#27 - Social Media Posting + Event Plan for Your Apartment Community [July 2020]
Dig in to your social Media calendar
Once you submit your email, check your inbox for instant access to your planning kit.
Psstt…this is how you will feel after you do this! You ready?
Step two:
Follow along and fill up your July social media schedule PLus plan some fun resident events!
[Video or Audio only option]
July is the month you are going to ROCK your social media posts and check off your outreach marketing and retention boxes in one fell swoop!
Check out this video for even more posts ideas and ways to engage with your residents and prospects on social media.
A few tips to make this guided training a success:
Print out your FILLABLE social media planning calendar kit. [You can grab it at the top of this page.] Use it to make sure that you are hitting all your marks and keeping your social media accounts active and engaging throughout the month.
Get your copy/paste fingers ready! We’ve sprinkled in a few caption examples that are ready to be personalized and used. Find them throughout below.
Need extra help or want access to all the posts and images in the video? Sign up for SIMPLY SOCIAL and get your month of social media done in under 30 minutes! 😱
CLICK BELOW TO HEAR AUDIO:
Use creative holidays to build out your apartment’s marketing strategy
Why use Creative Holidays in your social media posting strategy for your apartment community?
It’s a way to keep your marketing and retention fun and fresh. Don’t blend in with the competition!
There’s a lot going on this month! Use these to start building out your schedule.
Remember: We aren’t just posting for the sake of posting. Balance talking about your community lifestyle and amenities, with neighborhood spotlights and informative community operations updates. You’ll see a few examples throughout this blog.
July is National:
Grilling Month
Hot Dog Month
Ice Cream Month
Picnic Month
Independent Retailer
Notices - Social posts made easy
Do more than Welcome the new month!
This “Hello, July!” post is more than a pretty face. You are accomplishing a few goals with this post:
Share events that are coming up. This includes local virtual community events or events around town. When posting about nearby events, be sure to mention or tag the business or location in your post.
Not sure how to mention a business? Check out this quick guide - under “How do I mention someone on Instagram?”
Let residents know how they can pay rent. If you’ve added online or drive-thru options, make that clear! Explain the options that your residents have and invite them to contact you if they are having trouble paying their rent this month.
Click image to download and post to your feed.
Get your caption:
July is here! Don't forget that rent is due. You can pay it online anytime through our resident portal or _______ (other rent option. Ex: drive-thru). July is one of our favorite months!! What's one thing you are looking forward to? Don't forget to check out _______, _______, or ________ (neighborhood features) while you plan your summer activities!
Want 40+ done-for-you graphics and captions every month? Learn about Simply Social.
Promote an Awesome lifestyle - despite covid-19
Pool opening with social distancing:
July 5th is Bikini Day
Note: Let residents know that your pool is open with social distancing measures in place. This works because we’ve all got quarantine bodies, right? 😅
Reserve amenities
Don’t be afraid to post several reminders! Only about 5% of your posts get viewed in user’s feeds. If your community’s amenities are open, but require a reservation, use this post to communicate the process your residents need to follow.
Note: Use photos of your fitness center or outdoor amenities.
Sell your amenities
July 25th is Wine and Cheese Day
What better place to enjoy wine and cheese than on your patio? Use photos of your balcony views that you’ve taken yourself or invite residents to share and hashtag photos of their balcony happy hour! #{apartmentname]VIEWS
Don’t forget renewals and appreciation posts
We want our social media feed to include a good balance of posts that drive new prospects and retain (and engage) current residents.
You’ll want to include posts like the following:
Outreach Marketing Including:
☐ Highlight a Preferred Employer ☐ Neighborhood Feature ☐ Spotlight a Floor Plan or Special ☐ Showcase a Community Amenity ☐ Renting vs. Buying ☐ Testimonials ☐ FAQ ☐ Student Housing & Senior: Target the “decision-maker” or “decision-influencer”
Referrals Including:
☐ Tag a Friend That.... ☐ Benefits Of Having a Friend Live Nearby ☐ Referral Bonus
Resident Retention & Engagement Including:
☐ Team Highlight ☐ Welcome New Residents ☐ Renewals ☐ Events + Reminders
Notices to Keep Residents in the Loop
Click image to download and post to your feed.
Renewal post:
July 14 - Mac & Cheese Day
You are the Mac to our Cheese and we love all of our residents. If your lease is up, call or email us about renewing. We can't lose you - you belong at _____ Apartments! Reach us anytime by DM or email at ______(email). Call us at ________ (phone), too!
Remember, life has been tough for some people. Moving is a HUGE stressor and who wants to be dealing with that right now? No, thank you!
You can use this graphic and caption in a personalized email to your upcoming renewals too. BONUS points for making a little goodie bag with a box of Mac and Cheese! I don’t care how old you are, nothing tastes as good as mac and cheese. End of story.
Promote local businesses to create community
Don’t forget that your community is made up of employees or owners of local businesses that have been impacted lately. Tagging these businesses in posts that promote their business AND engage your residents is a win all around.
Creative holidays that work great for Cross-promotion Posts:
July 13 - French Fry Day
You’re not only engaging your residents, but promoting a business! Tag that business and give them some extra traffic. Try to keep it to local businesses to get the word out for those mom and pop places.
July 19 - Ice Cream Day
Bonus: Reach out to the ice cream shop and explore setting up a grab and go event - poolside. It’s a great way to spoil your residents while keeping your distance.
Get your referrals
Do you have a special going on? Get more exposure and draw attention to your community by featuring a referral post.
July 30 - International Friendship Day
Encourage residents to tag the bestie they wished lived next door!
HOw is your community taking care of tours?
If I’m going out to visit a business, I’m calling ahead to see how they are handling traffic and business. Make it easier for your prospects to know what’s expected and post a couple of reminders each week that outline guidelines clearly.
Bonus points: Make sure to include the right signage if you are offering self-guided or virtual tours. If you are offering self-guided tours make sure you prep so that they are converting into leases.
executing your apartment’s marketing strategy can be easy & fun…pinky promise!😉
I know how hard it is being a property manager.
Being a property manager in 2020 is at an entire new level of hard.
I want your marketing and retention to not be something that adds to that stress. That’s why each month I’m committed to sharing these easy solutions with you. Whether you decide to be a Sprout Member or not, I want to help you! When you focus on the basics - outreach, retention, follow up - the results will come. You will see higher occupancy and retention numbers!
By utilizing the calendar planning kit and weaving in the creative holidays, it can also be fun. You can get your teams to buy in and engage with some out of the box ideas. When they enjoy what they are doing, they take ownership!
Wishing you the very best for your apartment marketing and retention (and in life) in July 2020!
🤗 -Barbara, Lauren & The Sprout Team
