2016 was a big year for video – look no further than its heavy influence on social media:

If these social media giants that invest a lot of resources in studying user behavior are incorporating video as part of their marketing strategy, then it must have some merit, right? There must be a method to their madness, especially after reading that video is forecasted to take up 80% of web traffic in 2020. So it goes without saying, video is important.

You may think these latest findings don’t apply to the property management industry; however, today you’ll learn 4 key reasons why video is important for your property management company, and the strategies you can deploy for you to win in 2017 and beyond.

1. Video Appeals to Different Learning Styles

Think about all the accidental landlords that call your business not understanding professional property management services. Most property management companies don’t have videos and their websites only showcase text. People have different ways of learning and you don’t want to alienate people that are “visual learners” as they could represent a property management contract.

If you have a whiteboard video explaining exactly what property management is, you’ll bring clarity to the rental management services you offer, and people will choose you over your competitors. You have an advantage because you made professional property management easy to understand.

2. People Search Late

People will be looking for you when you’re not open for business. You might be open from 9 to 5, and your competitors are open from 9 to 5, but “Internet Rush Hour,” when most people are on online, is from 7pm to 11pm.

People are searching for services just like yours at that time, and they’ll want immediate answers. Answering sales calls in the middle of the night is not the best option for your psyche. The next best alternative is to have a video that features yourself. It can be as simple as you sitting behind your desk, going over FAQs like property management fees, your service offering, eviction procedures, etc. These videos can be your 24/7 salesperson that will help you sell when you can’t be in front of them. Property management is a service-based business and whether you like it or not, potential customers will want to “know” the person that will be handling their most important asset, their home. Video can do that for you.

3. Video’s Best Friend is Mobile

According to video metrics firm Ooyala, over half of video is consumed via mobile devices as opposed to desktop. And for the first time, over half of searches online is with mobile devices. In order to keep up with the increasing number of mobile searches, Google has now switched to a mobile-first search algorithm. One of the things this means is their algorithm prioritizes mobile content when ranking pages. If your site is not mobile-friendly, you need to get on that immediately as you don’t want to drop in rankings.

The rise in use of video has mirrored the rise in mobile use. Keep up with these trends so your property management company does not get left behind.

4. Google Owns YouTube

The number two search engine in the world is YouTube. The number one search engine in the world is Google, and Google owns YouTube! YouTube already receives benefits from this association as Google often highlights or favors YouTube videos on their search results.

Take us for example: we managed to get on the first page of Google for the high-traffic keyword “Starting a Property Management Company.” That video on property management company structure with Keith Becker is one of our most popular videos of all time and it has introduced a lot of people to our business. In contrast, our article on the topic only ranks on the third page for that same keyword.

These are only some of the reasons you should consider video as part of your property management marketing strategy. Fourandhalf works with video all the time – for ourselves and on behalf of our clients. So, if you have any questions about video or anything pertaining to property management marketing, please contact us at Fourandhalf.