All posts by Jonsette Calloway

Anything an ILS can do, you can do better

February 19, 2020Good to Know, Google Ads, ILS, Keywords, Marketing tips, Online ads, SEO, SERP, Target marketingJonsette Calloway

If you Google the term “apartments,” followed by your city’s name, you’ll likely see that the first page of results is taken by some of the top internet listing services (ILS). For years, these sites gained their popularity by conveniently serving as middlemen between property owners and renters. They have managed to control this position mainly through heavy online ad spend, a little organic SEO, some old-fashioned content, and, of course, willing participants, like you. But, as the online space has evolved over the years, so has property owner’s willingness and capabilities to build their own online presence, apart from your standard ILS. Continue reading Anything an ILS can do, you can do better →

5 marketing tools you can use to increase your engagement

February 1, 2020Apartment website, Customer Experience, Engagement, Good to Know, Marketing tips, Online ads, Online Marketing, property managers, Single-family Property, Social MediaJonsette Calloway

There are several advertising solutions in the market right now–all holding promises to enhance your marketing strategy, increase traffic and boost sales. But, what about engagement? While ultimately, you want your property to appear in front of as many qualified prospects as possible, it takes some work and a bit of strategy to get to this point. After all, it’s not called a “renter’s journey” for nothing.

To get to the end of the cycle, you’ll first need to create strong connections with your prospects–and that starts with engagement. Here are five tools that you can utilize to help get you on your way:

1. Leverage social media polls.

Polling your audience is a great way to create an opportunity for engagement among your social media followers while supplementing your marketing efforts. You can leverage these tools to gain insight on new amenities, potential events, or even business partnerships. The results from these polls will create invaluable information from vested renters who will appreciate the involvement when it comes time to renew, and you’ll be left with more solid solutions in the end.

2. Chat via bot.

Chatbots are becoming more popular across the multifamily industry and being leveraged as a power tool to enhance customer service operations around-the-clock. Powered by artificial intelligence (AI), these chatbots process specific patterns and then transfer this information through various network layers until they arrive at accurate results for each query. The chatbot extensions provide your prospects with the ability to receive information, ask questions and even conduct transactions, all on your website and in real time; thus, creating greater engagement without you having to lift a finger.

3. Make it personal.

Whether you’re reaching out to your prospect for the first time or informing an existing tenant of a particular issue, your communications, including emails, should offer value, serve as an extension of your brand and support the overall rental experience. This means, you have to avoid the generic salutations/language and get personal with your residents. Be intentional about your correspondence and approach all notices with a customer-centric approach. Trust, your residents’ trust will rise, and they’ll feel more comfortable initiating further engagement.

4. Use video.

Video is now leading the wave of content marketing. It can also be used as a powerful marketing tool that generates tons of engagement with your audiences. Apart from the fact that websites with video attract up to three times as many videos than sites without, they also help to nurture leads and increase conversions by up to 12%. You can leverage online videos for things like apartment tours or resident testimonials to create a more personal connection with your prospects.

5. Beautify your website

A well-designed, functional website is probably an apartment marketer’s best and most effective tool to drive engagement. Your site’s visual aesthetic, while oftentimes overlooked, is the gateway to your brand and sets the tone for all engagements that are to soon follow. By ensuring your site is responsive, information is up to date, and text, fonts and imagery are aligned with your brand and remain visually appealing, you’ll create more confident visitors. And, the more confidence your visitors have in you, the more likely and open they will be to engage with you.

Rentbot can help.

At Rentbot, we create affordable and accessible website solutions for the multifamily industry, including small to mid-sized properties that attract, convert and retain tenants. Whether it’s a brand new, responsive website or our SEO and website marketing services, each of our solutions can be catered to enhance your existing engagement and increase leads in as little as two months.

We know multifamily, and, most importantly, we know how to get you in front of your audience. Take a look at how we can help you get found online, and, ultimately, increase your engagement- https://www.rentbot.co/website-marketing/.

About the Author

Jonsette Calloway joined the Rentbot team in 2015. With a background in public relations, advertising and copywriting, she has helped a multitude of clients achieve their marketing and communications goals within various fields, but she particularly enjoys working with the apartment industry.

How to calculate your Google Ads cost

January 27, 2020Apartment website, Good to Know, Google Ads, Keywords, Leasing, Marketing tips, Online ads, Online Marketing, SEO, Target marketingJonsette Calloway

So, you’re looking to make the investment into Google Ads, but you’re wondering about one key piece–perhaps the most important–in particular. How much will it cost?

Though your advertising expenditures will be dependent on several factors, it is particularly important for you, as a potential advertiser, to fully understand what goes into a Google Ad so that you can better plan your budget and project your long-term ROI.

Here’s what you’ll need to know:

Know your landscape

Before you make your initial investment, you need to outline how your Google Ads campaign integrates into your existing marketing mix. Will your Ads campaign be used to supplement your existing efforts, or will it be the primary marketing tactic? If the later is true, you will want to account for the additional spend within your overall budget.

Next, you’ll want to take a look at what your market competitors are spending on their ads. There are several tools available that will provide you access to this information, ranging from general oversights to specific facts regarding keywords, ad content and what/how your competitors are fairing with their unique bid options. Additionally, if you want to keep things in-house, or more lowkey, you can utilize the Google Ads Keyword Planner tool, which is completely free and allows you the capability to generate keyword ideas, provide bid estimations and even project performance.

Understand your advertising goals

Before you even think about beginning your campaign, you should be solidifying your advertising goals. These goals should reflect exactly what you’re looking to achieve from your campaign efforts, like more website traffic, greater brand awareness or more rental applications, just to name a few. Then, you’ll need to dig a little deeper. Think about how you will define conversions? Will it be after a user submits an application or simply contacts you? By defining these goals, you can better cater your Google Ads campaign features to meet your needs and budget.

Choose your cost-per-click

The wonderful part about Google Ads is that you only pay when a user actually clicks on your ad. Google uses an auction format to configure ad placement as well as the cost of your ad. If a user’s search query corresponds with a keyword that is actively being bid on, then your ad has the potential to be displayed. The placement of your ad, in combination with your designated cost per click, will ultimately determine where your ad will rank on Google.

After fully grasping the cost per click methodology, reviewing the competition and determining your advertising goals, you’ll then be ready to establish your cost breakdown per month and day. Google Ads allows you to set an average daily budget for your campaign with the option to adjust at any point. This daily budget encompasses what you’d be spending daily throughout the span of one month. A simple formula for this is “Monthly budget / Average number of days per month = Daily budget.” For a frame of reference, the average cost-per-click for the real estate industry on the search network is $2.37 and $.75 on display. While this is only an average, you should ultimately pick the limits that you are most comfortable with spending.

Rentbot can help.

If you’re new to the Google Ads scene, we can work with you to fast track your lead generation. We’re Google-certified and experienced in helping multifamily communities like yours experience immediate website traffic and higher quality leads with measurable results. And, if money is still on your mind, we’ll also work with you to take total control of your budget, aligning your spend with your occupancy levels, so if you need to pause or restart your campaign for any reason, we can easily take care of that with one click.

Take your marketing to the next level and get found with Google Ads. Learn how you can get started immediately and start testing your campaigns.

About the Author

Top 2020 multifamily industry trends

January 7, 2020Customer Experience, For Real Estate Developers, Good to Know, Manager, Marketing tips, Online Marketing, property managers, Resident Retention, SEO, Single-family Property, Single-family Property Manager, Target marketing, What Renters WantJonsette Calloway

A new year means new renters, new leases and, most importantly, new trends. As we approach 2020, here are three trends you can look forward to in the multifamily housing industry in the coming year.

1. Housing demand may decrease slightly

As the economy makes slower gains, apartment demand is projected to decrease by 20% when compared to 2019, according to CBRE’s 2020 U.S. Real Estate Market Outlook. The millennial market will transition into homeownership at a mild pace, as debt continues to be a deterrent for many. But, overall, demand within multifamily will remain stable enough to absorb the supply.

Key takeaway: As the competition begins for new renters begins to unfold, property owners and managers will need to focus on implementing more targeted, strategic and creative integrated marketing tactics to see ideal results. These efforts will likely incorporate digital efforts, like Google Ads, SEO, video and mobile.

2. Suburban communities will shine

Developments located in the suburbs are projected to outperform their urban counterparts in rent gains and ROI. According to CBRE Research, the four highest performing cities will be Austin, Atlanta, Phoenix and Boston, with Boston clearly outshining its counterparts.

Additionally, in keeping with 2019’s trend, smaller metro communities with a population of less than 2 million will pose great opportunities for developers, as these areas embark on core revitalization activities to improve the quality of life for talent acquisition purposes.

Key takeaway: Consumer research will be key for newer suburban developments in attracting new, out-of-town renters. These properties will need to cater key messaging to incorporate city themes, while appealing to resident desires as it relates to amenities and overall quality of life at these properties.

3. Technology will continue to march on

Technology in the multifamily housing market will continue to make an impact. As new technology for property management and residential data analysis is released, operations within communities will become more simplified and efficient, resulting in greater satisfaction for residents. Additionally, the pressure to offer newer and more trendy amenities and services will be present as these new technologies emerge.

Key takeaway: Consumers have now been accustomed to the on-demand lifestyle. Those properties with a customer-centric focus and those who place a strong emphasis on “lifestyle” will remain at the forefront as technology/trends advance. Communities that are quick technology adopters and those that can simplify renters’ lifestyles will likely experience greater greater gains and resident satisfaction than their slow-adopting counterparts. Additionally, more streamlined operations and greater resident insight related to newly sourced data will create additional targeted marketing opportunities for communities.

Rentbot can help.

At Rentbot, we think small properties are a big deal. With several years of multifamily industry experience under our belts, we know the industry trends and property needs of both small and larger communities. Despite your size, we can help tailor your marketing strategy to produce substantial results through our affordable and accessible website solutions and SEO packages. We’ve even been trained and certified by Google to help properties like yours manage their online advertising and grow their business.

A new year means new gains for you! Learn how we can help you attract, convert, and retain tenants through our website and marketing services so that you can start your New Year off with a bang!

About the Author

Build the relationship; land the lease

December 30, 2019Customer Experience, Engagement, Free Marketing, Good to Know, Happy Renter, Leasing, Let's be honest, Marketing tips, Online Marketing, property managers, Resident Retention, Single-family Property Manager, What Renters WantJonsette Calloway

In most any successful business, the majority of one’s sales are built on the foundation of trust. The same applies to the multifamily industry. When thinking about sealing the deal with your own prospects, you have to consider how you can first build a relationship, followed by trust.

So, how do you establish trust?

1. Make your value known

You know you can meet your prospects needs better than any other property in town. So, speak to this in your marketing and property tours. Educate your prospects on the value you could bring to their lifestyle without being too overbearing. Think about marketing your community as one that will appeal to your renter’s emotions, like promoting a stress-free living experience, increased happiness, or even more creativity. Incorporating these emotional appeals into your marketing is important when it comes to adding value to your property, as emotion is usually the strongest trigger when in the customer’s buying journey.

2. Be honest.

Your renters can tell when you’re embellishing on the details of your property, so make sure you’re always forthright with them, first and foremost. If you can’t provide a certain amenity or meet their price point, tell them! Answer their questions honestly, being as open and transparent as possible. If not, you’ll invite yourself to even more follow-up questions that you may not be prepared to answer. So, improve your efficiency by taking the time to thoroughly address all of your customer’s concerns so that they feel confident in signing that lease. By having honest dialogue with your prospects, you’re more inclined to land the sale in the long run while creating stronger relationships and reducing turnover.

3. Prepare with the customer in mind.

By now, you should know the types of questions and concerns that renters have when seeking a new property–so, prepare, prepare, prepare! Remain empathetic to their common challenges, past experiences and hesitations and be prepared to emphasize how your property can meet them and offer a sense of peace. Remain inviting, transparent and patient so that the sales experience seems less “salesy” and more of an actual relationship, despite them signing the lease.

4. Be dependable.

Can your renters trust you to show up and do what you say? This tip is probably the most important, aside from honesty. Your tenants need to feel that they can not only trust you during the sales pitch, but can trust you to fulfill your promises. If you let them down early on during the sales process–like failing to follow up, schedule a visit or send requested information–they’ll be less inclined to trust you to handle other important things like maintenance requests, rental payments and returning their deposit.

5. Value the relationship.

Last but not least, if you want to build a great relationship with your renter, you’ll need to prioritize the relationship building experience. By understanding that you have something of value to offer the relationship with your tenants, you can easily integrate the customer-centric sales approach within your sales/marketing strategy.

Keep in mind that relationship building takes time, as does cultivating trust with your renters. So, you’ll need to be consistent, dependable and persistent to see the impact.

Rentbot can help.

Simply put, renters don’t lease from apartment communities they don’t trust–and no one understands this better than us. We take each relationship with our customers seriously. Rentbot began with a single purpose–to create affordable, accessible website solutions for small to mid-size properties. This is why we’re committed to building modern websites with industry-specific features, personal website support, and transparent pricing.

We’ve been trained and certified by Google to help multifamily properties manage their online advertising and grow their business. We have also earned the Google Partner badge, which certifies our advanced knowledge in Google Ad (AdWords) campaigns. It’s another way we deliver results and build long-lasting relationships with our clients.

Let Rentbot help strengthen your relationship with your renters. Get to know what we can do for your property. Contact us here.

About the Author

Meet your renters where they are

November 30, 2019Apartment website, Customer Experience, Engagement, Free Marketing, Good to Know, Marketing tips, Millennials, Mobile-friendly, Online Marketing, property managers, Single-family Property Manager, Social Media, What Renters WantJonsette Calloway

Just as your renters evolve, so does the multifamily industry. Those who fail to catch up with the trends risk losing prospects, all in the name of tech evolution. Today’s renters want a convenient, simplified renters journey. And, most importantly, they want you to meet them where they are–and that’s online.

Here are three tools you can utilize to elevate your marketing to reach renters on their terms while also simplifying the process for you on the back end. Continue reading Meet your renters where they are →

Get the most bang from your digital marketing strategy

November 24, 2019Analytics, Engagement, Good to Know, Google Ads, Marketing tips, Metrics, Online ads, Online Marketing, Social MediaJonsette Calloway

While terms like “clicks” and “engagement rates” are hot buzzwords in the marketing industry right now, they don’t necessarily paint the clearest scenario of how your bottom line is being impacted. To truly come to terms with how the various elements within your digital marketing strategy are affecting your business (and to see if you’re getting the most bang for your buck), you’ll need to measure your digital marketing ROI. Continue reading Get the most bang from your digital marketing strategy →

Ranking for local SEO

October 25, 2019Analytics, Good to Know, Google Ads, Marketing tips, Online ads, Online Marketing, Property Reviews, Responsive, SEO, SERPJonsette Calloway

Every day, millions of consumers are searching for a product or service on Google. Big surprise there, right? But, what you may not know is that while 91% of adults are using search engines to find information, 46% of Google searches are local. When your prospects embark on a local search, they’re actually more likely to convert, particularly if they are searching via a mobile device. In fact, 61% of those who search using mobile means are more likely to contact a local business if they also have a mobile website. Continue reading Ranking for local SEO →

8 ways to save time on your marketing strategy

October 2, 2019Apartment website, Good to Know, Google Ads, ILS, Keywords, Marketing tips, Online ads, Online Marketing, Single-family Property Manager, Social Media, Target marketingJonsette Calloway

Most property managers and owners can attest to the power of a good, strategic marketing strategy. Effective marketing has the potential to increase leads, boost web traffic and can make a substantial difference on one’s overall ROI. But, considering all that occurs on a daily basis just to keep the leasing office afloat, do you really have the bandwidth or resources at your disposal to invest in one? Continue reading 8 ways to save time on your marketing strategy →