Apartment Marketing: Small Idea, Big Impact

MarketingPodcastResident Events
Written By Jay

APARTMENT MARKETING MISCONCEPTIONS

One of the biggest lies that we’ve been taught to believe is that bigger is better.

That to have a thriving community, we need the latest amenities, the most over-the-top giveaways, and host events to rival a Kardashian bash.

Keeping up with the Jones’ is a real thing in multifamily. And if you’ve become a victim of this lie, you aren’t alone. When you feel good about what your community has to offer, a new guy on the block pops up flaunting a mind-blowing amenity package, and all of a sudden, you feel like your community is the Jan Brady to their Marsha.

So we have been taught that we always have to “Go big or go home!”

WHAT MATTERS MOST IN APARTMENT MARKETING

The truth: Small, meaningful things matter most.

They can be little moments or small luxuries that we didn’t know where luxuries (hello, toilet paper). It’s the little things that count. And I’m here to tell you that little things don’t have to equal boring things.

  • You can take a small idea and execute it simply, and it can have a more significant impact than something HUGE executed poorly. 

  • You can also start with a small idea and incorporate it in unexpected ways to a lot of areas of your marketing and retention (Scroll down to see exactly how to do this!)

Here is the real bonus: they take less time, less energy and less mental bandwidth and still make a significant impression on your residents and prospects. As a busy property manager navigating running an apartment community in 2020 amidst a global pandemic, conserving your time, energy, and bandwidth is critical. And it’s never been more critical to create meaningful living experiences for people.

Listen to the podcast:

I want to show you how you can keep it basic but still have an impact.

Each month, the calendar is full of creative holidays… For this blog, we are going to use NATIONAL COFFEE LOVERS DAY as an example (in the month of September)

I picked this holiday because it is more likely to have mass appeal. In fact, recent stats show that over 50% of Americans over 18 years of age drink coffee every day. This represents over 150 million daily drinkers.

GRAB our most-downloaded resource: The Sprout Monthly Planning Pack

JOIN OUR FREE MEMBERSHIP and download this amazing tool for apartment managers today.

  • Monthly Fillable PDF Calendar

  • Creative Holiday Calendar

  • Social Media Posting Calendar

  • Customizable Social Event Calendar

  • Plus, 12 Event Ideas each month w/Shopping Lists

HERE ARE 11 WAYS TO USE THIS CREATIVE HOLIDAY (COFFEE LOVERS DAY) AT YOUR COMMUNITY

1. ENGAGE ON YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA

Use this graphic and the caption below:

Are you a one-cup, six-cup, or the limit does not exist person? 😜 We love exploring all the different ways to brew coffee from pour-over to french press, and even cold brew! How about you? What's your brew of choice? Tag us in your homebrews, and we will share on stories!

PS: Don't our upgraded kitchens, cozy living areas, and private patios make it all better, though? (adjust amenities as needed)

#coffeeday #coffeeoclock #coffee #alldayeveryday


2. HIGHLIGHT A LOCAL BUSINESS

APARTMENT CROSS PROMOTION. This is a win-win. You highlight a neighborhood business that more than likely needs the extra traffic, and you are highlighting a hot spot in your neighborhood to showcase all that your community has to offer.

Use a generic coffee picture or even better, snap a pic of the actual coffee shop or restaurant for your social media post. Use our caption below!

Cross Promotion Marketing Social Caption:

Where do you like to get your cup of happy?

Our favorite spot is _________ (insert local coffee shop & tag them) which is only a ______ minute walk from our community.

They have the best _________ (drink) and we might be a little obsessed with __________ (a bakery item or a cozy feature of the location). The best part is they are still open for business!

Their hours are _______ and you can call ahead to have your coffee waiting for you!

Idea+3.jpg

3. UPGRADE YOUR TELEPHONE GREETING

Try this easy apartment telephone technique:

“Thank you for calling Sprout Apartments where we are celebrating National Coffee Lovers Day today! This is Barbara, how can I help you?”

Bonus Idea: Offer a $5 Starbucks or local coffee shop gift card after someone completes a tour.

4. SURPRISE GIFT CARD

SOCIAL MEDIA GIVEAWAY FOR APARTMENTS

Keep residents glued to your social media channels with surprises. A great apartment marketing tip is to keep residents wondering, “What’s next?”

  1. Purchase a couple of digital gift cards for Starbucks or a local coffee shop

  2. Post a notice on your social media, followed by a screenshot of the gift card barcode.

  3. First come first serve until it runs out! If you are feeling generous, you could refill it midday.

PS: This is also a great idea for showing appreciation to your team! We’ve done it many times for our team here at Sprout and everyone loves the treat.

5. UPGRADE YOUR RENEWAL STRATEGY

RESIDENT APPRECIATION GIFT

Option 1: Send out an email to all of the upcoming renewals that you have a goodie packet waiting for them at the office. They can pick up at their convenience.

Option 2: Purchase these door hanger bags and add coffee, cookies and a kind note of appreciation as a unique renewal notice and leave it at their door.

6. HOST A GRAB & GO RESIDENT EVENT

Event options:

  • Host an early morning event at the gate where hand goodie bags with a breakfast treat and instant coffee

  • Set up a simple coffee bar with some fall flavors and easy snacks

This event will be a BIG hit for busy moms and dads who didn’t get to enjoy a full cup of hot coffee while getting the kiddos ready!

7. ADD A REFERRAL REMINDER TO YOUR EVENT

How do you make a grab-n-go coffee event even better? Add a referral reminder to make it a two-for-one: retention & referrals. Remind residents of any referral bonuses. Many people are looking for a way to make a few extra bucks these days!

Bonus points: Use your “The Greatest Form of Flattery is Referrals” mug daily for a subtle cue to remind residents to renew!

8. YOUR WELCOMES FOR THE NEW MONTH

We all know retention starts on day one, and we are not above buttering up our newest residents with cookies & coffee.

Leave treats in their new home as a welcome surprise! If you have branded coffee mugs, add those to your gift basket.

Bonus: Let them know how they can contact you in case of an emergency or those new move-in questions.

9. MAKE A FUN FOLLOW-UP GIFT AFTER A PROSPECT TOURS YOUR APARTMENT

Option One: Snail Mail (This is a Sprout favorite)

  • Decide whether you want to mail out coffee packets or gift cards (or both if you like).

  • Put the item in the envelope of your choice along with a unique flyer (100s available for you to instantly customize in our Sprout Marketing Membership) and a business card (you can use the full page flyer in a regular envelope or the 1/4 page flyer in a tiny envelope).

  • Put a fun stamp on it and mail it off. Check out our video below to see how it’s done!

  • Follow-up: Done and Done ✅

Option 2: Email

You can do a virtual “Thank You” by emailing your prospect a virtual gift card with the email banner we’ve provided above.

Here is a mad lib that you can copy and paste should you decide to go that route:

Hi there _______ (prospect name)!

You toured ____ (unit) at ______ (apartments) on ______ (date), and we just wanted to follow up with you to say THANK YOU! Thank you for considering _______ Apartments as on option for your next home.

We know how important that decision is, and we are honored to be a part of it. Attached you will find a _____ (coffee shop) gift card especially for you! Please enjoy it and continue to think of us when you are ready to choose your next home.

Sincerely,

________ (name and professional title)

10. BUILD YOUR OUTREACH MARKETING CAMPAIGN AROUND THE THEME

  • Option 1: Instant Coffee Packets

    • Put a handful of coffee packets in treat bags or mason jars 

    • Add a flyer and a label with your information

  • Option 2: Gift Cards

    • Purchase a Starbucks gift card (amount dependent on the size of the business you are targeting).

    • Bring that in with plenty of business cards and/or customized flyers.

11. HAVE A FULL-BLOWN THEMED EVENT

Our favorite idea: Host a coffee class

Option 1: Partner with a local coffee shop for fun classes

Option 2: Host a virtual class in your Clubhouse  (this ONE from ClassBento.com is only $120 for 50 guests!)

OTHER APARTMENT MARKETING TIPS

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Jay https://jaymade.co
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