Apartment Blog

On Wednesday, August 19^th, For Rent Media Solutions launched a Twitter sweepstakes for multifamily industry professionals. Multifamily professionals had an opportunity to win an iPod Touch® if they logged on to Twitter and sent @AptsForRent a tweet. To be eligible for the sweepstake, multifamily professionals had to enter a tweet that included the ‘Yeah We’ve Got That’ hashtag. This hashtag symbolizes our solutions network to help clients reach renters any time, any place, driving more LEADS for them.

On Monday, August 24^th, we announced Jessica Whitney as the randomly selected winner for the iPod Touch. Whitney works with Resort at Forbes Creek apartment community.  This community has had their Twitter account for a little over a month and loves using the microbloging site for ‘real time’ updates to inform residents of specials, events, etc. In addition to Twitter, we also learned that this community has a robust Facebook page set up displaying updates regarding events in the apartment community.

As a result of this campaign, For Rent Media Solutions saw an increase of followers to our Twitter profile and numerous retweets with our brand message all in less than three days! We also generated a couple thousand page views to our Apartment Blog and had many interactions with multifamily industry professionals.

We want to congratulate Jessica Whitney for winning the iPod touch. We would also like to thank all multifamily professionals who participated. We’re looking forward to running another sweepstakes soon!

By Erica Campbell & Gillian Luce

Social media is proving that free speech has extended its reach to new media platforms where conversations are being held between private individuals. Social media is all about people sharing opinions, insights, experiences and perspectives with each other through online media channels. So you would think that one should not be sued in court for simply sharing a thought online, right? Last week’s big Twitter story revolved around a pending libel suit brought by Horizon Realty Group, a Chicago real estate management company, against one of its former tenants, Amanda Bonnen, in Cook County Circuit Court. This case has received extensive publicity and touches on issues such as consumer protection, limits of libel, free speech, and strategic lawsuits against public participation.

Amanda Bonnen complained via Twitter to about 20 followers that her landlord was apparently allowing her to live in mold-infested filth: “Who said sleeping in a moldy apartment was bad for you? Horizon realty thinks its okay.” The response from Horizon was a lawsuit! A short complaint filed in Cook County court last week accused Bonnen of libeling Horizon in 140 characters or less, and sought $50,000 in damages. According to the Chicago Sun-Times, Horizon’s spokesperson responded to the situation with a quote, “We’re a sue first, ask questions later kind of an organization.”
Let’s take a look at some of the lessons we can learn from this:

• Consumers are the new media and they know it
• Embrace consumer criticism as opposed to overreacting
• Ask questions first, then maybe don’t sue at all
• Consult with your PR team or agency before the spokesman offers a statement
• Play nice in the sand box
• Use social media as a customer service tool and listen for product insights and feedback
• Build resident retention through sites such as Facebook and Twitter

As we’ve stated before in a recent blog post, Attention Property Managers: Customer Service is Still #1, companies should not fear the social media landscape. We understand that apartment communities are concerned about negative community reviews which could potentially give you a negative image or possibly deter prospective residents away. However, as advertisers we need to understand that consumers are talking about our brands on these social media platforms weather we like it or not. Did you know that according to a JC Williams Group study, 91% say consumer reviews are the #1 aid to buying decisions and Marketing Sherpa states that 87% trust a friend’s recommendation over critic’s review. Customer service is undoubtedly one of the most exciting, measurable and effective uses of social media.

Being involved on social media platforms will give you the capability to build relationships with consumers and will also give you a chance to talk to consumers about your brand. When negative comments are made about your community, instead of ignoring them or overacting, think about how you should to respond to them. Reach out to the individual and seek out more information about their complaint. Think of ways to resolve the issue and make them happy. There is no better way to get a consumer singing your praises then providing them with a positive customer service experience.

It was best stated by Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon.com, “If you make customers unhappy in the physical world, they might each tell six friends. If you make customers unhappy on the Internet, they can each tell 6,000 friends.” Don’t miss an opportunity to speak to 6,000+ people by not responding or responding improperly.

There are a lot of different versions out there of how the Seven Deadly Sins apply to social media but here are some that For Rent Media Solutions has put together to assure that you are making the most of your social media marketing campaign.

1.      Don’t Bite Off More Than You Can Chew

We have all been there before and understand this one. When most companies enter the social media landscape they want to have a presence everywhere. In order to be effective both with time and resources, you need to have goals and a solid strategy to support them. It is not necessary to have an account on all of the social networking sites. Choose one or two platforms that best match your goals and target audience and get to know how they work. 

2.      Don’t Get Greedy

One of the main reasons businesses enter the realm of social media is to build relationships with consumers and increase their brand awareness; however this does not mean you need to solely promote it while you are on these sites. Follow the 80/20 rule. 80% of the content you are submitting, sharing, tagging and commenting on should not be yours. Don’t consistently link your content. Offer help to others that genuinely and directly benefits them, not you. Provide value to the conversation and become a trusted member of the community. Move people to engage your brand and be collaborative. You can only build a community by contributing and that contribution needs to provide value for the consumers. Only then will they begin to trust your brand.

3.      Don’t Lose Sight Over Quality vs. Quantity

Social media is about quality not quantity and it should not be looked at like a popularity contest. Having the highest number of followers and fans is not what it is all about. Take the time to build a targeted list even if it is smaller and takes longer. It is important to have followers that take action versus having thousands of followers/fans that will never convert. Social media is about building relationships, so you will also want to make sure that you can manage the relationships that you have.

4.      Don’t Try to Control It
Your relationships are your brand. Anyone can blog, tweet or Facebook message about a good or bad experience they had with your product and it can be seen by millions of people. Embrace the transparency of social media because people are talking about your communities whether you like it or not. We can all learn a lesson from the recent experience of a property management company that is suing a former resident for $50,000 over a tweet complaining about mold. Read more here: What the Horizon Realty Fail Can Teach You About Social Media. Within a few hours, Horizon    Realty became a “trending topic” on Twitter, which means that Horizon was one of the most talked about topics on Twitter. Although trending topics on Twitter tend to be short-lived, the reach and distribution of social media goes further than Twitter.

 If you try to control the message too much, you will lose control. Rather than be fearful of messages made about your brand, engage. Use it as an opportunity to display your customer service and you will win customers for life.

5.      Don’t Be Fake
As we’ve mentioned before, social media is very transparent.  Consumers will know if you’ve entered a space with the intention of only promoting your business and not engaging in conversation with them. This is a big mistake businesses are making. Your company needs to be honest and personable in the online space in order to build relationships, loyalty and trust. It’s ok to make a mistake, admit when you are wrong and move on. People want to do business with people NOT with companies so talk to them versus talking at them.

6.      Don’t Be Lazy
Not only do you need to be honest, but you need to be THERE! Don’t get in the mindset of “Set It and Forget It.” Your brand needs to be involved more than just once a week and response time  is critical. You have to write interesting content, you have to stay current, and you have to be willing to show up and put forth the effort. This is a relationship that needs continuous nurturing.  Setting up profiles on social media Web sites is easy. However, growing those profiles and keeping those profiles alive require time, dedication and resources.

7.      Don’t Be In Violation Of Fair Housing
Fair Housing laws are still applicable with social media. Generally, any postings online should be considered the same as email or text messages. This information is discoverable and can lead to liability. Posting photos of residents and employees? Get a model release and consider fair housing implications! Posting endorsements, testimonials and raves from your residents?  Get endorsement permission! Allowing unmonitored and uncontrolled posts?  Know how to respond to “bad press” about your community. Monitoring and controlling the posts?  Your liability increases - libel and fair housing issues.

Summer is here and everyone is antsy to get out of work and do something fun! But oh, what did you say…can’t go out because it costs an arm & a leg? That’s why we’ve assembled a list of relatively inexpensive activities for the summertime!

Rollar bladding-whether you have your own skates or not, this is an activity that can be less than $10!

Local sports game-it could be high school, college or even a minor league game. Tickets for the Norfolk Tides, the AAA baseball team, are about $8.00 per person! Just eat dinner before hand and you’re good to go!

Local book store-you could sit in on free readings for various story titles. Barnes and Nobles has events almost every day in the Hampton Roads area, including a group dedicated to help you overcome writers block!

Visit a museum-how better to spend a hot summer afternoon than in an air conditioned museum. Not all museums are boring either! The Chrysler Museum of Art in Norfolk only costs $7.00 per adult.  You could definitely spend hours staring at beautiful pieces of art work.

Festivals-the amount of carnivals, country fairs or festivals always increase during the summer. My favorite to attend in Norfolk is the Bayou Boogaloo & Cajun Food Festival at Town Point Park. For just $10.00 per person, you can see live entertainment; walk through the amazing New Orleans Art Gallery and more! For just a few bucks more, you can sample some of the mouthwatering Cajun spiced crawfish, jambalaya, gumbo and alligator.

Take a tour-whether it’s of an area you’re not that familiar with or perhaps a historical tour of the city you live in. Williamsburg and Jamestown, Virginia have great tours to really experience the true history our state offers.

Wine Tastings-local winery shops, such as Total Wine in Downtown Norfolk, have free wine tastings in their stores weekly. You would certainly become a connoisseur in no time!

Including some of these activities into your summer plans will ensure you have a slam packed adventurous season! More inexpensive and creative ideas for saving money are in our Nesting in These Economic Times blog.

The very color of St. Patrick’s Day happens to coincide with the same color as reduce, reuse and recycle…. GREEN! So it’s only fitting that this St. Patrick’s Day you follow the second tip from our ‘10 New Years Resolutions for Renters’ blog by ‘going green’.

Did you know that 45 tons of used discs end up in the landfill every month where they will never degrade? There is a great organization called Discs for Dogs, a SPCA program, that uses your unwanted discs to help save animals. It’s a win-win!

This is an AMAZING way to go green this St. Patrick’s Day and help out a great cause.  You can mail in your disks for free and the SPCA will sell them for $1 each and all proceeds will go to help provide better living for sheltered animals.So why don’t you go through your unwanted disks (CDS and DVDS) and mail them in. You have a chance to really help out a lot of animals! An added bonus is you’ll be following our third tip from our ‘10 New Years Resolutions for Renters’ blog by getting organized!

Going along with our ‘Homemade Valentine’s Day Cards’ blog, we thought we’d give you some ideas to make your Valentine’s Day gifts this year.  Even if this isn’t your main gift, doing something creative and from the heart means everything to your loved one!

Here are a few craft ideas from About.com:

Conversation Heart Frame

Materials needed:

• Cardboard
• Paint
• Glue
• Candy Conversation Hearts
• photo
• Tape

Instructions:
Cut a rectangle shape out of the cardboard. The size you make the rectangle will depend on the size of the photo you are using. Cut a hole in the center of the rectangle where you will display the photo. Paint it red (or whatever color you desire). Set aside to dry.

Once the paint is dry, glue the candy conversation hearts all over the frame. Set it aside to dry again.

Once the glue is dry, tape the picture in the opening you cut in the center of the heart frame. Cut a small triangle out of the cardboard and attach behind the picture to make a stand, or you can even add a strip of magnet to the back!

Valentine’s Heart Jar

Materials Needed:

• Mason Jar
• Spray Paint
• Acrylic Paint
• Old Paint Brush
• Ribbon or Raffia
• Stencil Cut-Out of a Heart

Instructions:
Wash jar clean with vinegar, let it dry. Place newspaper under project to prevent making spills with paint.

Make a heart-shaped ’stencil’ and tape it onto the front of the jar. Spray jar with the spray paint and let dry. Spray a second coat and let dry. Once dry, take another type of paint and old toothbrush, and splatter paint around your heart design. Let dry.

Pull stencil off gently, tie ribbon or raffia around the top of the jar and secure with bow. Place a candle in the jar or fill it with candy, and it makes a real cute gift!!!

Another way to do this is have multiple stencil hearts for each color paints. Place that stencil around the jar and gently blot it with the old toothbrush and paint. Let dry and repeat process with another color paint-overlapping when possible.

Valentine’s Day Dinner:

And of course there is always that saying ‘the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach,’ so why not find a yummy recipe to cook for dinner that night! It would be especially nice if you set the mood with music and candles. And made place setting cards out of construction paper! Finish it off with a delicious dessert too.

Change it up:

Does your significant other have a favorite cartoon? You can take whatever cartoon he/she likes and take out the verbiage from the cartoon (by putting white out over the words), then insert your words or a conversation that means something to the both of you (i.e your first kiss or the first time you said ‘I love you’).  Copy the cartoon on a copier machine (so the words you inserted look like it’s in the actual cartoon-instead of just being written over white out). Feel free to color it and/or matte it or frame it for your loved one!

Or, how about you take a poem from his/her favorite author? Or a childhood author? I’m actually doing this for my boyfriend’s Valentine’s Day gift, taking a poem from Dr. Seuss and changing the words (keeping the tempo the same) to make it applicable to him. It’s something very memorable and can showcase all the time and effort you put into it. To make it more decorative, you can use construction paper to add a punch of color or give it the ‘lovey-dovey’ feeling. I also plan on framing it for him as a one of a kind piece of art!