Apartment Blogging
Mills Apartment Bloggers
Mills Apartments is hosting our first bloggers’ summit less than two hours from now and I thought we would share our underlying premise for day and for the future of our blogging efforts. It’s also an effort on my part to flesh out my thoughts – real truth be known. And, to answer the one question that I know will be on everyone’s mind – Why do we have to blog? There are four major reasons as I see it and they are as follows.
It’s All About People, Stupid
We are going to start the day by discussing the introduction chapter of the book Brains on Fire: Igniting Powerful, Sustainable, Word of Mouth Movements
People Buy People
It does not matter if you are in a B2B or B2C business – people buy people. They don’t buy fancy brochures, marketing speak, fancy promotions, ads or campaigns. In fact, the Brains on Fire authors describe brochures as “pretty trash.” I can’t say I disagree with them. It is a waste of money that can be otherwise invested in the growth of people.
I have long suggested that organizations are born into the world to serve the people that serve it. Take the money you are thinking about investing in creating a fancy brochure [don’t forget to include the time your team devotes to the creation] and invest it in growing someone. Our blogging summit is about just that. We are taking the time to help people to become better writers. And, in turn the hope is that they ignite like kind passions in other people.
Part of Something Bigger Than Self
It’s been said before and it will be said again; people just want to be a part of something bigger than self. You can debate the point from the perspective of religion, politics, social change agents or even Maslow’s hierarchy. It’s just fundamental to who were are as humans. Look at some of the movements in Brains on Fire, look at the Susan G. Komen movement or simply watch an episode of Extreme Makeover. People would trip over themselves to be a part of that experience. And, I would wager that it goes beyond some of the otherwise shallow reasons we could easily come up with.
In short, it taps our need to feel valued and important.
Stop Being A Marketer – Instead, Be an Igniter
The first part of that sub-title has been written about more times than I care to count. The second part however, is a topic that I think needs some traction as it relates to businesses leveraging their innate need to provide the platforms and support for movements to take place. Brains on Fire [can I call it B of F?] is a great catalyst for the discussion.
We live in a crowded world and, to borrow a term I fell in love with a number a years ago, an Attention Economy. I can’t recall the stat off the top of my head but I am sure it is well North of 1,000 marketing messages cross through our brain on a given day. Whoa! That is crazy to think about. North of 1,000 so I am sure it would suffice to say that your message [our message] is likely lost in the sea of bobbing billboards, print ads and aging signage.
Many companies are shifting gears and making their businesses more social in nature. More open in nature. More compelling in nature. And, it all starts with the Igniter. It starts with the person that Cares as much if not more than you do. It starts with the person that feels your pain and celebrates your successes sometimes before you even know about them. It’s that group of people out there that would tattoo your brand on their forehead if they knew it would help you create one more compelling relationship.
Here we go!
In summary, we intend to help people remember [I don’t think you ever really forget] that it’s all about people. We want to bring the discussion around to the fact that people buy from other people and that if you harness the power of those relationships, you can turn it into a movement that allows for people to be a part of something bigger than themselves. And, lastly, we really want to create a legion of igniters at Mills Apartments!
Apartment Marketers: Afraid to Blog?
Below is a link to a story that resonated with me relative to a conversation that was broached on Mike Whaling’s: Apartment Marketing Gone Digital’s last episode. I believe it was Eric Brown that made the point about the lack of conversation about blogs as it relates to apartment marketing at NAAs 2010 convention.
Apartment Blogging: Fear
I agree to some extent with Eric that there is a dearth of examples with apartment blogging in the Apartment Space as I think the offerings are growing everyday. For example – Mills Properties – is on the verge of launching seven regional blogs in addition to revamping the Mills employee-centric blog. In addition, JC Hart, Trillium, Paragon, Village Green and PCMG have ventured down the path of blogging and from my perspective are doing a good job of it. I applaud the fact that these firms have taken the endeavor on as an in-house marketing function.
With that, I feel it necessary to make the point that I am not an advocate of ILSs that offer blogging as a part of their advertising package. And, time should be of no excuse. I would rather hear the fear stuff like; I am afraid of what others might think of my choice of topic, my grammar, my spelling or what if I can’t think of anything to write about. Not that those things are not important but – time as an excuse – save it. This is something you make time for at the expense of other things.
Apartment Non-Blogging
To the topic at hand – the following post was offered up on the Conversation Agent Blog a couple weeks ago. In it Valeria Moltoni suggests alternatives to blogging that could and are effective in building your digital footprint. If you are not into creating original and or mashed up blog content – this read is for you. The premise is that participation is an equally compelling form of content creation. She offers some real practical applications using LinkedIn, Twitter and others. So – if you just can’t bring yourself to do it and you elect not to farm it out to a third party, try this method.
Enjoy and let us know your thoughts in the comments below –
Conversation Agent: Blogging at Work if You Don’t Have a Blog
I’ve said it before, but it bears repeating. Participation is content because it is what will activate your content in the context of the conversation. Remember when you worried about nobody coming to your blog? It’s the same with content in other places – you’ve got to interact to activate it.
Building Meaning on your Blog
The concept we’re delving into has lingered in the periphery for quite some time, yet it seems we are only now grasping its complete significance and propelling it into the limelight it merits. In this realm, Seth if full of helpful insight. His guidance transcends the mechanics of blogging; he ushers us into the realm of genuine meaning creation, a crucial element in crafting compelling blog content.
Embark on this journey of discovery: Explore Seth’s Insights on Crafting Meaningful Content
This wisdom is particularly pertinent for those who are at the precipice of starting a blog, be it focused on a specific property, the broader industry, or individuals who have already embarked on this path. Seth’s principles offer a transformative perspective, enriching your approach to blogging and elevating it from mere communication to an art form that resonates deeply.
