If it’s one thing that this pandemic has taught us, it’s that we need to have a few sustainable, fail-proof marketing strategies in our back pocket. Despite the fact that there will always be outside variables that are beyond our control, there are still things you can do to boost your marketing success, even during the most uncertain of times. 

First things first, to achieve results with your marketing efforts, you’ll need to do some extensive planning. By understanding basic information like your target audience, current user flow, web performance, and analytics data like cost per lead, you’ll be able to formulate a proper baseline and gauge the effectiveness of your efforts. Once you’ve covered this aspect of planning, can then fine-tune your strategies to strengthen your marketing.

1. Increase visibility, but optimize

When things are turned completely upside down and pandemics strike, now is not the time to join the recluse movement. In fact, this is when your visibility needs to skyrocket. By creating an engagement strategy that meets your prospects across multiple touchpoints–be it Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or email, you’ll remain top of mind for those both new and existing. Many communities have already taken heed to this concept by incorporating online events, live virtual tours, and consistent content. Additionally, if the budget allows, consider investing in target ads. This is where knowing your audience is key. With a more refined target base to leverage, the more you’ll experience higher-quality traffic to your website. 

The key to successfully boosting that exposure is making informed decisions along the way, led by (you guessed it) data. When crafting your engagement and promotion plan, you must also focus on optimization. This is not only helpful during the uncertain times, but year-round. Take a deep dive into your insights to determine where you can or should increase your investments for added visibility. Certain channels and platforms will almost be guaranteed to outperform the others. Likewise, certain pieces of content will be more received by your target audience than others as well. If you understand the full analytical scope of your cross-channel marketing tactics, you’ll be better positioned to make those adjustments when the time hits.

2. Perfect your messaging

Now this one may be easier said than done, but it’s still possible. Stay tuned in to environmental and societal trends to know when to alter your content to better resonate with customers. Using the current times as a prime example, those communities that transitioned from the standard all-inclusive property ads to creating ads that honed in on accommodations, availability, and safety likely experienced greater success. But, first, you need to understand your customers’ needs. It may be helpful to survey your existing audience to see how their needs may have changed over a period of time, or you can conduct a small focus group. Either way, you’ll want to know what’s on their minds. Your message is key to helping the customer understand your commitment to maintaining a customer-centric approach and willingness to adapt your operations to their changing needs. After all, you only have a limited window to capture their attention, so you need to make it resonate upon first exposure. 

3. Build an easy-to-use website

There’s nothing more intimidating, frustrating, and a surefire way to deter people away from your website faster than poor design. Web design standards change often, and it’s your job to ensure yours makes the cut every time. If the navigation is poor, call-to-action is lacking, and the overall optimization of the site needs work, your leads will bounce. Many properties tend to go heavy on advertising and social media engagement but fall short in the quality website arena. Make sure you don’t fall for the short end of the stick here. Partner with a qualified designer who can do a full assessment of your site’s performance and make recommendations based on industry standards. Trust, you won’t want to skip this step.

Rentbot can help.

Marketing is a crucial component of any business and when done right, can result in tremendous gains. But, before you can begin to implement a marketing strategy or expect active engagement, you need to have a central location where your prospects and renters can not only learn about exactly what you can offer them but access your services. We are committed to building and supporting property management websites specifically for small and mid-sized properties. Our sites are designed to be your most powerful marketing tools. 

Each Rentbot site has been proven to attract, convert, and retain tenants for the long-haul. Our mobile-friendly designs, conversion-optimized layouts, and online service tools will not only streamline processes for your leasing team but your tenants as well. And, as an addition, we can help you develop an effective online advertising and SEO strategy that gets your website even more of the qualified, local visitors you want. Learn how you can incorporate Renbot into your long-term marketing plan here. 

About the Author

Jonsette Calloway joined the Rentbot team in 2015. With a background in public relations, advertising, and copywriting, she has helped a multitude of clients achieve their marketing and communications goals within various fields, but she particularly enjoys working with the apartment industry.