the competition.

To showcase amenity spaces, outdoor areas, or other unique features, try developing a multimedia tour of the entire building. Opt for using a map in lieu of the leasing agent to avoid unnecessary contact while also emphasizing the things that residents love most. Apartment tour maps have become one of the proven marketing strategies to impress prospects on self-guided tours during social distancing.

Develop a personalized map with different destinations, so prospective residents can move about the building on their own and see each amenity space first-hand. You can even add an interactive element like a stamp at each stop, so they can check off each space as they visit. Incentivize them with a small gift, like a Starbucks gift card, from the leasing office if they mark off each amenity to help ensure they experience the best parts of the entire building. 

Custom Signage & Table Tents

If you want to keep things simple and straightforward for both you and touring prospects, there’s no better avenue than custom signage. Try creating custom table tents to place throughout the apartment and amenity spaces to highlight special features. That way, even without a leasing agent present, prospects won’t miss the unit’s best selling points and will learn more about the most impressive and notable aspects of their future home. 

From top-of-the-line countertops or industry-leading appliances in the kitchen to elevated fixtures or high-end finishes in the bathroom, table tents or other custom signage is a great way to subtly call out details that prospects might otherwise miss. Whether you incorporate a short description, your community logo, or a custom QR code to learn more, the sky’s the limit to your creativity—which makes customized signage one of the most flexible and versatile marketing strategies to impress prospects on self-guided tours!

If you’re ready to elevate your self-guided tour experience with custom signage, get in touch with our team today! From printed maps to door hangers to table tents, we’re experts at creating effective and elevated materials for multifamily communities.

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resident halloween pet costume contest resident halloween pet costume contest resident halloween pet costume contest

Resident Halloween Pet Costume Contest

Written by Stacey Feeney on . Posted in All Articles, Marketing.

Just because Halloween will look a little different this year, doesn’t mean we have to miss all the fun.  There are plenty of ways to take your spookiness virtual while still building that coveted sense of community amongst your residents.  We’re here to show you how you can invoke that competitive spirit to showcase the most creative fur friends this trick or treat season.  Grab your craft cocktail and Halloween supplies and get ready to show your pet’s scary style. Host a resident Halloween pet costume contest at your apartment community!

How to Host a Resident Halloween Pet Costume Contest

 

1. DESIGN THE EVENT

Create categories for the award winners: most creative costume, scariest get up, best DIY style, for example. Make sure to feature dogs, cats and any other exotic pet they may have living (legally) in their apartment. With so many people working from home this year, they can use that extra time to create a pet costume masterpiece worthy of a prize!

2. INVITE RESIDENTS

Invite your residents to dress their pets in their Halloween finest. Dogs as superheroes – check.  Cats with vampire capes – Yessss.  Bonus points if you coordinate your costume with your favorite pets.  Spread the word with eblasts, flyers, signage and social media posts (we can help with this if you like!).  Come up with a hashtag so your residents will be able to share it online.

3. COLLECT CONTEST ENTRIES

Decide which social sites you’d like to post the photos on. Use Facebook and Instagram to feature all of the resident pics and have residents vote away for their frightful favorites. Residents can email their photos to the management team or post directly to social media with the contest hashtag.

Want this exact flyer customized to the branding of your apartment community? Shoot us an email with the logo and contact info and we would be happy to customize – or make a unique design just for you! 

How to Award Prizes for a Pet Costume Contest

Everyone loves a good prize. Tally all the votes and offer up some thrifty rewards.  A few months of waived pet rent feel nice for that pet’s owner.  You can go with a pet store gift card.  There are national chains or, even better, if it’s a local store or pet salon you can support.  You can also do a donation to your closest animal shelter in the winner’s name.

Since the winning pet will obviously be very photogenic and insta worthy, ask the resident if you can feature their pet’s photo is some of your marketing collateral or social posts.  Owners love showing off their pets and now you’ll have great brand ambassadors for your property – all those who participate in the resident Halloween pet costume contest!

How to Promote a Resident Halloween Pet Costume Contest

There’s a reason why pet events are the most popular type of events.  No one can resist a witchy pup on his way to collect Halloween treats.

Invites can be done through eblasts and social media.  You can even set up a Facebook Event so you can invite your residents through your property’s page.  You’ll want to post flyers and signage around the property.

FREE DOWNLOAD ALERT!

Here is a collection of FREE resident halloween pet costume contest stock images that we’ve curated to help get you started in promoting your event!

Download Free Stock Images

Of course, if you’d like help with all of the graphics and signage, we can take care of that piece to make sure your brand is on point. Contact us for custom branded designs!

Once you have all the pictures, make sure to post them together on your social media sites. Residents can support their pet and vote on others. They should also encourage their friends and family to vote, vote, vote for their favorite pet.

Ways to Celebrate Halloween with Your Residents who Don’t Have Pets

 

While your pet owners are coercing their dogs into black spandex for the resident Halloween pet costume contest, don’t forget about ways your pet-free residents can participate in the festivities.

Competitive carvings or pumpkin painting can provide a creative outlet this time of year. Pumpkin carving enthusiasts can show off their knife skills.  Painting pumpkins can impress with less mess.  Gather all the resident pictures and create a Facebook album where other residents can vote up til Oct 31st.

You can also challenge residents to a Halloween décor contest.  Who turned their balcony into a spooky graveyard?  Who’s celebrating a spider and bat infestation in their studio?  If your property is lucky enough to have enough decorations and nice weather this month, you can have residents grab their masks and walk around the property scoping out the decorations.  End the walk with some candy in the clubhouse.  Individual goodie bags or treats make it easy to grab and go.

Download Free Stock Images the gallery of pet stock images or reach out to zipcode creative to personalize your Halloween marketing materials. Use the button below to request a custom branded event flyer for Halloween celebration.

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