What’s your plan for property management branding during a crisis?
Branding your property management company and marketing your services in a time of crisis requires a sense of who your audience is and what they may be going through.
All of us at Fourandhalf are working from home during the COVID-19 lockdown time, and today we are talking about what you should do and what you shouldn’t do when you’re marketing and branding in the middle of a global pandemic or any other emergency that may be affecting your work.
Show Empathy and Be Transparent
You do want to show that you understand what your clients are going through, and you don’t want to be tone deaf. Everyone is sensitive during a crisis, and everyone is going through their own tough times. It’s important to be extra-aware of the way you sound.
If you work in property management, you know that some people will be offended no matter what you say and when you say it. During times like these, more people than normal will be offended by any kind of language or content that doesn’t reflect empathy and compassion.
Don’t Put Incriminating Content on Social Media
Everyone is entitled to their own social media language, but remember that you’re running a business, and your brand relies heavily on how you present yourself publicly. Don’t put something on social media that you wouldn’t want all of your current and potential customers to see. You even have to be careful in private forums because guess what? Those forums aren’t that private.
Be Strategic with Marketing Channels and Content
You have to be mindful of the marketing channels you’re choosing, and you have to make sure you’re publishing topical content. The crisis is capturing a lot of attention right now, but every crisis has a short shelf life. When you post about the crisis using a slower marketing method, you won’t reach people in time. You want this information to be seen quickly, and then you want it to go away.
Don’t publish a blog that will be buried somewhere. No one will see it and it won’t rank for six months. YouTube is great, but it takes months to gain traction. A direct mail campaign will not work quickly.
Instead, put your crisis-related content on your website’s homepage. You can put it out there for everyone to see, and then you can take it down when it’s no longer relevant. Post your information on Facebook, Instagram, and other social platforms. Use email and texts. That’s good for immediate content and reach.
On a related note – have you thought about your online reputation during the COVID19 pandemic? Head over to our blog on the latest updates from Google and Yelp for more information about reviews being posted during this time.
Don’t Overdo the Crisis Content
Some people are posting about the coronavirus every single day. First, people get tired of it. Then, it feels like you’re capitalizing on the crisis. You should be talking about the impact it’s having on your customers, but remember to put evergreen content out, too.
Branding during a crisis doesn’t have to be specific to the crisis. You can provide helpful information on all topics that your audience will find educational and valuable. Remember that there’s always a crisis, unfortunately. In California, we have to worry about fires and earthquakes. In Florida and the southeastern states, you’re always worried about hurricanes.
No matter what the crisis happens to be today, you still have to stay in business and you still have to get leads in. Marketing must remain a necessity.
Create Aftermath Content
You want content that helps people prepare for when things will get better. Because they will get better. We’re all looking forward to that time, so let’s keep things up and running until we get there.
We’re wishing you the best of luck, and if you want to talk through your property management branding and marketing ideas, please contact us at Fourandhalf.
Fourandhalf helps property managers strategize and implement marketing plans. Get a free marketing assessment to find out how to start getting better clients into your portfolio.
