Social Media for Property Management: Getting Started
If you’ve been reluctant to fully embrace social media as a marketing strategy for your property, you’re not alone. Many people worry it will be too much work. But social media doesn’t have to be an overwhelming task. It’s simply a conversation you need to be a part of. Your potential renters are going to engage on social platforms whether or not you do. The best way to guide the conversation and ensure there’s value in it for you is to participate.
Choose your platforms selectively
The first step to creating a social presence is choosing the platforms you’ll engage on. Be deliberate. Don’t try to cover them all. Even major brands and large organizations can’t do that well. Facebook is a good place to start. It’s incredibly important for letting potential renters find out more about you. You might also find value in using Instagram to show off your community with images. Choose your platforms carefully and don’t overcommit yourself. It’s more important to post regularly on a limited number of platforms than to post sporadically on a lot of them.
Develop a manageable posting schedule
Figure out when you can devote manageable chunks of time to your social strategy and then commit to that schedule. For example, maybe you decide to do two posts a week on Facebook. Block out a little time on those days and commit to creating and sharing during that time. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself. In the beginning, you’re building your audience, so it doesn’t have to be perfect. You should be trying new messages, trying new types of content and seeing what people care about.
Content: start with what you have
Start by sharing what you think is interesting about your property. Maybe that’s snapshots of things happening around your community. Maybe it’s a feature about your front desk person. Maybe it’s a “did you know” tidbit about the features of your property: “Did you know we have happy hours every Friday in our lobby?” It doesn’t have to be anything big or significant. Get creative and see what works.
Don’t be afraid to try new things. Social media is always evolving. Keep an eye out on your feed and what people are liking and interacting with and incorporate elements from those things that you see people engaging with.
For more simple ways you can market your property, try Grace Hill’s Marketing series courseware.
