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.

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.

Football is fast becoming the most popular sport in America.  Some people are purely Pro-Football fans and others purely College Football junkies.  However, one tradition that transcends both levels is tailgating. Because Football Saturday is one of the main attractions of a football city/town, people from all over come for tailgating and watching games. It doesn’t matter if you even like football or understand the rules. Tailgating is a wholesome and fun event that the whole family can get involved in. It is also a source of pride and bragging rights for a community to have a competitive football team. 

For those that aren’t familiar with tailgating in the football world, it’s not “driving dangerously close to behind another vehicle.”  It is a social event that is held around the tailgate of a vehicle that usually involves beverages and grilling.  Fans dress in their team jerseys and talk about the upcoming game and get excited for the festivities.  It used to be an “underground” activity but has gained mainstream popularity with ESPN’s College game day reporting from the tailgating scene of the most exciting games of the day.

South Bend is one of those cities where tailgating is commonplace.  It is is also the current home to the College Football Hall of Fame. In a sense, every college football players dream is to make it to South Bend.  Although the Hall of Fame is scheduled to move to Atlanta soon, the pride of housing the Hall of Fame will never leave.  South Bend is a small city with a very dedicated and hardworking people.  Their allegiance is to the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.  Notre Dame has one of the most storied football teams in history; some of that history even being documented in the popular movie Rudy. Notre Dame is at the center of this tradition and it is something you will enjoy during the fall months in South Bend.  Who knows, maybe you can make connections that will last through all the seasons!

Get more information and search tips on South Bend Apartments, or view all Apartments for Rent in South Bend, IN.

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Bend,_Indiana

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tailgate_party

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.

ForRent.com wants to make sure that we are reaching apartment renters and prospective apartment renters in as many places as possible so that it makes the apartment search easier.  So we post our apartment videos on various social networking and video sharing sites!  We upload videos to our video syndication network which consists of a variety of sites such as: YouTube, MySpace, Yahoo, Dailymotion and many others. These videos really provide a rich cinematic view of both the apartment community and the surrounding area.

Take a look at these…..

Millennium Apartment Homes in Greenville, SC

San Regis Apartments For Rent in Van Nuys, CA

Grand River Canyon Apartments in Colorado Springs, CO

Lamplight Square at the Park Apartments in Colorado Springs, CO

Villetta Apartments For Rent in Mesa, AZ

Avalon White Plains Apartments For Rent in White Plains, NY

Towers of Windsor Park Apartments in Cherry Hill, PA

Madison Park Apartments For Rent in Kansas City, MO

Orchard Heights Apartments in Rialto, CA Video

We’re getting more and more of these videos up each week. Have we hit your apartment community yet?

Re-gifting….YAY or NAY?? While some find this concept absolutely repulsive, others find this completely acceptable. If you find this option, re-gifting, ‘okay’ then you might want to check out these tips before doing so! Believe it or not, even re-gifting has rules…..

1. Hold onto the gift a full season or holiday, this way enough time passes that it may be forgotten by others
2. Give it to someone in another social circle, for example if Grandma gives you your thousandth trinket make sure to steer clear of family and pass it on to a co-worker or friend
3. Make the most of White Elephant opportunities- half of the gifts given are gags anyway so use the game as an opportunity to unload unwanted items
4. DONATE them at the holidays- those angel trees never share about the person’s interest or hobbies, so you’re safe dropping off something “random”, just make sure it serves as a little extra in their bag and not the primary gift
5. Embellish it- feel like it was shafty when you got it?  Then add something to it like a gift card or bow to make it worthwhile…then pass it on!
6. Consignment shop here you come- this is mostly limited to clothing and accessories, but if your special gift fits the bill then take it in and see what you can make!  Note: this mainly benefits you and the store, but shouldn’t the gift have benefited you initially?  I see no crime here.
7. Door prize!  Ever throw parties like ornament decorating, holiday book club, wine tasting, or Bunco???  Why not giveaway a nice little treat to the first person in the door?
8. Is Secret Santa going on at work?  Make sure you sign up to participate and empty out your stack of “desirable” gifts to that special name you drew.  The plus to this is, you make space in your closet and seem generous at the same time!
9. Obligation gifts…we all know what these are!  Next time someone unexpectedly gives you a gift during the holidays, be prepared.  Have your gift wrapped and ready, they’ll appreciate you thought of them as well and it saves you from spending money on people who didn’t make your shopping list the first or second time around.
10. Knock, knock- The holidays are the perfect time to build a relationship with your neighbors.  They will appreciate the gesture and hopefully will remember it the next time you ask them to keep an eye on your apartment when you’re away!
11. And they didn’t even see it coming!!!  Take time to re-gift presents to people who wouldn’t expect anything in the first place.  Your mailman, maintenance staff, kid’s bus driver, office receptionist, and security guards work hard everyday- give them a little something to show that you notice!
12. Lend a helping hand.  Have you ever been to something where a person forgot to bring a gift or was unaware they needed one?  Save them from shame and let them use yours.