9 Property Management Marketing Ideas to Implement in 2021

If you're still relying on old-school marketing tactics in 2021, it's time to reevaluate your strategy regarding apartment rentals. Forget antiquated methods like radio, print, TV, cold-calling, and telemarketing as your core strategy. It's time to meet tenants where they spend the most time—online.

One of the best parts of digital marketing is how simple and straight-forward it can be while packing in powerful benefits, including:

• Increasing your property's brand presence
• Penetrating new markets
• Generating leads
• Increasing your revenue

The pros far outweigh the learning curve or effort to nail your marketing strategy.

Let's dive right in and discuss the top eight property management marketing ideas. These winning strategies will help get the most eyes possible on your apartment vacancies. Here are some tips to help you get started.

1. Analyze Your Competition

Stay on top of the competition by studying what they're doing right and what they could improve on. Once you get a handle on your competition's strategy, you can start working on your own. If they're masters at social media, take it a step further and create more video content and Instagram stories that showcase your units and the surrounding neighborhood.

Come prepared as a property management super sleuth.

• Which social media platforms do your competition use the most, and which ones can you dominate?
• Is their company blog effective, engaging, and valuable to tenants? How can you improve upon it with city guides and apartment rental tips?
• Which customer demographics is your competition targeting, and how are they doing it?

Pro Tip: Marketing is a skill that's honed over time and requires resources to accomplish. If you're at capacity with your property management duties, outsource your marketing instead. Hiring a pro can help you use your time more efficiently and achieve success in a shorter time frame.

2. Create Content for Your Website

Website content is arguably the most effective cornerstone of your marketing strategy. Don't leave it to the wayside and assume tenants will flood your open houses or ask for applications. Creating content for your website offers several payoffs, including:

• Increased traffic to your website
• More visibility of your units and property
• Establishing yourself as an authority in the rental industry

Your apartment rental website serves as a crucial resource for both tenants and prospective renters. An informative guide with necessary information doubles as free advertising for your company. It can also help your property stand out among the competition.

Update your property management blog regularly with content that addresses the lifestyle of your tenants. Here are a few ideas to get started:

• Neighborhood guides
• Nightlife
• Restaurant recommendations
• Attractions
• Hidden gems
• Rental tips

Create valuable content that fills the knowledge gaps of various demographics. Remember to include single parents, pet owners, retirees, and college students in your content creation efforts.

Pro Tip: Be deliberate with your content strategy. Creating content to fill your blog isn't valuable to renters and doesn't position your company as a leader in the industry. When you generate incredible value, prospective tenants pay attention to you, your units, and rental deals.

3. Establish Your Social Media Presence

Social media is more than sharing fun memes and travel fodder. When you use it strategically, it can be one of the most essential tools for communication with prospective tenants.

Go back to your competitor analysis and see which platforms they're the most active on. You can focus on the channels where they lag to stand out. It's also wise to establish a presence on the platforms they use most, as it is a good indication their target market is active on those channels.

Why reinvent the wheel if your competitors have already researched for you?

Social media is a great platform to introduce and engage with tenants and prospects. It's also a great way to promote your website content to your target audience directly.

Pro Tip: Incorporate community engagement in your social media strategy by partnering with local businesses to sponsor giveaways.

Sponsoring giveaways is a great way to promote both of your businesses. You may also be able to pick up a few referrals along the way. Start with anything from restaurant date nights to discounted rent.

4. Email Marketing and Nurturing Campaigns

Email marketing has an impact on nurturing leads and engaging with current tenants regularly. Keep tenants informed about:

• Property updates
• Special events
• Apartment living tips
• Neighborhood guides
• Information about open units to entice referrals

A weekly or monthly newsletter that's concise and informative is all you need to stay in touch and keep your tenants informed. Make sure not to overload your tenants with too many emails or you could end up in their spam filters. With the right approach, keeping everyone updated demonstrates that you have a vested interest in the management of your property and the well-being of your tenants.

5. Create a Property Page on Review Websites

You work hard to keep up a fantastic property and look out for your tenants. If you've worked hard to address tenant concerns and maintain the property without slacking on your duties, tenants should be ready to sing your praises.

Encourage past and present renters to spread the word to friends and acquaintances who may be looking for an apartment. You can also ask if they'll leave a review on sites like Google Reviews, Yelp, Facebook, and the Better Business Bureau. Their honest and positive feedback will make it easier for prospective tenants to analyze the pros and cons of working with your business or renting out your units.

It's important not to pressure tenants or make them feel you want a skewed review. It might backfire and is also against the terms of use for these sites. Instead, encourage tenants to leave honest reviews.

6. Partner with Local Businesses and Sponsor Community Events

Social media giveaways are a fun and effective way to engage with your community. However, there are still plenty more opportunities to get involved.

Brainstorm a list of other services your tenants may need. Those may include:

• Local banking
• Real estate attorneys
• Handyman services
• A house cleaner
• Nanny services

You can partner with these businesses to mutually promote exclusive rental deals and discounts, all while expanding the reach of your marketing programs.

Earning recommendations and elevating your company's presence builds trust. Tenants and landlords alike will see you as a local expert in the community.

7. Create a Referral Program

An apartment referral program helps spread the word about your rentals without the hard work involved. An effective referral program incentivizes tenants to help find leads and recommend your complex to fill vacant units. The incentives could be a gift card, rent reduction for a month, kitchen gadget, or prize, for example.

A referral program may be your most powerful marketing tool that takes the least amount of time. You get to focus on other areas of your business while tenants do the leg work. You also have fewer apartment applications to process when you get targeted leads recommended by your tenants coming directly to you.

Pro Tip: Make sure all tenants know about the referral program and that the requirements are clear. You can’t make the referral program complicated either, as it could scare tenants off.

8. Video Marketing & Tours

Though the video has been trending for a while now, the pandemic made it a necessity for property managers. Virtual tours and video walk-throughs became the norm. As the pandemic eased in some areas, however, virtual tours remained a preference for many renters.

The video makes it quick and easy to get a sense of an apartment. Prospective tenants can see an online tour and check out the footage, all before scheduling a call or appointment. Property managers spend less time navigating meetings and more time finding and converting qualified leads.

Video is also an innovative way to attract an audience to your blog or social media presence. Interview tenants about their experience in the building and give tips on the best places to go in the neighborhood. When tenants can see you face-to-face over the video, it builds credibility and trust in your business.

9. Online Advertising

Online advertising is a popular way for renters to hunt. If your vacant unit isn't online, prospective tenants will likely move onto the next apartment complex. Make sure to include details including:

• High-quality photos
• Square footage
• Important lease terms
• Pet policy
• Rental price
• Video tours
• Details on amenities

Online advertising is a must, though there is a catch. It's challenging to stand out online when every property manager in your city uses the same method. Here's where sites like Apartment List step in to transform your results.

Apartment List helps create visibility for your unit. We also do all the work to make sure your listings include SEO and engage with prospective renters.

The team at Apartment List creates targeted ads designed to attract your next tenant. We'll generate leads and send them to you so you can focus on managing your properties.

Make listing your vacancies easy with Apartment List!

Final Thoughts

Marketing is an integral part of your business success but is challenging to master and stand out from the competition. The good news is, it's entirely possible to make a splash and attract the tenants you want.

Save yourself time, money, and resources by partnering with Apartment List. We've dominated the apartment rental market and understand how to get your listings seen. All of our listings are also optimized and engage with the leads you're looking for. If you need help getting your apartment complex discovered and your units filled, we've got you covered. Ready to get started?

Sign-up for Apartment List now.