With people of every shape, size, age and other demographics turning to the internet for just about everything nowadays, it’s no wonder that online marketing has become an important tool for most businesses today. The property management industry is no exception. In fact, more people rely on the web to search for housing now than ever before, so if you’re not leveraging the internet for your business, you’re not reaching as many prospects as you could. That said, here are 4 online marketing techniques you absolutely should be using.
Email Marketing
Many people are surprised to hear that there are three times more active email users than Facebook and Twitter users combined. That means a tremendous reach for businesses. Email marketing is especially powerful because it allows you to personalize your message and target your audience much more precisely than through other online avenues. It also helps you stay top of mind, so that if and when either your recipients or someone in their network is in need of housing, you’ll be the first they think of. (Here are a few tips to help you really maximize your email marketing campaigns.)
Social Media
Social sites like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Pinterest (just to name a few) provide an easy and cost effective way to reach the masses. The key is to be consistent, and share quality content – whether it’s an article, a video, a funny meme or helpful tips that are relevant to your audience. It’s also important to regularly engage with your fans and followers. People respond well to brands when they can see the personality and humanity behind them, so start a conversation, answer questions, respond to feedback and show your audience that you’re there and you care.
Blog
The goal of just about all web activity is to improve the chances of your business being found online. Over the past few years, Google has shifted the way it ranks websites, placing much more emphasis on quality versus keyword use. A blog is the perfect vehicle for you to improve your ranking in the search engines and connect with your target audience at the same time. By updating your blog at least a few times a week with strong, relevant content, Google will view your site as active and authoritative, and your audience will appreciate the resource you’re providing.
Visual Media
It’s widely projected that visual media will take on an even more significant role in online activity in 2014 and beyond. This is made evident by the increase in sites that cater to the sense of sight, like Instagram, Vine and Pinterest. Why? It’s simple, really. Research has shown that visual data is processed at a rate of 60,000 times faster than text. The property management industry has a leg up on this, because we rely heavily on photographs and videos to showcase and market properties. Take advantage of this powerful tool by leveraging visual media to its fullest.
These days, it’s not so much about being online, but how you spend your time online that really counts. Focus your resources in these four key areas and you’re sure to start seeing the results you want before you know it.
Get your free copy of The Property Manager′s Guide to Extraordinary Marketing. It has all the inspiration and resources you need to get the right message heard by the right people.
