Leveraging the Power of Technology to Build a Brand with Mike Whaling
We had the opportunity to talk with Kevin Bupp at Real Estate Investing for Cash Flow podcast about leveraging the power of technology to build a brand for both your personal business and your real estate business. We know that social media is a great tool for this, but are you set up to get the most out of it?
Let’s find out.
Owned Space v Rented Space
In the online world, there are spaces that you own and spaces that you rent. Your website and email list are spaces where you control the message– you own this space. Social media is a rented space because you don’t have full control; it only acts as a channel through which to communicate.
Control The Message of Your Owned Space
In the multifamily industry, a good website is crucial. Your website is often the first point of contact for potential residents who are looking for a place to live; a well-designed website can make a great first impression, attracting potential renters to your properties. A good website should also provide valuable information about your properties– such as floor plans, amenities, pricing, and availability– which can help potential residents make informed decisions about whether they want to rent from you. When thinking about creating the ideal website for your property, consider the questions people are going to ask. What are the best answers to those questions? With that in mind, create content and landing pages on your website to answer those questions. Use your website to present your brand and your property in the best way possible.
“I would rather have a good website that is easy to use and looks nice, and spend the rest of my money on driving traffic to that website and delivering value to the people that get there.”
Mike Whaling, CEO of 30 Lines
4. Here’s a bonus: Great content not only nurtures your potential customers but also drives more traffic to your website overall. Google takes inventory of the content on our websites when deciding how to rank your website in the Google search; adding fresh content or repurposing existing content teaches Google that your website is a source for new and relevant information, which can improve your search engine rankings.
Rule The Rented Space
To leverage the power of social media technology to build your brand, the key is to drive traffic back to your website.
There are several ways to use social media to drive traffic to your website:
- Share blog posts and other content: Use your social media profiles to share links to your website’s blog posts, articles, and other content. This will drive traffic to your website and increase brand awareness.
2. Run social media ads: Use social media advertising platforms such as Facebook Ads, Instagram Ads, or Twitter Ads to promote your website and drive traffic to your landing pages.
3. Use social media for customer service or as a method of conversation: Responding to customer inquiries and comments on social media can help establish a positive brand reputation, leading to increased website traffic.
4. Utilize your residents as social media influencers: Partner with your community’s residents to promote your website and drive traffic to your landing pages.
Regardless of whether you’re using owned or rented online spaces, you can shape people’s perception of your brand by unifying social media content to your online presence.
The Importance of Social Media Tools
When it comes to using the tools of social media, the reality is that you get out of them what you put into them. Content is important and should be generated from what people in your audience are talking about.
“Don’t just do social media, be social and use the tools that are out there to make the connections that help your business move forward.”
Mike Whaling, CEO of 30 Lines
By actively participating in the social aspect of social media and paying attention to what people are saying, you can gain valuable insights into their needs and preferences. By being responsive and addressing their questions, you can position your brand as being the best solution. Engaging in conversations with your target audience builds brand awareness and establishes your brand’s presence within the market.
Live Streaming in Multifamily
The multifamily industry has seen a rise in live streaming social media tools such as Facebook Live, Periscope by Twitter, and live conversation tools like Blab. Think about it: most people want to see the apartment before signing a lease and see if they can picture themselves living in the space. But not all prospective renters can attend an in-person showing– enter live streaming. Property managers can easily create live streams while walking through the apartment and pointing out all of the significant aspects of the space in real-time.
On top of that, the reach is infinite with live stream. Property managers can use this opportunity to answer live questions from numerous renters, highlight amenities, or introduce the benefits of your neighborhood to a massive audience. And remember our key from earlier on how to build your brand? Drive traffic to your property website by directing viewers to sign-up on the website for email reminders for the next live showing.
Marketing Tools for Value-add Properties
Rebranding an existing property, or a property in the construction stages, can be challenging. Whether you’re marketing a property that is repositioning itself in the market or establishing itself in the market, you’re marketing a lifestyle. Prospective renters are interested in the lifestyle your community will offer. Communicate where you’re going and what you want to accomplish.
“Understand what story you’re trying to tell and then figure out how you can put the pieces in place so that social media helps you to tell that story as you’re building.”
Mike Whaling, CEO of 30 Lines
Social media provides an excellent platform to showcase the value of a property through its amenities, neighborhood benefits, and services by telling its unique story. But the story doesn’t end there: you keep it alive by providing the offline marketing opportunities that power your social media. Create IRL opportunities that drive people to engage with your social content, such as asking local food vendors to host a food truck event at your property, holding resident events, encouraging participants to follow your property on social media, and creating posts using a property-branded hashtag.
Thanks so much to Kevin Bupp for the great conversation – we had a lot of fun discussing property management and technology! Check out more of Real Estate Investing for Cash Flow wherever you get your podcasts.
Listen to the full episode here:
Hear more from our friends at Real Estate Investing for Cash Flow here:
Learn more about RentPress here:
Learn more about how to start implementing digital marketing trends that deliver into your apartment marketing strategy
Schedule a consultation with our multifamily experts today.
“Invaluable insights from Mike Whaling on leveraging technology for brand building! This blog is a must-read for realtors aiming to stay at the forefront of the industry’s evolving landscape.”