If you’re a property manager trying to build an online presence, or you’re just trying to stay relevant in the ever-changing world of the internet, one thing that must be at the top of your mind is social media.

There’s always a hip new platform available, and you’re probably wondering if you should be on it. Before you start creating new accounts, however, ask yourself these important questions:

  • Do I understand how the platform works?
  • Do I know what people are using it and how they are using it?
  • Is it clear how the platform can help my business?
  • Do I know how much time it takes to maintain, and is it worth my time?

Principles versus Platforms

Marcus Sheridan spoke to us at the PM Grow Summit in January 2017 about Principles versus Platforms.

In his talk, he mentioned that over the last 10 years, there were more than 70 social media networks or platforms that rose up, and only about 30 of them are alive today. Out of those, 12 are teetering on death.

That tells you a lot about the amount of churn there is in social media.

People get enamored with the next social media fad (platform) that they ignore how it can help their business (principle). So, next time a new social media platform comes out be sure to ask yourself and research the above questions detailed in this blog.

Instagram for Property Management Companies

The Platform

Instagram is a popular photo-based social network that is designed for sharing photos and videos. With a user base that primarily consists of young adults, it is an excellent platform for local businesses looking to target a younger demographic.

If you want to attract local leads, using geolocations and hashtags on your posts is the way to go. These features can be used to target people in specific locations or those who are interested in specific topics. As a local business, this platform can help you attract new customers and build brand awareness in your community.

To encourage engagement, you should post regularly and create content that resonates with your target audience. Whether you decide to use your feed or your stories, it’s important to maintain a consistent and engaging presence on Instagram.

The Principle

If you’re looking for new prospective residents to occupy the properties you manage, it might make sense to upload pictures of your available units. That works to find tenants.

But if you’re after owners, and you’re looking for new property management leads, it doesn’t make much sense and takes you away from other opportunities.

Also, any vacancy photos and videos will have to be taken down manually once they’re occupied or at least updated in the caption, doubling the amount of time required, unless you only post them to your Instagram story. Stories are only visible for 24 hours before they disappear.

However, even if new owner leads aren’t finding you through your posts, many individuals will check social media as a way of doing due diligence before signing up for services.

Facebook for the Property Management Industry

The Platform

A property management company can use Facebook to build brand awareness, engage with potential clients, showcase properties, and share valuable real estate industry-related information.

Instead of using a personal profile, create a dedicated Facebook Business Page for your property management company. This will give you access to insights, analytics, advertising features, and allow you to display important business information like contact details and office hours. Facebook users will be able to follow your page to stay up to date on your business.

You’ll want to ensure that your business page has a professional profile picture (such as your company logo), an eye-catching cover photo, and complete “About” section with relevant information about your services, website link, and contact details in order to have a sound social media presence.

The Principle: What Do Facebook “Likes” Really Mean for my Business?

A common question about marketing strategy we are asked is – how many likes should I have on Facebook? The real question is – what is the value of a like? There was an interesting article in the Harvard Business Review that talked about this.

There are two major misconceptions about Facebook likes:

The first is that a like equals new customers for your business.

The second is that someone who likes your business will get your business in front of their friends and family, who will also become your customers.

When digging deep into the data, we can see that merely liking a page doesn’t change a consumer’s habits or increase purchasing. Moreover, liking a page doesn’t get friends and family to become customers.

The data also shows that the majority of people who like pages on Facebook or follow certain social media pages are already existing customers. So, those likes represent people who are already using a product or service. They like you in real life.

That’s not necessarily a bad thing! Facebook can be a great part of your social media marketing by creating events, groups, and sharing updates to your current residents and property owners. It can also be a great tool for community and credibility building.

Using YouTube for Property Management Companies

The Platform

Businesses can utilize YouTube in various ways to promote their products or services, build brand awareness, and engage with their target audience. As with many different social media platforms, you’ll want to set up a professional YouTube channel for your business, complete with your logo, banner, and a well-crafted description that reflects your brand identity.

Youtube is all videos. This is a great place to post engaging video content that showcases your products or services, provides valuable information, or entertains your audience.

Some popular video formats include tutorials, product demonstrations, customer testimonials, interviews, webinars, and behind-the-scenes footage.

The Principle

YouTube serves as a powerful search engine, allowing businesses to optimize their videos with relevant keywords and descriptions to increase visibility.

Many property owners, investors, and other real estate professionals will use Youtube as a source of education and problem solving tool. This is one of the biggest benefits of the platform and a great opportunity to consider problems they may be facing and present videos that provide solutions.

Enhance your video’s visibility by using relevant keywords in the title, description, and tags. Additionally, create custom thumbnails that capture viewers’ attention and accurately represent the content of your video. This is a great place for potential leads to find you if you’re posting valuable content that they’re searching for.

TikTok for Your Property Management Company

The Platform

Businesses can use TikTok to connect with a younger audience, create engaging content, and promote their products or services in a fun and creative way.

Tiktok is a platform for short form videos, and videos can be anywhere from 90 seconds to 10 minutes. It’s a great place for businesses to post fun and creative videos that show off their unique style and brand personality.

The Principle

TikTok is the latest social media platform that has blown up and as a result, you may be feeling compelled to create an account. But is it the right place to be spending your time and energy as a property manager?

Just like YouTube, Tiktok is a powerful search engine. However, the demographics are a lot younger on TikTok. 71% of adult TikTok users are under 34.

If you’re looking for a platform to repost user generated content and really engage with prospective tenants, you’ll do well on TikTok. But as a major part of a marketing strategy targeted at property owners, you’ll probably find more conversions on other social media platforms.

How to Use These Takeaways to Boost Your Social Media Presence

Since we know that someone who likes your business page already likes you in real life and is probably an existing customer, getting a like is not the end game.

So, what do you do?

If they already like you, ask for a referral on your Facebook page. That’s one way to get something out of it. If getting more likes is still important to you, you can try targeting your existing clientele. Ask them to like you on Facebook.

With platforms that are utilized as a search engine, you can create social media content such as how-tos or other helpful content to try to build more credibility for your company.

With any social media, the objective is understanding what your business needs, and understanding how social media is a powerful tool to help you obtain your goals.

If you’re managing your own social media accounts, we’d recommend starting on just 1-2 platforms so you don’t spread yourself thin trying to post on every single platform.

Start posting and start experimenting to see what generates the most engagement for your property management company. Try to have fun with it and engage with your followers.

Social media has so many aspects to it that it can be overwhelming, but if you keep this in mind: “how will this help my business?” Social media marketing won’t seem so confusing or daunting.

If you have any questions about growing your property management business on the Internet, or about social media marketing, contact us at Fourandhalf.

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