Marketing Home, Marketing You

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A little conversation about leftovers hit me hard and made me re-evaluate how I was spending my time.

This week, I'm giving you a sneak peek of Sprout Marketing's favorite July resident events and marketing ideas from our Sprout Monthly Marketing Magazine. Inside our monthly magazine, you'll find…Tips and tricks to have easier renewal conversations when rents are increasing12 July resident event ideas that are easy and creative Resident gift ideas for every lifestyle How to prioritize your leads with saved reply templates Best places to outreach market your apartment this summer How to batch social media content with new Instagram template videos

SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS TO DRIVE TRAFFIC TO YOUR APARTMENT COMMUNITY Encourage People to VisitThese can be just a direct shout-out to come to visit with a picture of your community. Get creative with your imagery. Try holding a cup of coffee or another refreshment and invite them to stop by for a “Sip & Tour!” Vary pictures of different amenity spaces. Example: Post a picture of the pool with a caption hook, “Want to spend your summer here? Stop by to tour today!” Include a picture of yourself and do a personal invite to tour with you specifically. Remember, only about 6% of social media posts are seen by your audience. Combine an old caption with a new photo or video and just like that you have an upcycled post! NEIGHBORHOOD SPOTLIGHTSpotlighting different businesses and hotspots in your neighborhood gives you ENDLESS possibilities for posts. Ideas: Your favorite place to get coffee. Your favorite bakery. You could do your favorite lunch spot… think sushi, Mexican, Indian, etc. Your favorite park, grocery store and so much more! You can also share a post from a business in your neighborhood. Let's say that you follow that bakery and they posted something really neat. Now you can share that post in your stories, make sure you tag them, do an @mention and whatever their handle is and write a fun post. Example: “Go visit our friends at _____________! They're only two minutes away and we love their chocolate croissants. Thank us later!” This is a very simple way to get “FREE” content that really helps promote your neighborhood and gets cross-promotion going with other local businesses! HIGHLIGHT A RESIDENT TESTIMONIALResident testimonials are SO powerful. Take a screenshot of a Google review or a Yelp review or create a graphic in Canva with a few nice words a resident sent via email. You can do this anonymously or include their name with the resident's consent. Bonus: Ask a friendly resident if they'd be willing to do a video testimonial. You know which resident to ask…the one that loves to chat and isn't scared of the camera. SHARE AN FAQ - YOU KNOW YOU GET A TON OF THESE FROM PROSPECTS Write down the questions that people ask you throughout the week. Then do a regular feature sharing your most frequently asked FAQ's. Example: “Hey, it's Friday, and we're sharing a frequently asked question! You can do it with a video (Instagram stories, reel, TikTok, FB Live). I like the face-to-face interaction, but if you're not comfortable just do text in an Instagram story. Super, super simple. TAG-A-FRIEND REFERRAL POSTYou can encourage referrals with a tag-a-friend post. Ideas: Tag a Friend That…You'd love to have nearby as a walking partner! You wish was your neighbor so that happy hour could be an hour! Would love this view.

I wish there were two of me so I could get more done! Why can't I be at two places at once? There isn't enough of me to go around! If you're an entrepreneur running your own business or a property manager running a business like it's your own, you've likely thought this a time or two. Am I right? I promise I'm not spying on you. I've just been in your shoes. When I first started as a property manager I felt constantly pulled in a million directions. I would often get to the office early and leave after everyone else left so I could get my work done when it was quiet. Sometimes I wanted to hide from my team and my residents. (Shout out to anyone who has ever parked their car away from the office so residents don't know you are there!) Many years later when I jumped into the world of entrepreneurship, I felt a familiar feeling. Overwhelm. And again I found myself wishing for two of me. There just weren't enough hours in the day and I had the mistaken view that if I wanted anything done right, I'd have to do it myself. After 10+ years as a property manager and 11+ years as an entrepreneur, I'm sad to say I haven't actually figured out how to clone myself, but I have figured out TWO strategies that work even better. Today I want to share them with you. Grab your favorite coffee or tea and let's hang out.

In this podcast interview with the multi-family property manager Laura Ryan, we talk about her amazing career, the importance of wellness, and how to define your career/success so that it works for you!Get the answers to these questions from a real property manager: What do you look for in a leasing agent?What advice would you give?How did you handle difficult times?

How do you create a company culture that wants to work and make big goals happen? How do you have a team succeed during difficult times? Learn from a manager what it takes to lead a team. What you will learn in this podcast: - Advice for Leasing Agents, Property Managers, and Regionals- What To Look for in Team Building- How To Stand Out Personally

Learn what it takes to move up, to face challenges with honesty and empathy, when you should take risks and when you should stick to basics. MAYBE ALL IT TAKES IS LOOKING AT THE BIG PICTURE?What you will learn in this podcast: Advice for Leasing Agents, Property Managers, and RegionalsHow To Communicate With Your Team Your NeedsSo Much More!

Property managers have a tough job, we know, but one thing we don't acknowledge enough is the mental toll this job takes. Learn from a community manager who found a way to take care of the team and herself during one of the toughest years. What you will learn in this podcast: Ways to use Soft Skills: Empathy, Active Listening, and CommunicationHow to take care of the mental health of you, your team, and your community.

Thinking of re-branding your apartment community? Wondering if you really have everything you need to market it well? We've got exactly the information you need! Learn the best ways to approach a branding project from our in-house expert that you can put into practice with your next branding project. Featured in this week's apartment marketing podcast: - 6 Big Branding Mistakes People Make (and how to avoid them)- 5 Branding Must-Haves for Every Apartment Community

These events range in price and duration, from completely virtual to grab-and-go…we've covered all the bases! This daily dose is full of event ideas, designs and inspiration. Easily bring them to life with a Multifamily Marketing Membership.Featured in this week's apartment marketing podcast: 2 Micro-events2 Virtual events to host2 Budget-friendly events2 Luxury events

What you will learn in this video: Why you should layer your tour information to address pain points for your prospects. How to focus on your prospect's lifestyle and tailor your presentation to them.When to feature your staff, neighborhood, and amenities in a way that serves your prospects. Get your own guidebook to build your leasing skills.

What you will learn in this podcast: - What you need to do to grow in the multifamily industry - valuable advice!- The biggest challenges property managers face - you are not alone! - Tips to manage a property that's a larger asset with more residents. What you should automate and what you should make sure you do yourself.

There is a leasing technique and skill set that once mastered, drives leases waaaay up. It helps you feel more comfortable leasing and still serves me today. What am I talking about? Closing techniques! This podcast shares several closing ideas for you to choose from and make your own. Please consider them as a jumping-off point, not a one-size-fits-all, and tailor them to your personality. If you like what you hear/read/see, it's a small sample from our Leasing Blueprint Handbook. This is the book I wished I had when I was a leasing professional and why we made it just for you. Let's get comfortable closing all those sales!

What you get in this episode: - Find out which videos you NEED in your marketing. - How to get done-for-you videos. (We make great videos!)- A complete guide to DIY your own videos, and our favorite apps to use!

Opt-ins are a strategy where you give away something small to encourage someone to join or "opt-in" to your email list. This opt-in lives on your website where they submit their email and then go to a page or receive an email with whatever giveaway you have. Then you continually nurture that email list by sharing details about your community, whether that be a hot floor plan, benefits of your amenities or location, or your latest special.Opt-ins can be a special or discount, but they don't have to be. Information is also a very valuable and coveted item that people want. Below you will find some opt-in ideas that you can utilize today! Full Episode Info HERE.

- Get the answers to your most common questions about social media. - The 2 goal outcomes for social media posts. What are they? And how do you achieve them? - The secret weapon hundreds of multifamily professionals partner with to shortcut their social media planning and execution.

LEARN:How 2020 changed our habits 2 Pillars of Building a Community 3 Marketing Ideas that Support you and your Local Community3 Retention Ideas to Create A Corner Of Happiness3 Event Ideas to Give People An Outlet

Listen for the FULL list! 1. Drill down on what makes you unique.2. Talk to people everywhere you go. 3. Get to work 15 minutes early and establish a start-up routine.

Get your Instagram Story (ready to use!) at watchyourbusinesssprout.com/sprout-marketing-blog/love-where-you-live-location-marketing

- Learn what a micro-event is along with how and why you need to host them. - Get the resources and instructions to host a killer virtual event that everyone will love. We PROMISE. Download them here: watchyourbusinesssprout.com/sprout-marketing-blog/8-heartwarming-events-to-boost-retention

see the full blog & resources https://www.watchyourbusinesssprout.com/sprout-marketing-blog/marketing-in-the-new-year.

See all resources at watchyourbusinesssprout.com/sprout-marketing-blog/events-january2021

In this session you will learn: Why easing up on your team might be counterproductiveWhat your leadership style is - dominator or protectorHow to offer the right amount of challenge and support How to have weekly one-on-ones with your team to drive the results you wantHow to progressively escalate conversations (without emotion) to address barriersGo to episode webpage here.

The first one is to define the IMPACT you want to have. If you have people that are excited about being in the multifamily housing industry and want to have a similar impact as you, your ability to clearly define what that impact is and what that purpose is is really critical.The example that I use is I would never really be a good team member if Coca-Cola or Pepsi hired me. I'm trying to stop drinking Coca-Cola and Pepsi because I think it's terrible for you and I think it's contributing to a lot of health issues in our country. So I wouldn't have a passion. It's not the impact I want to have on the world. So the first question is what is the passion, what are we trying to go build? I want to go find people that have a similar passion. The only way that I can do that is to try to unpack it from my own brain and then recognize if other people have it as well. People are the most powerful resource a business has, and people are not being tapped into at the level they should be so that they can create impact. And a lot of that is because they're not passionate about what they do or the impact of their work; whether they're with the wrong company or if they're in the wrong industry or if they're just with the wrong team.The key, as a hiring manager, is to get clear on how I define passion first, so that I can invite people on the journey to go create that impact. Next you have to define your core values. So often we look at the capabilities or abilities that somebody needs in order to do their role, but just because somebody is proficient at the technical aspect doesn't mean that we're going to work well together. And those core values are really important. Our core values are how we approach the work. My core values are humble, hungry, and sharp. I just don't work well with people that aren't humble, people that come in with a lot of bravado, boisterous and bragging. They're not bad people; I just don't get them. I don't understand where they're coming from. So subconsciously my trust in them goes down. People that aren't hungry and aren't willing to come in to the office early if we've got some stuff to get done. If I'm coming in at 7:00 and they're coming in at 8:30, I don't trust that we're going to be able to get the work done. There should be a common thread of beliefs that we have in terms of how we approach our work that increases trust. Like Lencioni says on the Five Dysfunctions of a Team: when we have high trust, that's the foundational point of every high performing and high functioning team out there. Lastly, define the capabilities needed. This is where you can make your bullet-pointed list of: needs to be proficient in this, needs to be able to do this, needs to be able to do that. Go ahead and get that knocked out. It's important, but I see it as the third most important part because if I can find somebody who is passionate about the work and what we're trying to do, someone who is aligned from a core value perspective, I can teach them a lot of the capabilities that they need to a certain extent. If they're really good on the capability side but we're not aligned on a core value and what we're passionate about? I can't train them on that. I can't teach them that. So those are your three areas: passion for what we're doing, core values, and capabilities.

To my property management friends, I rounded up 7 FUN events for you to finish 2020 strong. I know, I know…we are ready for 2020 to be over but you know what? We are the type of people that don't stop when it gets hard. We regroup and get. it. done. And we do it in style. There is something for everyone - budget-friendly, simple, glam…we got it all! And guess what? I have a special offer for you. If you've been on the fence about joining the Sprout Membership where you can access EVERYTHING you see on the blog and hear about on the podcast-THIS IS YOUR CHANCE. >> Use code DECEMBER 25 to sign up and get $25 off your membership. Pay by credit card here or request invoicing here. 1. Sparkle Event: Grab-N-Go2. Recipe Swap3. Sweet Treats on the Go4. Hot Chocolate on the Run 5. Milk & Cookies6. Card Bar 7. Charity Drive

Visit MarketingHomeMarketingYou.com for all the resources mentioned in this episode. Click on episode #42.

We are always looking for ways to add amenities to our communities and if there is an opportunity for ancillary income, even better! That's why I was so excited to virtually “sit down” with STRATIS CEO, Felicite Moorman to talk all things Smart Apartments and Intelligent Buildings. She shares how technology is shaping the landscape of multifamily housing and opening up opportunities that we've never had before. Worried your community is too outdated to implement smart technology? Don't be! Felicite is sharing how implementing small options can save you thousands in the long haul. This isn't just for luxury communities or for Gen Z renters! There is a place for smart technology on all assets and across all demographics. Tune in to see how your community can leverage the benefits and start making the SMART move (see what I did there

Whether you choose to do these events and gifts as a Resident Appreciation Week or sprinkle them throughout the month is up to you!These ideas are simple and fun. We've incorporated some of the Creative Holidays from November. Grab your free calendar to start planning!

>> Who can benefit from Facebook ads? >>Should individual communities set up Facebook ads or should it be tackled at the management company level? >>Where to start? >> How important are digital graphics and messaging to the success of your FB ads strategy? >> How to pick the right ad agency or partner?

>>Clifton's connection to multifamily >>Why is anxiety on the rise? >>When does normal anxiety turn into anxiety disorder? >>What are the symptoms? >>What practical steps can someone take to alleviate anxiety?

This is a little bit of a unique episode because I'm sharing a personal journey I've taken to lose weight over the last six months. Many commented and sent direct messages on social media, asking what I did to lose weight, so I thought I'd share my experience in a podcast episode.Let's rewind for a sec…When COVID and quarantine first started, I found myself going between two reactions involving food. On days where I had time on my hands and was unsure of what productive thing to do, I was eating all the things (and watching the news way too much). And then, on the other days, I was working long hours with my team to make necessary changes to the business to meet the rapidly changing needs of our clients. Since we provide all the flyers and notices that apartment communities use to correspond with residents, we found ourselves swamped with requests from property managers bombarded with change and uncertainty. On those days, I would go to five o'clock and realized I hadn't eaten.On both days, I wasn't feeling good. I would either feel overstuffed and restless OR have a pounding headache from too much caffeine and no food. That went on for a good 30 days.And then I talked with myself. (I hope I'm not alone in talking to myself?)I said to myself, "You know, Barbara, you don't know how long this is going to be; it's obviously more than just a few weeks. And since this time is going to pass anyway, it's up to you on how you'll come out on the other side."And I knew that if I kept going down the path that was going, I would not feel good, six, eight months later.And so I thought, "Okay. When else am I going to have this opportunity to put a little bit more of a focus on my health and on what I'm eating and on moving my body?" I decided to work with a health coach. And today, I'm sharing our interview.

One of the biggest lies that we've been taught to believe is that bigger is better. That in order to have a thriving community we have to have the latest amenities, the most over-the-top giveaways, and host events to rival a Kardashian bash.

We answer these questions and talk about:How do we know what our culture is really like?How can you change it around?Setting rules actually handicaps your employees.How to let someone go (and how it can actually be a good thing!)

This second bonus episode is all about:Getting funding for ResMan.Finding a mentor to continue your career growth.How men and women network differently - and how it might be holding you back!Knowing when it's time to dream bigger and why sometimes that means having a serious look in the mirror.Tune in and hear Elizabeth Francisco, of ResMan, share all of her hard-earned knowledge! We promise you won't want to miss this.

Elizabeth Francisco: Once you meet her, you never forget her. Her energy is infectious and she is one of the most resilient people I know.Elizabeth is the President and Co-Founder of ResMan, a property management software for multifamily. She has over 25 years of experience in the multifamily industry both as an asset manager and software executive.When life pivots and you don't get what you thought you would, how do you adjust?Elizabeth graciously shared her story and I know you'll love it. You'll find hope and inspiration from her “never give up” attitude in facing life's challenges and chasing your dreams.I promise you'll love this podcast episode.

Join me and Dr. Nadia Bening as she shares what stress actually does to our bodies, and techniques to take care of ourselves. Just like our marketing strategy of “small steps create huge impacts”, Dr. Nadia shares our mentality of going back to basics when building foundations of health. Take these tips and transform your life. Bottom line: This pandemic is a stressful time! We know it. Making an effort to care for your mental and physical health will make you feel so much better. Reducing stress with practical steps and advice is timely and readily available to most of us. Use this time to reset and take on life the way YOU want to take it on.

Feel like you've been on a Coronacoaster? Feeling fatigued with little inspiration for marketing? I get it. Our goal is to get back to create meaningful MOMENTS for our residents and prospects. We have a huge impact in the lives of our residents. So let's put a little extra effort to make life special for our residents.

Nothing is off-limits in this conversation! Kate shares her journey, some foundational principles that have shaped her career, and how she ultimately landed her dream role as an apartment developer - combining her many passions and talents!I know you will benefit from the conversation! Listen to the audio below or check out the video for a full experience and SO many more laughs.

Moms have taken on new jobs during quarantine for their family - becoming teachers, full-time caregivers, some are sole providers - all the while balancing their anxieties and stress during an unpredictable time and still keeping up with a demanding career in multifamily housing.How are they meeting the challenges?I wanted to know, so I reached out to a few of my friends and colleagues in our industry and I'm so excited to share insights from each of them about handling challenges and overcoming obstacles.

We're passing the mic!! This time it's from our Sprout Fam. Rebecca Ross-Gilinsky is the Creative Director at Sprout Marketing and has a brilliant and creative mind that we loveeee her for. She's based out of Chicago, so we enjoy all the pics of snow she sends our #watercooler Slack channel, and her quarantine TikToks are not to be underestimated. Rebecca is a pro.Learn from her today on the topic of HASHTAGS. She'll cover:What are hashtags?Why do you need to use them in your post captions?How do you do it?

We are learning that we need to love where we live…now more than ever. Remind your residents and show your prospects that your apartment community is a place they can make that a reality!

Take the time to craft the prospect's experience from start to finish, Beyonce-style. By paying attention to the details, putting yourself in their shoes, and going through the process to uncover any frustrations, you will have a high-converting, self-guided tour program in place in no time.

If you are an apartment property manager that has been struggling to keep up with it all at your community (and heck, at life) the last couple of months, you are not alone, my friend! I have been thinking about you. I know how challenging it has been to deal with quarantine, social distancing and now for many, reopening their leasing office doors. (Are we ready?)