Apartment Social Media
Apartment Marketings Top Theme for 2010 – Get Some
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What Can a Baby Bird Teach Apartment Peeps
Great post over at “Feed me!” « Hoehn’s Musings –
I really have a disdain for the phrase – keep-it-simple-stupid [K.I.S.S] – not because I don’t think the concept is true, I just don’t like the saying. And, in the same respect it seems appropriate for this post. Read with that in mind.
What can a baby bird teach apartment peeps about serving the customer
The baby bird analogy that Charlie uses, as it relates to making it simple for the customer, is perfect for any industry across the world. For those of us in the apartment space, it will become more and more incumbent upon owners, executives and front line service providers to bring ease to both the leasing and living experience in 2010. That being said, much speak as of late has been dominated by words like experience marketing, engagement and entertainment. While I think those things are true and will become more embedded in the way we do business going forward – I encourage us not to forget about making it simple and don’t forget about the fundamentals.
Make sure the fundamentals come first
A few of our quests, as apartment operators, are to provide a great experience, strike true engagement and provide some emotionally loaded entertainment that provides for powerful brand association. What we have to remember is that the basics give us every opportunity to do everyone of these things and more. We don’t necessarily have to come up with a new silver bullet each and every year. Charlie, in his post, provides a insanely simple example by way of this receipt [below] from Ted’s Montana Grill. At Ted’s they split each patrons order into a total on the receipt so no attention has to be given to it on the part of the patron. It’s simple – it’s easy and in some subtle way – it’s simply remarkable.
At very least it gives us all something to think about as we move forward in 2010 –
Sacred Cows in the Apartment Business
I read a line the other day that I really liked’ “Sacred cows make the best hamburgers.” It got me thinking about stuff and things in the apartment space that just need to go. It’s that whole – “we have always done it that way.” mentality. Here is a good story that illustrates the point as well –
Because we have always done it that way
Sarah was excited about helping her mother prepare Thanksgiving dinner. She watched as her mother cut both both ends off the ham before putting it in the pan and then into the oven.
“Mom, why did you cut off both ends of the ham?” Sarah asked.
“That’s the way my mother always did it, so that’s how I do it.” said Sarah’s mother.
“But why?”
“I don’t know. You should ask your grandmother. “
Sarah walked out of the kitchen to find her grandmother. “Grandma, when you prepared ham for baking, why did you always cut off both ends?”
“That’s what my mother always did it,” said Sarah’s grandmother.
“But why?”
“I don’t know why. She taught me to cook and I have always done as she did.”
Sarah was even more perplexed by this. She found her great-grandmother in the living room and asked her. “Great Grandma, when you prepared ham for baking, you always cut off both ends. Grandma and Mom do the same thing but couldn’t tell me why. They said they do as you did. So I’m wondering, why did you cut the ends off?”
“Well,” Great-grandma said, “when your great grandpa and I were young, we only had one pan and the pan was too small.”
Which sacred cows will you turn in the hamburgers in 2010
You can focus on every area of your business from apartment marketing ideas to the way you log a service request – from curb appeal to preventive maintenance for your fitness center equipment.
Two areas I would like to focus on in 2010 are:
1. Paperless lease transactions that include signature pads much like you would see at any retail location
2. Further automating our AP process –
Sacred cows that will no doubt taste good in the way of freeing up some time to focus on re-imagining our constituents experience.
Which SCs are you prepping to grill in 2010?
Apartment Marketing Ideas for 2010 and Beyond
I like what Seth has to say about the coming decade –
Change: The infrastructure of massive connection is now real. People around the world have cell phones. The first internet generation is old enough to spend money, go to work and build companies. Industries are being built every day (and old ones are fading). The revolution is in full swing, and an entire generation is eager to change everything because of it. Hint: it won’t look like the last one with a few bells and whistles added.
The accelerating pace of change in the apartment marketing space has been in full swing for nearly the whole of the last decade. It may have seemed slow to some and not fast enough to others but one thing can not be argued – it has changed. And, the coming decade will no doubt bring some crazy amazing uber-cool things to the apartment space.
Apartment Marketing Ideas
Don’t think of this list as another prediction or trends of the coming decade list as it is just some off the top of my head thoughts – some short term some long term and in no particular order and with no premise:
- It’s all marketing all the time – will take on a whole new meaning
- It’s not all about heads in beds as giving back un-publicly will take on some level of importance [some will no doubt exploit this publicly]
- The continued adoption of platforms like Facebook and Twitter will no doubt accelerate –
- Platforms like Foursquare will gain traction –
- User reviews will be a common element of your website –
- Blogs will finally catch real traction and, in my opinion – it doesn’t matter what the content is about as long as it is compelling and adds value – it will be your hub as it relates to the conveyor belt theory of marketing
- Monetize everything will no doubt be an operating aim for many – I think it’s the quickest way to kill your advocates – think long and hard about this one before you make a move –
- Participation will become the key initiative across platforms – look for experience marketing with heavy entertainment themes as a way to gain followers –
- Craigslist as it relates to marketing apartments will be mashed up beyond recognition and it will be compelling, automatic and anticipatory –
- Print will hang on for a bit but will look far different than it does today –
- ILSs will experience massive disruption as a result of crazy good UGC and dare I say Google – might want to think about becoming experience marketing creationists
- Employees will demand participation be a part of their job descriptions –
- Gen Y will serve Gen Y – this will be massively cool and massively frustrating for those who don’t embrace it –
- So called gurus and experts will pop up everywhere – I encourage you to become your own guru or expert [the tools are accessible to everyone, they are free and they are easy to use] –
- A/P and A/R will become 100% digital –
- Paperless offices will happen –
- True help yourself leasing will happen –
- Apartment mechanical systems will self diagnose, check your inventory, order part or replacement if necessary, schedule maintenance and notify residents all along the way –
Just some back of the napkin stuff here – no doubt there is so much more. I will be back to update often
Have a famous new year and I look forward to participating in denting the multifamily universe
M
What Matters Now in Apartment Marketing
Generosity
As it relates to apartment marketing – generosity and being the difference that makes a difference is not status-quo. Being the difference takes a lot of effort and hard work and more times than not for little to no pay. The wage of a true hero in our space is paid in winning the respect of people across the gamut. It’s paid in knowing and understanding that the world is a better place for having shared all they know. More specifically, it is the free giving of time and resource that makes the real difference. It’s generosity…
How I Learned About Generosity
A quick story of reference – when I entered the apartment world some fifteen years ago I had the fortune of meeting one of these rare people. She took me along for a ride in her car one day and rifling through her purse looking for a compact she displaced six or seven thousand dollars worth of checks made out to her. Commissions for rentals and sales she had transacted over the past month. Her non-chalant response and the answer to my follow up question is what sticks with me to this day. “Oh – I really need to get those in the bank” – I asked – “Where do you bank?” She pointed – Our office happened to be right next door to her bank. I thought – unreal. Her follow up was – for me at the time – alarming. I don’t do this for the money – “I do it for the gratification I see in other people when they go through the experience of moving into their new home.” I thought [inside voice] – that’s crazy lady – I do it for the greenbacks.
It was only upon her losing a battle with cancer a few years later that the deeper meaning of generosity was cemented with me. I attended her funeral and witnessed what seemed like thousands of people paying their respects for her having given of her time and resource. Well before the mass appeal of the Internet and the advent of social platforms she had literally built a community of constituents. I have no doubt she achieved it in large part through her generosities. In my passing her casket – my time with her in the car ride came cascading back and in that moment – I caught the essence of generosity. She really didn’t do it for the money…
Now many years later I confess I am still chasing the application of what I consider a supreme human quality – in a me me me world, giving of time and resource takes a back seat far to often and I am as guilty as the next guy.
As it Relates to Family and Apartment Marketing
Might I suggest in 2010 that we get back to the art of giving and start with family and friends. And, as it relates to apartment marketing – give to your influencers and your non influencers alike. Give of time and resource in your community without the expectation of return. Figure out which charities that the top five businesses around you give to and partner with them to give of your time and resource. Do it regularly. Write about it on your blog. Get your influencers to influence their influencers and so on and so forth. The old axiom of the more you give the more you will get is really true and it applies equally to generosity. Be the difference that makes a difference in 2010. Be generous.
Inspired by: What Matters Now
