Beyond the Hype: The Multifamily Sector’s Real Deal With Social Media

4 Tips to Get the Most Out of Your Social Media Strategy

Hands down, one of our client’s most significant pain points is developing and sticking to a consistent social media strategy.

How does one navigate the intricate maze of Instagram’s ad-friendly ecosystem or TikTok’s transformative brand narratives? As the multifamily sector stands on the cusp of this digital revolution, it’s not just about joining the trend. It’s about discerning where social media truly fits within the grand tapestry of multifamily marketing strategies.

A robust online presence pushes visitors to the company’s website, where vital, static information helps clinch deals. But remember, the essence of social media isn’t mere presence — it’s meaningful interaction and engagement.

Let’s take an aerial view to examine where social media sits within a broader multifamily marketing strategy.

1. Setting goals and KPIs.

Never before have businesses had such direct and interactive communication with their target audience. This two-way conversation offers insights and feedback in real time. Imagine how valuable billboards would be if they could actively respond to questions from inquisitive prospects!

By setting clear goals, whether it’s boosting brand awareness or establishing thought leadership, businesses can create purpose-driven relationships. The starting point should always be defining business goals and setting measurable KPIs.

2. Create content that compels engagement.

Once goals are set, every piece of content should have a clear intent and desired outcome. The challenge is to craft content that stops users mid-scroll and compels them to engage. This could be a captivating image, an intriguing blog headline, or an innovative video. Marketers must also ensure a consistent brand experience across all platforms. After all, user experience should remain consistent, whether a resident interacts with your brand online or on-premises.

Moreover, audience engagement provides insights into content strength, guiding businesses to optimize their sales or awareness funnels.

3. Leveraging ads for greater reach.

With a clear understanding of social media’s role in customer journeys, marketers can amplify their reach cost-effectively. While many flock to Google PPC, platforms like Facebook offer budget-friendly solutions. Though it might cater to a niche audience, the lead quality remains high. Mastering social media advertising involves meticulous A/B testing to optimize ads, from selecting visuals to refining copy. But once you find what clicks, the results can be astounding.

Harnessing Social Media: 4 Best Practices to Optimize Results

Many businesses struggle with maintaining a consistent and effective social media strategy. Here are some actionable tips to optimize your online multifamily marketing efforts:

1. Embrace Content Calendars

While it can be difficult to draft a content calendar for the first time, it proves immensely beneficial for your social media strategy in the long term. Content calendars keep your publishing schedule organized and prevent you from missing any important dates.

Organize your posting schedule by planning content in advance. Using tools like Google’s collaborative platforms helps streamline team communication, ensuring timely and diverse content publication.

Remember to plan as your business and surrounding area evolve. These posts can all be added to your content calendar in advance so that you can plan out your days to ensure nothing overlaps, you aren’t over-promoting your business, and you are diversifying your content appropriately.

2. Follow the 20/80 Rule

Regardless of the platform, social media is not a microphone for self-promotion. While it’s tempting to blast your latest offers, promotions, and new amenities across each channel, this “interruptive” promotion is not always effective. There’s a time and a place for promotional content, and that time accounts for about 20% of your feed.

Overall, 20% of your shared content should focus on you, while the remaining 80% should be about your audience and what interests them. Take this 80% opportunity to be a resource, a thought leader, and a value-add for your customers.

At Criterion.B, we refer to this rule as the “cocktail party methodology.” When you arrive at a cocktail party, what do you do? Most people walk up to a small group of people and ask about them: their names, their work, and where they live. You ask follow-up questions to get to know them and seek common interests.

With time, the conversation turns back to you, allowing you to share about yourself. Interrupting the current conversations and talking about yourself first would be rude. This is how social media works, too — it’s a conversation.

3. Pin Posts to Your Feed

Did you know you can pin important posts to the top of your feed? From your latest press release announcing a new product line to a fun giveaway promoting your participation at an upcoming trade show, there are plenty of opportunities to highlight important social posts.

Pinning posts to your feed is a simple three-step process:

• Go to your Facebook or X (Twitter) newsfeed and find the post you want to pin.
• Click the down arrow in the corner of your post.
• Select “Pin to Top.”

Pinning an important post can extend your reach, potentially attracting more engagement and interest. Don’t forget to “unpin” your post after three to four days to prevent ad fatigue. These reminders can be part of your content calendar.

4. Take Advantage of Influencer Marketing

From reviews to thought leadership, social media offers a unique outlet to turn fans into influencers. Influencers are recognized by their large following and insights covering all aspects of your respective market. A strong social presence is necessary to hold an influencer status and quality posts that engage followers actively. Often, influencers are viewed as a more trustworthy resource than advertisers, thus better capturing your audience.

Connecting with these influencers allows you to market your business simply by becoming visible through their followers. Rather than spending large marketing dollars on print ads, influencer outreach is free or significantly cheaper. Consider allowing an influencer to guest blog on your site, for example, or have them take over one of your channels daily to motivate your followers to engage.

Social media offers boundless opportunities for multifamily marketers. However, the key lies in integrating it effectively into a broader strategy, ensuring that every post, ad, and interaction aligns with the brand’s goals and resonates with the target audience.