Apartment Blog

Hashtags, re-tweets, DMs? What does it all mean? For Rent Media Solutions^TM, a leading apartment resource for searching apartments nationwide, and a division of Dominion Enterprises, will answer these questions as they host the industry’s first Tweet Spot during this year’s Brainstorming Sessions^TM held at the Hyatt Regency in Houston, Texas from November 18-20.

Twitter “newbies” and power users alike in the multi-housing industry are in for the ultimate Twitter experience during this year’s Multifamily Pro Brainstorming Sessions. At the Tweet Spot, attendees will have an opportunity to learn more about leveraging the power of Twitter. Topics discussed include:

• How to create a Twitter profile
• How to perform basic functions within the site
• Twitter terminology
• Tools to enhance user experience
• Why Twitter is beneficial for businesses
• How to cross-link with other social media sites

During the show, attendees can participate in “Tweetups,” meetings organized through Twitter and hosted by For Rent Media Solutions, to network and meet other attendees. These Tweetups help attendees turn their online network into reality, allow them to see who’s “following” who and maximize their social networking by meeting and mingling with the industry’s social media savvy. Take a look at our schedule below for the two “Tweetups” scheduled for Tuesday, November 17^th at 5:30 pm and Thursday, November 19^th at 6:00 pm.

You know that iconic phrase “Houston, we have a problem” from the Apollo 13 movie? Here at For Rent Media Solutions, we prefer to think we have the solutions. We have the resources and the answers to your apartment searching needs.  Not only do we provide you with a moving center and a getting settled center on our Relocation Page, we also provide you with decorating and entertaining tips and apartment living ideas on our Apartment Blog.

So if you’re looking for apartments in and around the Houston area, we are your one stop shop! Check out our newest apartment community videos for Houston apartments:

Hartford Park Apartments

Canfield Lakes Apartments

Briar Park Apartments

Lantern Village Apartments

Steepleway Downs Apartments

Huntington at Stonefield Apartments

The Steeples Apartments

Meadow Ridge Apartments

and Bristol Apartments

Do you know why Tucson is dubbed “The Greenest of Deserts?” Well, that would be because of its eco-friendly stage. There are a variety of farmer’s markets, hundreds of miles of bike paths and smart water usage like xeriscaping. Did you know that in 2007, Tucson was named one of 13 “Solar Cities” in the United States, and awarded a half-million-dollar grant to better implement solar energy? Yup! It was also ranked the 17^th lowest carbon emitter in a list of 100 largest metro cities in the country, according to the Washington DC thinktank The Brookings Institution!

And that’s not all! They also host many ‘green’ events throughout the year to help reinforce the green living lifestyle.  And how could we forget the numerous ‘green’ parks that fight to conserve and protect Southern Arizona’s resources.  They really are a community taking it to next level in protecting our environment.

If this “green” place seems like the location for you, we’d recommend you taking a look at these apartment communities on ForRent.com:

Shadowtree Apartments

Dorinda Vista Apartments

Sandstone Apartments

Mission Sierra Apartments

Get more information and search tips on Tucson Apartments, or view all Apartments for Rent in Tucson, AZ.

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.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                           

Contact:                                                                                                                            
Meredith Mobley                                                                                 
Marketing Communications Coordinator
meredith.mobley@forrent.com
Phone: 757-351-7366
Fax: 757-961-4827

For Rent Media Solutions^TM launches unique intuitive search function exclusively on ForRent.com

New search function brings “smarter search” experience to leading apartment Web site

NORFOLK, Va.-(May 26, 2009)-For Rent Media Solutions, a leading apartment resource for searching apartments nationwide, and a division of Dominion Enterprises, announces the launch of the all new intuitive search functionality and enhanced search results pages. These features are exclusive to ForRent.com, the company’s anchor Web site. The intuitive search and enhanced search results pages give apartment seekers more control and more relevant results to help them have a “smarter search” experience.

Intuitive search provides both “Exact” and “Close” matches, based on the user’s search criteria. These features give apartment shoppers more choices, intuitively providing them with results that are relevant to their needs. This means more exposure for the property manager’s listing and a better experience for potential renters.

 ”According to a July 2008 study by MarketingSherpa.com, highly engaged visitors have a conversion rate of about 5 percent, compared to about 0.2 percent of poorly engaged visitors,” notes Terry Slattery, president of For Rent Media Solutions. “In 2008, we performed a robust series of usability tests with real apartment seekers on eight different apartment Internet listing Web sites, including ForRent.com. From those results, we learned that apartment shoppers felt they had very little control, could not maneuver through the sites and felt the sites did not produce relevant results. We listened to users and redesigned our search functionality to eliminate their complaints and bring a smarter search experience for all.”

Smarter Search: Home Page

The ForRent.com search process has been enhanced in two areas essential to the apartment searching process: the home page and search results pages. The home page is more user-friendly. The prominently displayed search feature includes fields for criteria that most apartment shoppers know before they begin looking for an apartment, making it easy to use with a more natural way of narrowing down what they want. The home page requires users to specify location to search for property listings using city, state or zip code. Auto-complete suggestions will be made available to the user after they have inserted at least three letters. In addition to the required location information, the user can provide optimal search criteria such as price, beds and baths.

Apartment seekers can also access the Advanced Search option from the home page. When an apartment seeker enters a city and state, the site will return any property as an exact match that is within that city’s limits according to the U.S. Postal Service, and any additional properties that fall within the radius entered from the center of that city. The default radius is “Exact”, but users can expand their radius to 10, 20, or 30 miles. The Advanced Search offers users the ability to search by geography, interactive map, property name, and college or military base.   

Smarter Search: Search Results Page

The apartment seeker has more control over their search results in the enhanced search results pages. The seeker can customize the number of results that appear on a page and sort those results according to what is most relevant to them. Video has also been integrated into the search results listings. The “Exact Match” and “Close Match” are features that allow the apartment seeker to view listings that fit their exact search criteria as well as those that almost match. This gives more control to the apartment shopper making them more likely to find a property of interest, which in turn means more LEADS^TM for advertisers. In the search results, users can toggle properties through three view points: list view, photo view or map view. Apartment seekers can also filter listings by video, neighborhood, pets and multiple photos. Because of these enhanced options, property managers have more opportunity to be seen by apartment seekers.

For more information on ForRent.com’s new intuitive search, view the video found here.

About For Rent Media Solutions^TM

Headquartered in Norfolk, Va., For Rent Media Solutions is a division of Dominion Enterprises. As the multi-family housing solution for apartment seekers, property/apartment managers and owners, For Rent Media Solutions provides superior products, outstanding customer service, and tangible results.  For Rent Media Solutions is a leading resource for choosing your next apartment for rent, townhouse, condo, duplex, efficiency, studio or loft and provides a free customizable apartment search from more than 30,000 apartment listings nationwide.  For Rent Media Solutions operates For Rent Magazine^®, as well as ForRent.com^TM-The Magazine, and publishes 99 magazines covering more than 190 markets nationwide, including After 55^TM Housing & Resource Guide, and Apartamentos Para Rentar^®. For Rent Media Solutions operates four additional Web sites: ForRent.com^®, SeniorOutlook.com^TM, CorporateHousing.com^®, and ParaRentar.com^TM.  For Rent Media Solutions is a company dedicated to the needs of the apartment industry, bringing prospective residents and apartment communities together.

About Dominion Enterprises

Dominion Enterprises is a leading marketing services company serving the automotive, enthusiast and commercial vehicle, real estate, apartment rental, and employment industries. The company’s businesses provide a comprehensive suite of technology-based marketing solutions including Internet advertising, lead generation, CRM, Web site design and hosting, and data management services. The company has more than 45 market-leading Web sites reaching more than 16.7 million unique visitors, and more than 450 magazines with a weekly circulation of 4.3 million. Headquartered in Norfolk, Va., the company has 5,400 employees in more than 200 offices nationwide. For more information, visit http://www.dominionenterprises.com/.

###

We have noted in several of our previous posts how the tough economic times are proving difficult for businesses, but we really haven’t dived into the hardships affecting consumers…..you! Businesses are struggling because consumers are feeling the squeeze of the economy. You are forced to reevaluate your finances and reduce your disposable income.  In many instances that means staying home and going out less frequently.

We want to provide you with some resources to turn the negative into a positive. We’ve posted many blogs that can help you when your budget has been constricted; you just need to know where to find them!

Here’s a list to help you figure out how you want to nest during these economic times. Your home is your place of refuge against the world, and it’s time you started celebrating it!

• So you can’t go out to dinner, then stay at home and cook! We’ve found terrific recipes that our own staff has tried and LOVED! Entrees, side dishes and desserts galore! To make it appear like a night out, eat at the dinning room table with the television off and low lighting.
• Miss date night with your significant other? We’ve even come up with ideas for romantic gestures in your apartment, which include a soothing bubble bath, picnic on the floor or movie night!
• Have some creative juices flowing, but not a lot of $$ to spend? Then check out our amazing ‘How-To’ tips, decorating w/constrictions and low cost decorating ideas to make the most of your time spent at home.
• Need a gift for a friend? We’ve posted a few ideas for homemade gifts and cards! You’ll get bonus tips for being thoughtful and creative.
• You’re bound to have a few friends that are in the same predicament as you. So why not invite them over for a group party? We’ve posted tips on how to throw a party that is eco-friendly, which includes reducing money!! For entertainment you could play games and the dinner/dessert could be pot-luck so no one is forking over a lot of dough!

There are two things to remember for getting through these times: One - you are not alone. There are many others going through the same situation as you. Two -it will end. It may not seem like it, but there is light at the end of the tunnel. You just have to wait it out. Until then, take a look at these tips/ideas for staying at home and remain optimistic. When one door closes, another one opens……so decorate it!!