Common Multifamily Marketing Mishaps and How to Avoid Them

Yet, amidst the hustle and bustle, it's all too easy to fall prey to common marketing mishaps that can impede your community's growth and success. 

In this blog, we'll share six common mishaps that multifamily marketers often encounter and, more importantly, how to proactively avoid them. From the importance of regularly updating your content to incorrect resident personas that may cause you to target the wrong demographic, let's explore these strategies to ensure your marketing efforts thrive in today's digital landscape.

1. Forgetting to Update Your Content 

Your website and social media platforms are often the first touchpoints for potential residents. Regularly update these channels with fresh content, including photos, videos, blog posts, and community news and events to boost your online visibility and credibility. 

Keep these tips in mind to prevent your content from getting stale:

• Stay Relevant to Your Audience: Focus on hyperlocal SEO keywords that resonate with your target renters. Instead of broad terms like "apartments in Atlanta," opt for specific phrases like "Buckhead Atlanta apartments for rent" or “apartments near GSU” within your on-page copy and metadata. This targeted approach ensures you attract high-quality leads interested in what your community has to offer. 

• Match Local and Community Updates: When a trendy new coffee shop emerges in the neighborhood or your property is getting a clubhouse amenities upgrade, it's the perfect chance to incorporate these exciting developments into your website's neighborhood page or social media posts. Mentioning these new attractions demonstrates that your community is in tune with the pulse of the neighborhood, reinforcing the idea that living there means being part of a vibrant and ever-evolving community.

• Avoid Generic Content: AI tools that churn out generic content may seem convenient, but they do little to showcase your community's unique offerings if you don’t make it more personalized. For instance, rather than posting a summer cocktail recipe on a blog or social media post, share photos from a recent resident event where the cocktail was served. This approach not only engages prospective renters but also gives them a glimpse into the vibrant community life you offer. 

2. Not Keeping Specials Consistent

If you feature specials on your website, ensure they are promptly removed when they expire. An outdated website can lead to frustration and confusion among potential renters, ultimately driving them away from your community.

Moreover, maintaining an updated website reflects positively on your community's overall professionalism and attention to detail. It instills confidence in prospective tenants, assuring them that they can rely on your community to provide accurate and reliable information throughout their leasing journey.

In today's competitive multifamily market where renters have countless options at their fingertips, ensuring your website is current and accurate is a small but significant step towards creating a positive impression and ultimately securing leases for your community.

3. Failing to Optimize the Property Website 

First impressions matter, and professional photographs are your community's first introduction to potential renters. Ensure that your website features plenty of high-quality images that showcase your community's amenities, interiors, and exteriors, but be mindful to not to slow down the page speeds of your website. Tagging these images correctly and adjusting image sizing across all views not only enhances their visibility but also improves your website's overall SEO performance. 

High-quality video content can be another powerful tool for showcasing your community, whether that’s virtual walkthroughs or promotional videos of the community. However, improperly formatted videos can slow down your website's load time and cause prospects to click off very quickly so make sure these video specs are optimized for web and mobile viewing to provide a seamless user experience. 

Finally, prospective renters should also be able to easily access information about amenities without having to dig through multiple menus and pages. Keep amenities prominently displayed on your home and amenities page to provide potential renters with a comprehensive overview of the vibrant lifestyle your community offers.

4. Separating Multifamily Marketing and Sales Teams

Did you know that keeping your community’s marketing and sales team divided can lead to missed opportunities and inconsistencies throughout the property, potentially causing confusion amongst renters?

From website content to social media posts, these discrepancies can erode the community's brand image and undermine its credibility in the eyes of prospective residents. 

Whether it be lease-renewal campaigns for younger renters at student apartment communities or a mid-rise new development looking to attract young professionals and small families, bringing both teams together allows for better communication and alignment of goals, leading to better targeted and more effective campaigns built on shared data insights and feedback.

5. Ignoring Low-Hanging Fruit

In the fast-paced world of multifamily marketing, overlooking simple yet effective strategies can be a common mistake.

Take, for example, the often neglected task of completing your Google Business Profile. It may seem like a small detail, but it holds significant potential for enhancing your community's online presence. 

By investing just five minutes to ensure your profile is up-to-date with essential information like floor plans, location, and hours, you can maximize your visibility in the digital landscape with relevant information about your community that’s readily available. This way, when potential renters search for properties in your area, you make it easier for prospects to find and engage with your community. It's like putting up a bright neon sign that says, "Look no further, your dream apartment is right here!" 

Moreover, an optimized Google Business Profile lays the groundwork for more effective advertising campaigns. Whether you're investing in Google Ads or relying on organic search traffic, a complete profile enhances the performance of your marketing efforts where every component works in harmony to attract and convert leads. 

6. Creating Incorrect Resident Personas

Multifamily marketing is all about targeting a specific audience and if your team's efforts are focused on renter demographics that aren't aligned with your property's offerings, the returns from your campaigns may be minimal.

The foundation of effective targeting lies in the creation of well thought out resident personas. By conducting research on your current and potential residents, you can gain insights into their demographics, goals, and challenges – all of which will enable you to identify commonalities and craft targeted personas that resonate with your ideal audience.

We’ve got a newly updated Renter Personas eBook free for marketers, property managers, and multifamily professionals to download and use, so check it out here and get started on refining your ideal renter persona.

Filled with impactful data and insights from Gen Z to Baby Boomers, learn how to take generation characteristics such as age, lifestyle, hobbies, shopping preferences, and more, and use them to create detailed personas that can inform and revolutionize your digital marketing strategy.

Turning Insights into Action

As we've explored throughout this blog, every detail plays a crucial role in attracting and retaining residents. At Repli, we understand the importance of these elements, which is why our digital marketing services are designed to address your community's unique needs.

Whether it's optimizing your website for maximum visibility or creating targeted social media campaigns, we're here to help you navigate the complexities of multifamily marketing.

Connect with us today to discover how our comprehensive services can help you achieve your leasing goals and stand out in a competitive market!