Apartment Blog

by Gillian Luce and Kimetha Hill 

Today’s consumers are changing the way they accept advertisements. The Hispanic community is no different. While the present economic circumstances call for more creative and innovative advertising techniques, marketing to the Hispanic community proves to be an area that remains open for growth.  Therefore, if you haven’t already introduced your brand to them, it’s time to do so.

The Hispanic demographic is the largest minority group in the US, according to Jupiter Research. It is important to note that Hispanics will experience the fastest population growth through 2013.  Household size is estimated to grow from 13.1 million (in 2007) to 15.6 million (in 2013)[1]. And Jupiter Research forecasts online retail spending within this group will grow to $21.6 billion by 2011, representing the largest increase of all online ethnic groups[2].

Also important to note is that the Hispanic community is more than just one group.  Within their demographic there are many smaller sub-divisions that must be researched.  According to a Global Information, Inc. article, 90% of American-born Hispanics describe themselves as American, showing that group labels alone do not help marketing.  This article goes on to describe that 34% of Hispanics prefer the term “Hispanic”, 13% prefer “Latino”, while 53% have no preference, reinforcing the idea that labels should not be the main focus.  In the Hispanic demographic there are many non-English speaking Hispanics who represent a significant portion; therefore, marketing strategies should include bilingual tactics.  Advertisers should break down their approach in recognizing the language barrier, and the many different countries of origin. 

When considering a marketing strategy for this demographic it is also essential to take into account culture. While age may play a small part in that 58% of English-preferring Hispanics are 35 or younger and visit social networking sites; understanding the Hispanic culture is the strongest way to effectively market to them.

For Rent Media Solutions^TM offers these four tactics to toss into your marketing mix to expose your brand to the growing Hispanic community.

1. Internet & Online Video.

According to comScore, Inc., more than 49% of the 15.7 million Hispanic-American Internet users either prefer to speak Spanish only, or a mix of Spanish and English. In other words, while English language content can and does reach a large number of Hispanic-Americans, to fully reach the Hispanic online user, marketers must also provide Spanish-language content.

For Rent Media Solutions offers ParaRentar.com®, the companion site to ForRent.com®. By providing a fully-translated Spanish apartment listing Web site, For Rent Media Solutions is giving the Spanish-speaking apartment seeker the freedom to shop without language barriers. Offering more than 4,000 listings, ParaRentar.com is a leading resource in the multi-family housing industry for locating apartments for rent that cater to the Hispanic community. In 2008, ParaRentar.com received over 40,000 views on average monthly.

In “Online Video Killed the Radio Star”, published in Portada magazine, it is clear that 15% of U.S. born and 17% of foreign born Hispanics state that they focus more on online video than television advertisements.  A recent study also offers that 17% of U.S. born and 26% of foreign born Hispanics feel more engaged with online video versus television advertisements.  Advertisers should use a more personable approach in marketing to the Hispanic Community.

Also on ParaRentar.com you will see that we have our Community Theater® product extended to a Spanish translated video.  The Community Theater product that For Rent Media Solutions offers is a professionally produced video that enhances the apartment shoppers experience by allowing users to view an apartment community’s most sought after units and amenities as well as the surrounding city it is located in.

2. Print.

Print is NOT dead! The Pew Hispanic Center and the Pew Internet & American Life Project found that 56% of Spanish-speakers are not on the Internet. This means that more than half of this important population is missing online.[3]  Therefore, basic fundamentals are still needed in order to market apartments to this demographic.

Already, For Rent Media Solutions offer a variety of products that appeal to this diverse audience.   Apartamentos Para Rentar® magazines are fully translated Spanish language apartment finding resources. With magazines in 14 metropolitan areas and over 2.4 million magazines published each year, the extensive database in Para Rentar’s magazines offer the freedom to shop without the challenges of a language barrier, along with a variety of resources to simplify the apartment search process. Something to note: word of mouth also plays an important role when advertising to the Hispanic demographic. Because 56% of Spanish-speaking Hispanics are not online, they will ask their trusted friends and family for resources. Therefore, maximizing your appearance online for those Hispanics using Internet and offline is the way to increase exposure of your brand.

3. Social Media.

Millions of people look to social media sites as their primary source of news, opinion and entertainment, including the Hispanic demographic. According to a study done by the Florida State University Center for Hispanic Marketing Communication comparing various cultural groups, 36% of English-preferring Hispanics visited social networking sites more than two or three times a month and were twice as likely to visit MySpace regularly than non-Hispanic Whites. The English-preferring Hispanics also chose to visit MySpace versus Facebook (44% to 18% respectively).

In order to promote an online social rapport with this community, your company needs to understand why Hispanic consumers are likely to use these sites. The central importance of family in Hispanic culture is well-documented and incisive marketers should try to reinforce this dynamic through their online activities. Apartment community managers need to brand their company as the perfect model of honesty, openness, and self-disclosure to establish a safe and trustworthy environment.

In addition to our already mentioned resources, ParaRentar.com is now embracing the social networking realm. There are several Para Rentar MySpace and MySpace Latino profiles, such as: Para Rentar Phoenix, Para Rentar Las Vegas and Para Rentar Houston that are dedicated to providing apartment searching information for the Hispanic consumers. Minorities are turning to social networks; companies must be open to engaging audiences with timely and relevant content that stimulates feedback and sharing.  Joining the conversation and engaging is what fosters the sense of community necessary to build relationships.

4. Mobile Media.

Many Hispanics and other Spanish-speakers will first experience the Internet via their cell phones. According to comScore m:metrics, 71% of Hispanics consume content on cell phones compared to the market average of 48%. In addition, Hispanics tend to notice and respond well to ads on cell phones. Nielsen’s recent “Mobile Advertising Report” highlighted that Hispanic data users are more likely to recall seeing ads on mobile phones (41% compared with 30% of non-Hispanics) and more likely to have responded (22% vs. 13%).[4]  Therefore, mobile marketing to the Hispanic demographic is a great way to promote your relevant content. For Rent Media Solutions is very proud of our mobile marketing initiatives.

Our text messaging product allows the apartment seeker to send a text message with the property’s unique keyword to the short code 47368 (4RENT). The property keywords can be seen on leasing banners, yard signs at the property, and in Apartamentos Para Rentar magazines. By texting the keyword apartment seekers would receive a response text message with information about the specific property. Property managers also use the service to send customized messages promoting specials to potential renters, as well as important messages and alerts to their current residents.

Your brand needs to adapt to this medium, or risk suffering a disadvantage compared with those brands that do take full advantage of the channel.

Bottom line-the Hispanic community is too large of a consumer group to ignore. As a media company, we continuously strive to improve our efforts in marketing to this demographic, using the latest emerging innovations and technologies.  We encourage you to take your brand to these steps and beyond in 2009.

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[1] US ONLINE POPULATION FORECAST,2008 TO 2013, Jupiter Research, Niki Scevak, Vikram Sehgal, and Andrew Peach[2] Hispanic Shoppers Online, 2007, Jupiter Research, Online Behavior & Demographics, June 12, 2007.[3] “Avoid Subtle Stereotypes To Maintain Campaign Effectiveness”, Patricia Graham and Jannet Torres, January 8, 2009. http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.showArticle&art_aid=97962

[4] “Connecting Via Mobile: Speak Their ‘Edioma’”, Joseph Kutchera, January 15, 2009. http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.showArticle&art_aid=98416

You’ve heard us mention before about our text messaging product, right?  It’s quite simple really; property managers include a unique keyword in their print advertisements listed in For Rent Magazine. The curious apartment seeker sends a text message with the property’s unique keyword to the short code 47368 (4RENT). Within seconds the apartment seeker receives a text message with information about the property. Property managers can also use the service to send customized messages promoting specials to potential renters, as well as important messages and alerts to their current residents. All sounds a bit technical doesn’t it? Well, here’s a story that will really break down the actual events that occur with our text messaging product.

Recently our Vice President, Brock MacLean, was in a meeting with a regional VP at ConAm. This woman noted prior to the beginning of his presentation how much she has embraced the ability to not speak with anybody directly. She loved to text, used Facebook and generally shut herself off from direct communication; therefore, she was quite intrigued by our mobile marketing efforts and how we were driving online conversions from offline actions. To that end, she picked up our local publication and thumbed through to one of her ads. There was a text icon and she immediately picked up her Blackberry to try out the service. She was already impressed with the customized text responses she received about her community when her cell phone rang. A leasing agent from her community had called as a follow-up from the text inquiry! “Needless to say, it re-enforced our media solution offering and further proved the value of our print publication capturing prospects in an interactive environment,” noted MacLean.

This story just illustrates the remarkable follow-up our text messaging product has providing consumers with up-to-date information about apartment communities they are interested in. For Rent Media Solutions^TM continues to do our utmost to offer the most innovative and relevant technological advances in the multifamily industry.

Bob Dylan wrote the song, “The Times They Are A-Changin” and those words ring true in today’s market. The marketing landscape has changed and continues to change at a rapid pace. It’s now a Web 2.0 Marketplace- a techno-driven, media-fragmented environment populated by empowered consumers. In a world where YouTube^TM videos and Facebook friends are common cocktail conversations, building and sustaining relationships with consumers has become increasingly difficult, forcing marketers to reach beyond familiar strategies and techniques.

Your residents, and the prospects you are targeting, are a lot different than they were in previous years. Today’s consumers trust referrals from family and friends over anything else, and where do consumers talk about their favorite products and brands? On the internet! Renters are talking about your communities, sharing opinions and experiences, and making referrals via social media platforms. Online social networking sites have revolutionized the way people interact with each other and gather information. It is essential that wherever consumers are talking about your brand (good or bad), your company be there-interacting.

Maintaining an on-going positive relationship with renters and prospective renters is critical to any apartment community’s long term success. Today, companies must be part of the consumer dialogue. Marketers must blend communication messages across all available media channels for the consumers to achieve a continuous brand experience. It is important to have an integrated marketing strategy that consists of print, Internet, mobile and social media. The key to success is to convey a message synergistically at every customer touch point. For Rent Media Solutions is adapting to the change and maximizing our advertisers’ marketing strategy by using an integrated approach.

Here are five marketing solutions For Rent Media Solutions can provide for your integrated marketing strategy:

1. Reaching Consumers on-the-go with Mobile Marketing

Some 80 percent of all Americans carry mobile phones. There are more mobile-only households than landline-only households. If businesses do not adapt to this channel, they will, eventually and certainly, suffer a disadvantage compared with those businesses that catch the vision of mobile data communications and take full advantage of the channel. By using technologically-savvy marketing tools such as text messaging and the mobile web, property managers can increase their reach, better identify with the apartment market’s target demographic and generate more LEADS^TM from potential customers. Text messaging and mobile Web sites create opportunities for property managers to interact more with their residents-increasing the residents’ brand loyalty in the community and the property management company. Mobile marketing expands marketing reach to all types of media and results in more online conversions.

In January, nearly 12,500 text messages were sent to our advertisers. With text messaging, potential renters view a property’s listing in For Rent Magazine^®, see a custom keyword text call to action on the ad or from the community leasing banner, and then text the community if they are interested in learning more about the property. The property can customize the response to the prospective renter and provide them with details, pricing, photos, a link to the ad on ForRent.com^® and more. Our print ads also provide unique property URL’s which will send the consumer to the apartment profile page where they can fill out a guest card.

In June 2008, For Rent Media Solutions launched its mobile Web site http://m.forrent.com/.

Our mobile Web site can expose a property manager to a wider audience, making their apartment listings available to consumers not only through print publications and the Internet, but through their cell phones as well.

Tip: Include the free customized keyword and text icon that For Rent Media Solutions provides to its print customers on your For Rent Magazine ad, leasing banners and yard signs. Be sure to advertise your community’s specials, events, and promotions in your customized responses. For additional branding and traffic, take advantage of using your custom keyword on your brochures, direct mail pieces, flyers and more to track the success of your print advertising. Reach potential renters in a manner that is convenient and most frequently used by them.

Did you know?

• According to the Center for Media research, text messaging is the most preferred advertising approach among over two-thirds (69 percent of adults and 64 percent of teens) of consumers.
• 52% of mobile users access the Web via their mobile phones, and 35 to 44 year-olds are leveraging this technology the most, with 60% spending time each week surfing the Web.
• 25% of mobile users access video on their mobile phones, with 88% of this group spending less than two hours/week, which indicates a growing appetite for rich media with shorter duration viewing patterns.
• 25% of mobile users are accessing social networking sites from their mobile devices, with one in seven respondents between the ages of 23 to 34 doing so for more than two hours/week.

2. Combining Print and Internet

The print industry is not dying - it is simply adapting to the new world of marketing. In today’s economy, it is important to maximize your reach by using the most effective method of marketing and advertising. This is done by using the powerful combination of print and Internet. Research from iProspect and Jupiter Research found that 67% of the online search population is driven to search by offline channels. Of that percentage, 30% come from print ads. Even more impressive is the fact that print advertising topped the list of offline media sources that led to a purchase, with 30% of search users who opened their wallet and bought online coming from a print medium. Marketers worldwide agree! Take a look at this article found by Lisa Trosien, a nationally recognized apartment marketing expert, called, ‘Why Cutting Print Budgets Means Cutting Online Sales’.

For Rent Media Solutions continues to prove that the “The Power of Print and Internet” is delivering favorable results. In January 2009, nearly 1.3 million potential renters sought out more information on our advertisers’ communities through our various points of contact, including: text messaging, video, phone calls and online guest cards. For Rent Magazine continues to drive LEADS and traffic to Forrent.com. With more than 2 million publications distributed nationwide, we deliver nearly three times the amount of LEADS to our Print and Internet advertisers compared to Internet only advertisers!

Tip: Include your ForRent.com vanity URL on your print collateral to drive LEADS directly to your listing and to more importantly, track the success of print. Find additional tips on how to maximize your print and Internet listings here.

Did you know?

• Offering online and print solutions is essential to the success of your business. Why?
  1. Not everyone has access to the Internet. According to a Pew Internet
      Research study, one-quarter of Americans have no Internet access.
  2. A 2008 Parks Associates study found that more than 20% of Americans had
      never looked up a Web site or sent or received emails.
• New consumer research conducted by Clark, Martire & Bartolomeo and commissioned by Google, shows that “among people who research products and services after seeing them advertised in newspapers, 67% use the Internet to find more information, and nearly 70% of them actually make a purchase following their additional research.”
• This new study demonstrates that print ads also drive people to conduct additional product research online. “56% researched or purchased at least one product they saw advertised in the print ad in the previous month.”
• In addition, the use of newspapers and the Internet reinforces consumer confidence. The study also states, “48% of respondents said that seeing a product in the newspaper after seeing it online would make them trust the product more and be more likely to purchase.”

3. Connecting on Social Networking Sites

Social Networking is like the old shampoo commercial; “I told two friends, then they told two friends, and so on, and so on…” -Doug Ross

Social networking sites, such as MySpace and Facebook, are growing daily. Consumers on social media Web sites aren’t just teens. Adults now outnumber teens on social networking sites. According to Enid Burns with Search Engine Watch, “the use of social networking sites among those 18 and older quadrupled over the past four years and seventy-five percent of online adults 18-24 have a profile on a social networking site.”  According to Hitwise, 27 percent of social networking traffic is moving to and from one another, suggesting that users have multiple accounts and can switch their loyalty quickly.

For Rent Media Solutions has over 50 MySpace profiles covering markets nationwide, exposing our brand and yours to more than 6,500 consumers. In addition to the profiles, we also syndicate your listings to MySpace Classifieds. Between Facebook, MySpace, YouTube, LinkedIn and Twitter, our direct social media network consists of more than 11,000 people and our extended network potentially reaches nearly 2 million people.

Tip: Set up a MySpace page or Facebook group for your apartment community to provide a distinct way for your businesses and brand to create direct connections with residents and prospective residents. Drive additional traffic and LEADS^TM to your ForRent.com listing by including your apartment profile page URL in your social networking profiles. In addition, these online communities can also allow you to interact   and communicate with your staff.

Did you know?

• Facebook has 175 million+ registered users and the average user has 120 friends on the site. More than 3 billion+ minutes are spent on the site each day and 850 million photos are added daily.
• MySpace.com has more than 100 million registered users. The site receives 55.7+ million unique users per month and 17.5+ million daily unique logins. The average MySpace user logs in 30 times a day.

4. Broadcasting with Online Video

Online video and video sharing sites such as YouTube are vital channels for driving user engagement and loyalty, as well as powerful internal tools benefitting employees. The impact of video is very strong when consumers find the videos though online search, social media sites or via the community’s Web site. Prospective residents are forwarding these videos via email and social media sites to friends who might also be interested in moving.

For Rent Media Solutions offers Community Theater^®, a professionally produced online video that enhances the apartment shoppers experience by allowing users to view your apartment community’s most sought after units and amenities as well as the surrounding city it is located in. For Rent Media Solutions does the work for you. All Community Theater videos are syndicated to ForRent.com, your management company’s website, AptsVideo.com, along with more than ten major channels including Google, Yahoo, MySpace and YouTube. Along with the Community Theater video, the long description, community name/location and ForRent.com apartment profile URL are included in on social media Web sites to encourage traffic back to your listing. The Community Theater videos have received more than 7.8 million video views and more than 845,000 of those views came from social media Web sites.

Tip: For additional exposure, post your Community Theater videos on your property management social networking profiles. Visit our YouTube profile here to find your Community Theater video. Click on the video detail page, copy the “embed” code and  paste it into your other social profiles or click on the ‘Share’ button then select the site of your choice to automatically syndicate the video to your profile. Another idea is to host a video contest for your residents and post the videos to your management company’s Web site and/or to your company YouTube page. User generated content can easily turn customers and fans into a network of content creators who communicate through video. Both online video and social media combined form new capabilities for business and   foster natural dialogue for your brand.

Did you know?

• According to Facebook, more than 5 million videos are uploaded each month.
• According to YouTube, the site has over 70 million videos and receives more than 100 million+ video views per day.
• comScore Media Metrix states that 52.5 million viewers watched 371 million videos on MySpace.com in November 2008 (7.1 videos per viewer).

5. Building Relationships

For any business to survive in today’s economy they need to know the essence of networking. Same rings true for individuals. With our current market, networking your business and yourself is critical. Sites such as LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter will see tremendous growth, as more and more people are flocking to these sites for contacts. Your company’s presence needs to be on these sites to network and interact with potential partners. For Rent Media Solutions is an active participant in the conversations on LinkedIn and Twitter. These sites allow us to gain faster access to insight and resources in the multi-family housing industry. Start networking with industry professionals and renters today. Join in the conversation on LinkedIn and follow us on Twitter.

Tip: Set up a LinkedIn group to communicate with your employees and current residents. Use LinkedIn as a recruiting tool and post and distribute job listings to find the best talent for your company. Listen to industry subject matter experts on the discussion boards in Multi-family Housing groups such as Apartment Professionals Network, Multifamily   Technology, NAA, and Multifamily Insiders.

 Did you know?

• Twitter has 3.5million+ users and more than 1.1 billion ‘tweets’ have been sent to date.
• LinkedIn has over 35 million members in over 200 countries and territories around the world.

Bob Dylan said it best, “The line it is drawn.” It’s time for companies to accept the shift in media and move forward. Since the purpose of marketing is to generate revenue, increase LEADS, fill vacancies, and/or drive brand awareness, marketers need to find ways to do this effectively; and embracing an integrated marketing strategy is the first step. “You better start swimming or you’ll sink like a stone.” Are you maximizing your advertising strategy with For Rent Media Solutions?

We all love when Valentine’s Day rolls around. If the pressures from the Christmas spending weren’t enough, let’s add another purchasing holiday a month and a half later! We understand the crunch you’re feeling, especially in these economic times; let us share a way to skip an added expense….. Valentine’s Day cards!

Now, I’m all for the modern, eco-friendly, economical approach (hello E-Cards), however, sometimes those aren’t appropriate for your loved ones who live close by.  So take a look below at two perfect homemade Valentine’s Day cards from AllFreeCrafts.com:

Here are the materials you might need:

• Pink and red hearts cut from construction paper (various sizes)
• Cream/white colored paper (computer paper) & red construction paper
• Scotch tape
• Elmer’s glue
• Blank cards (or use left over poster board for a one-sided card)
• Computer to type phrases or Alphabet stickers

Directions:

Card #1:

This Valentine’s Day card is quick and easy. Cut a piece of dark red paper to fit the front of your blank card (or poster board piece) and glue it in place. Type “Happy Valentine’s Day” on your computer and print it on the cream/white colored paper. Glue the cut-out phrase first on a dark red piece of paper, and then give that piece on another piece of cream colored cardstock to create a layered look. This card will open horizontally (or not at all), so turn it horizontally and glue the Valentine’s sentiment to the top third of the card. For the bottom portion of the card cut three small freehand hearts from the dark red paper. Glue these hearts to three torn scraps (in the shape of squares) to cream colored paper. Space these pieces across the bottom of the card and glue in place.

Card #2:

This card is made from a dark red piece of paper and a cream colored piece of paper. Cut a piece of the dark red paper to fit the front of your blank card (or scrap poster board piece) and glue it in place. Cut a large square from the cream colored paper and glue it just above the center of the card. Glue the piece of paper in place. Tear a large heart from the dark red paper and glue it in the center of the cream colored square. Type “Happy Valentine’s Day” on your computer. Print on cream colored paper and glue in the center of the heart.

These two methods are quite perfect whether you’re crafty or not! So use what you have lying around the house (scotch tape, glue and your computer) and if you don’t have the other materials, you can pick them up at your local dollar store. Trust me, for the price you’re paying you’ll get more bang for your buck! Plus, we’ll be posting a ‘Homemade Valentine’s Day Gifts’ blog where you’ll also be able to use these materials! Cha-ching!

In today’s economy it is more important than ever to effectively build your company’s brand offline and online. Magazine Publishers of America (MPA), an industry association for consumer magazines, released third-party research which offers marketers insights on purchase funnel dynamics and consumer online behavior that can have profound ramifications for advertisers looking to maximize their ROI. One of the most important things the study found is that media synergy is important and that the more media you have the better results you will achieve. When examining media, magazine ads are the most effective medium when it comes to purchase intent.  

Key Findings from Research:

Magazine ads are # 1 in driving brand favorability: Magazines have 2X the impact of TV and 4X the impact of online

Magazine ads are # 1 in driving word of mouth: Among the general population and influentials, magazines are the strongest influence on personal recommendations

Seeing a magazine ad increased web traffic by more than 40%: Including a URL address such as the ForRent.com Vanity URL in magazine ads significantly increased web visits

Including a URL address increases web visits: When the URL was included in the magazine advertising creative, the percent change in visits tripled from two to six points

People were 2X as likely to visit a website after seeing a magazine ad: Magazine ads have a major impact on building web traffic at each stage of the purchase funnel

Magazine ads are # 1 in driving web search among 18-44 year olds: Magazines promoted web searches more than any other medium

Magazine ads are the #1 offline medium for driving consumers to social networks: Magazine readers are more than twice as likely to be social networkers compared to TV viewers and two-thirds again more likely than newspaper readers

Download the full report here

In a recent blog entry, Kate Good, a nationally recognized apartment marketing expert, states “Print drives traffic to the Internet. I have heard some chatter concerning dropping print ads to save money and “going to all Internet.” This has been tested before and it failed. Eventually you will see that the loss of residual marketing that print provides will adversely effect your phone and walk in traffic.”

For Rent Media Solutions continues to prove “The Power of Print and Internet” is delivering favorable results. In 2008, For Rent Media Solutions launched nine additional publications, including four After 55^TM Housing and Resource Guide magazines, three ForRent.com^TM-The Magazine publications, one For Rent Magazine®, and one Apartamentos Para Rentar®.  ForRent.com-The Magazine instantly affirmed the powerful combination of print and Internet by increasing LEADS^TM in a variety of previous “Internet only” markets by 313%.¹  

 Source: Magazine Publishers of America (MPA) http://www.magazine.org/ ¹ForRent.com internal sources