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?
If I’m preaching to the choir here, then you’ll certainly understand how overwhelming and cumbersome this task can be at times. But, the good news is that it doesn’t always have to be. With a little planning, automation and quick research, you can be well on your way to having an effective and streamlined marketing strategy that will work wonders for your property. Here’s how:
1. Plan in advance.
Successful marketing strategies begin with advanced preparation. Prior to making the decision to invest in one specific marketing tactics, you’ll want to first take the time to outline your rationale for designated channels, note what your approach will be towards each one, ensure you have the resources available to manage certain functions and then assign duties to team members as applicable.
2. Know your audience.
If you’re targeting all renters, then you’re actually targeting none in reality. Before you begin to drop those advertising bucks, you have to first solidify who your target renter is. This step is paramount and can make or break any advertising campaign. By honing in on a specific user profile, you’re better able to cater your advertising channels, content and overall strategy to these individuals, which ultimately increases the effectiveness of your marketing efforts and will save you time in the long haul.
3. Set goals.
Defining your marketing or advertising goals can be one of the most difficult, yet rewarding tasks when it comes to establishing your strategy. These goals should be aligned with your business goals and extend to your website, online advertising, ILS channels, referrals, etc. By establishing a baseline of success in each of these areas, you can streamline your tactics and advertising channels to more closely align with these goals, and more quickly detect when one of these channels is under-performing.
4. Automate your tasks.
Save time by leveraging automation tools! There is software available that will post your content, track the success of your online marketing platforms, customize and launch your Google Ads based on predetermined preferences, and ill even respond to customers on your behalf. Consider incorporating a few of these tools into your portfolio to save you and your staff precious time on the back end.
5. Leverage negative keywords.
Negative keywords are oftentimes overlooked, but are great time and money savers. They prevent your Google Ads from being triggered by certain words or phrases. This, in turn, allows you to better control the incoming traffic as well as increase your profitability; thus, saving you the time of reconfiguring your Ads strategy later.
6. Use automated bidding.
Yep, more automation. Notice the trend? Automated bidding removes the guesswork out of setting bids to meet your Google Ads performance goals by automatically setting amounts based on the likelihood that your ad will convert. This means, you can save the time that you would use to bid manually to instead focus on other important tasks.
7. Create a content calendar.
If social media is a part of your marketing strategy, you’ll want to ensure that your content remains timely and relevant. A dedicated content calendar can help you do this. By predetermining your posts on a monthly or quarterly basis and then leveraging an automated program that will do the posting for you, you can snag anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour back into your working day.
8. Let your website do the work.
Your website should be the most effective marketing tool that you have at your disposal. But, in order for it to perform, it has to be up to par. This includes ensuring that it is responsive, has high quality imagery, call-to-action statements, and essential details about your property and units. By ensuring your website is inclusive, you’ll save the time you would have otherwise used to respond to questions.
Rentbot can help.
If your website is not saving you time or energy, then it may be time to invest in a new one–we can help with that. At Rentbot, we understand that managing small to mid-size rental properties requires you to wear many hats, and time is a luxury that you do not often have. With Rentbot, this to-do list gets simplified. With mobile-friendly designs, built in SEO packages, and conversion optimized layouts, our websites are designed to save you both time and money.
Give us a try for 30 days, and if we don’t save you time and increase your traffic–well, it’s on us regardless. Let’s make your website work as hard as you do. Sign up for your free trial here.
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.