Apartment Blog

When you got ready to leave home today, you knew there was the possibility that someone could wrongly come into your home to steal things, so you probably locked your door, and perhaps set an alarm.  Then, when you got behind the wheel of your car, you knew there could be an accident, so you buckled your seat belt.  No one is telling you not to leave home or not to drive, but both of these activities pose risks.  Everyday we take risks, and the better informed we can be about risks, the smarter and safer we are. 

The same is true for advertisers as they embrace social media to promote their apartment communities.  Social media is a great innovation, but it does have its risks, and the better informed advertisers can be about those risks, the smarter and safer they are.

Remember that a website is a form of advertising.  As a practical matter it is no different than any form of traditional advertising, and the same rules apply.  The things you say must be true, because if they are not, it is libel; you have to be aware of consumer laws (watch out for sweepstakes that are really illegal lotteries); and, you have to honor the trademarks and copyrights of others.

And of course, don’t forget about fair housing considerations.  The point of a website is to advertise the community; what is posted on a website (and that means both words and pictures) must therefore be fair housing compliant.   Quite simply, that means that a “reasonable person” looking at the website cannot see anything that would suggest “any preference, limitation or discrimination because of race, color, religion, sex, disability, familial status or national origin.”  Therefore, the words that are used, the directions that are given, the symbols that are depicted, and the photos and pictures that are shown cannot indicate that type of preference, limitation or discrimination. 

The bottom line is that if there are fair housing issues with a basic website, the apartment community will be liable, since this is essentially an “ad,” and the community (its owner or PMC) is the “publisher.”

But what about a website where others are able to post information or are invited to blog?  Who is liable for what others post?  The answer is “it depends.”  It depends upon how much control the owner of the website (the “Publisher”) is exerting over the external posting by others.  It’s all about control.  The more the message is controlled, the more likely the accountability. 

Now, what about Facebook®, Twitter™, YouTube™ or a blog?  Are these a form of advertising?  The answer to that question is “it depends.” It depends on what a judge or jury might say about this.  The folks in the apartment industry who are using a fan page on Facebook or who are sending “Tweets” would ultimately have to admit that the ultimate goal is effective marketing of a community or PMC, and that sounds like advertising.

Social media can be a brilliant form of marketing, but people need to make informed business decisions.  They need to know what questions they should be asking before they take the leap into social media, questions like:

1. Who at the community/with the PMC will be its “voice”?
2. Where will this “voice” be heard?  On your own website or blog?  Or will this “voice” speak through posts at the websites and blogs of others?
3. If you will have your own website/blog, how much time will be committed to monitoring and promptly responding?
4. If you will have your own website/blog, how much control do you plan to exert regarding what is posted by others?
5. What will you do if someone says something bad about you or the community?
6. What will you do if someone says something bad about their neighbors or prospects–a lie, a slur, even an over-the-top compliment?
7. When is your employee your employee?  Are you responsible for their on-line actions?
8. When is your employee “on their own time”?  Are you responsible for their on-line actions?
9. Are you going to provide training for your employees on the proper use of social media as it relates to your website/blog?
10. Are you going to provide training for your employees on the proper use of social media as it relates to the websites and blogs of others?

Lock your house?  A good idea.  Seatbelts–ditto.  And take advantage of the wonders of social media and advertising, but do that with an understanding of the risks and a plan to address them.

REQUIRED LANGUAGE FOR ALL REPRINTING OF THIS ARTICLE: “Social Media- Don’t Take Risks” is written by Nadeen Green, Senior Counsel with For Rent Media Solutions. The information contained in this article is not to be considered legal advice, and the authors and their companies strongly suggest that you consult with your own counsel as to any fair housing questions or problems you may have.

With online advertising, you can increase your community’s visibility and drive more traffic to your property.  By following these simple techniques, you’ll expand your branding opportunities while keeping your community in front of potential residents.

Update Your Listings.  Did you know that Internet users make a judgment about your site in 1/20^th of a second?¹  Be sure to make the most of your online presence by keeping it current!  Up-to-date ads will draw people to your listings quicker, making it more likely that prospects will contact the leasing office.

Our research shows potential renters search for properties three ways²:

• 60% by maximum price
• 53% by total number of bedrooms
• 35% by amenities

Specials and Coupons.  Free rent for a month?  No deposit? If your community is running a promotion, let your potential renters know! In these economically challenging times, renters are looking for deals. Running a monthly special and publicizing it online will separate you from your competition.  Post your promotions anywhere you can, using headlines, bullet points or coupons.  Be sure to update these frequently and always include an expiration date.

Showcase Your Property and Units.  Research shows that apartment shoppers are a visual audience. When searching for apartments, they want to see pictures! Interior shots allow apartment seekers to imagine where they’ll be living.  Large, high quality images will grab their attention.   Here’s what they’re saying:  “I like when properties include photos of the interior of the units.  The amenities are great, but I will be spending most of my time inside my apartment and would like to see what the interior looks like…. ²”

Give a Real Life Perspective.  Want to take it one step further? Include online video! According to the most recent comScore report, a record 81 percent of U.S. Internet users watched online video in July 2009 alone. Online video is growing as a cost-effective, dynamic form of media for multi-housing professionals to reach potential renters. It allows the prospect to visit a community before they physically travel there.  Our research shows an average 24% increase in LEADS™ when properties use Community Theater® video from For Rent Media Solutions to showcase their community. ²

So remember, make the most of your online advertising!  To maximize the reach of your online ad, contact your local For Rent Media Solutions’ account executive or call Customer Service at 1-888-539-1150.

¹G. Lindgaard, “Attention Web Designers: You have 50 milliseconds to make a good first impression.” ²Based on internal sources.

Budget Season.  The words alone instill panic in the hearts and minds of many.  Is there anyone out there who actually enjoys this process?  To help you not only survive the budget season, but perhaps even prosper, we’d like to offer a few tips that will hopefully make this year a little more stress free.

1. Be organized.  Set a time aside each day to work on the budget, and don’t allow yourself to get side-tracked.  If you’re a list user, make one.  Crossing items off will make you feel like you’re accomplishing something.  Take a look at last year’s budget and identify those areas that will be automatically renewed this year.  Sure, some of the numbers may have changed, but it’s a great place to start.

2. Delegate.  Ask your co-workers and support staff for help!  Task them with researching their areas of responsibility.  After all, who knows better what their needs will be for the coming year?

3. Eliminate distractions.  The rest of your work doesn’t stop just because you’re in budget mode, but for a little while, you might have to put some things on hold.  Forward your phone; only check your email at certain times during the day.  Politely decline requests for assistance or ask for meetings to be rescheduled.  Sometimes when we try to multi-task, we’re just asking for trouble.

4. Break it up.  Feel like you’re getting frustrated?  You may need a change of scenery!  Go for a walk, get a cup of coffee, borrow some change for the vending machine.  A short break from your desk may do the trick.

If your company is like most, you’ll be looking at ways to minimize cost while maximizing value.  Who wouldn’t?  The pressures of the difficult economy have hit everyone hard and cutting back just makes sense.  Try to identify those areas that could be trimmed back–like trade shows.  Perhaps there’s one that’s not as essential, or maybe local personnel can be utilized instead of flying in staff from other locations.  This not only saves on airfare but hotel fees as well.

How about presentation items?  Instead of printing out your sales materials, why not bring your laptop and make a powerpoint presentation instead?  Electronic copies of your media kit are also an excellent way to promote your company without incurring additional costs.  Plus, both you and your potential client will be glad for less paper to store or transport.  And as an added bonus, Mother Earth will be pleased too!

Certainly none of these suggestions is a revelation, but we can get overwhelmed during this process and forget the basics.  Take care of yourself-make sure you eat lunch-get enough sleep.  Anything we can do to avoid the impending sense of dread brought on by budget season has got to be good. And hopefully by the very end, you’ll have a finished budget to show for it!

“Baby boomers aren’t technology Luddites. More than 60 % of them consume socially created content. You’ll find them leaving their opinions on Web sites and joining social networks.”
- Jeremiah K. Owyang (@jowyang), researcher with Forrester Research

There is this perception that adults over 50 only dabble on the Internet, but research is finding that they are spending more time online and interacting in robust social networking communities. Baby boomers using social networking sites such as Facebook™, MySpace™, LinkedIn®, Twitter and YouTube™ are not as uncommon as you may think.

According to The Pew Internet and American Life Project, boomers now account for 35% of all Americans online. A consumer survey of U.S. consumers, from the NPD group, Inc., a leading provider of reliable consumer research, shows that 61% of baby boomer Internet users (age 44 to 61) had visited sites that offer streaming or downloadable video, while 41% had visited social networks.

Baby boomers are finding social networking sites appealing for the same reasons most people do- to stay in touch with people. They are interested in reconnecting with old friends and classmates whom they haven’t talked to in more than 30 years. They enjoy sharing photos with family and friends and staying connected to their children and grandchildren. High school and college reunions are also being organized via Facebook. Nielsen Reports that moms (aged 40-50 with 3+ children) are heavy online shoppers who stay connected via social networking more so than mom’s 39-54. Some are even replacing e-mail with social networking sites for staying in touch with people on an ongoing basis.  In addition to sites like Facebook, MySpace and LinkedIn, they are also using boomer-specific sites like eons.com, boommj.com, boomertowne.com and the aarp.org social network. 
According to Facebook, women over 55 remain the fastest growing group on the site, and growth among the teen and college-age set has been relatively paltry. In absolute numbers there are now even slightly more members between the ages of 45 and 65 than there are 13-to 17-year-olds. Analytics company iStrategyLabs has examined the demographics stats from Facebook’s Social Ads platform, and they have found staggering results. Interestingly, they found that the number of users aged 25-34 has grown 60.8%; the number of users aged 35 to 54 has grown 190.2%, while the number of users older than 55 years has grown a tremendous 513.7%.

Baby boomers are making themselves known in the social media space of the online world. Marketers who neglect to speak to them in the language they are now adapting to will miss out on a rewarding opportunity!

Rules to play:

What?  A Tweet-to-Win sweepstakes.

Who?  You can enter if you are a multi-family housing industry professional!  Please no consumers, competitors, or other vendors.

Why?  To win an IPOD Touch!

Where? Go to Twitter@AptsForRent.

How? Copy and paste the entire text below into one of your tweets:

Multifamily Peeps Enter 4 chance 2 win iPod touch frm @AptsForRent & tweet this msg #YeahWe’veGotThat Rules: http://tinyurl.com/lk4syp

When? A randomly selected winner will be chosen on 8.21.2009

What could be a better way for a community to build a relationship with its residents than by providing some sort of fun activity? Many apartment communities do this with parties, game nights, movie nights, etc. It’s a great way for residents to get together, find out who their neighbors are and really feel at home in the community. Here’s a suggestion for August, in keeping with the month’s theme, American Artist Appreciation Month, why not do a craft fair instead?

Just this past weekend I went to the Artisans in the Park off of Great Neck Road in Virginia Beach. It had over 110 artists showcasing their work whether it is photography, painting, wood carving, metal work, etc. There were hundreds of people that attended this show and it was a terrific event. It gave me an opportunity to see what creative talent we have here at ‘the beach.’ But it got me thinking too. Oftentimes there will be a get together for yard sales and things of that sort in my apartment community. Why not a joint craft fair in August?

Since August is artist appreciation month, I think it would be a great time to allow all your crafty residents an opportunity to showcase their work, perhaps make a little money, and get to know their fellow ‘crafty’ neighbors. When a prospective resident walks in through the door during this month, the advertisements on your property for this craft show will illustrate the type of unique and exciting activities your community offers its residents, reinforcing their desire to want to live there. I know I’d want to live somewhere that had one!