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Social media platforms have become a critical part of any successful marketing strategy, including the promotion of rental properties. With 4.8 billion users accounting for 59.9 of the world’s population, social media is woven into the fabric of daily life.
The vastness of social media’s reach and advertising options is advantageous but can also seem overwhelming to those who aren’t seasoned marketers, advertisers or social media experts. Real estate investors who are interested in taking advantage of this medium can use the following tips to maximize their reach and gain exposure to vast audiences through social media outlets.
Build a strong brand
However you choose to market your rental property, keep your branding consistent across all mediums by ensuring your messaging is reliable, and your content is easily recognizable.
Creating continuity in your vocal and visual identity — through consistent quality photos, language and information about your property across all social media platforms, rental websites, business sites, brochures and mailings — helps to solidify your brand and can attract repeat renters who know what to expect from your property listings.
Identify your targets
Define your ideal tenant, and identify which social media platforms they are most likely using. Most people use Facebook because it offers a unique medium where users can join and leave groups as needed, and there are plenty of groups aimed at advertising and finding rental properties. Targeted groups related to rental housing are searchable by theme, location, and specific colleges or college areas.
If you’re targeting older generations, such as parents or retirees, Facebook is a safe bet. However, younger generations (including college students) tend to also spend considerable time on Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok, so it is advisable to use those platforms when promoting housing to students or young professionals.
Fleshing out the characteristics and habits of your ideal tenants will also help you develop creative content and campaigns that specifically target their preferences and interests. Focusing on the quality and benefits of amenities near your rental property is just as important as highlighting appealing features in the home itself.
Parents, for example, tend to be predominantly concerned with the safety of the area, quality of local schools, and the proximity to recreational and sports fields. Retirees may prefer more serene areas near golf courses, while young professionals might enjoy being near an active nightlife scene.
Create a variety of engaging content
While you should post various kinds of content on your social media sites, your primary goal is to promote your vacant or soon-to-be vacant properties. Social media platforms are ideal for sharing visuals that capture the essence of your property and attract potential renters.
Be sure to have plenty of clear, high-quality, attractive photos and videos of your rental property that you can post. Enticing visuals are critical for grabbing the attention of potential tenants and providing them with a sense of living in the space.
To create appealing visuals, carefully compose shots to show off properties from their best angles, and use editing tools to enhance images and videos by removing background clutter, enhancing vibrancy and sharpening the focus. Experimenting with 3D and immersive media will make your rental property stand out.
Be sure to write engaging and informative captions for each visual element that highlight the most desirable features and amenities, as well as any unique selling points about the property. Incorporate relevant hashtags to increase the searchability of your posts, especially on platforms like Instagram and TikTok.
These should include relevant keywords that potential renters could search for when looking for a property. Creating a database of hashtags and keywords by compiling them in a spreadsheet or document to keep them readily available and easily accessible to use when you’re ready to post.
There is plenty of other content that you can post on social media to reach new audiences, gain more attention, grow followers and increase engagement. Posting helpful articles or Reels about interesting topics, such as the best areas to rent, moving tips and financial advice, may lead to more views and clicks. If you host your own website, be sure to promote any updates or blog entries on your social media accounts to drive more traffic to your site.
Consider starting your own video blog or vlog. Think of it as your own little TV show where you can inject personality and connect with potential renters on a more personal level. A vlog can provide more comprehensive virtual tours of the property and surrounding neighborhood with detailed commentary. It can also educate viewers about any specific requirements or benefits of renting your property, your rental process and leasing terms.
Use effective calls to action
You should always use calls to action (CTA) in your social media posts. These include inviting people to click on a link that takes them to your website or to a form to sign up for your newsletter. Other CTAs include telling viewers how to inquire about the property or schedule a viewing.
When creating CTAs, use clear and concise messaging with simple but effective wording. Use action-oriented verbs to clearly and explicitly state the action you want the viewer to take, whether it’s scheduling a viewing, submitting an application or contacting you for more information.
Using phrases like “limited availability” or “act now” to create a sense of urgency or wording that conveys the benefits of taking action, such as “contact us today to view your future home,” can be effective in motivating the viewer to take the desired action promptly.
Place your CTAs in prominent positions on your social media feeds, ensuring that viewers of your content won’t miss them. Use contrasting colors, bold fonts, or large buttons to make your CTAs stand out. Also, provide easily accessible contact information, such as a phone number, email address, application link, or website URL.
Leverage scheduling tools
Once you have engaging content, it’s time to begin posting it to your social media accounts. To streamline the publishing process and save time, use a content calendar to plan and schedule your posts in advance, and to post content across various platforms.
For example, you can use Hootsuite or Buffer to schedule posts on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, and other social media networks simultaneously. This method allows you to be more organized, strategic and efficient with your social media efforts.
Some content scheduling tools also analyze audience engagement metrics to provide insights into the best times to post for maximum visibility and reach. Visual content calendars provide a clear overview of scheduled posts in a single dashboard, which aids in organizing, planning and scheduling your content. To extend the lifespan of valuable content, look for tools that allow you to recycle evergreen content by scheduling it to be reposted at specific intervals.
To achieve maximum success, aim to post engaging and useful content on each of your social media channels regularly. It’s important to link your social media channels to your website and promote your social media presence in emails and newsletters.
Alternatives to social media
If this sounds like a lot of work that you don’t have time for or aren’t interested in doing, or you’re simply looking for different (or additional) opportunities to publish your listings, there are other options. You can cater to your target audience through popular and reputable listing sites that will allow you to monitor the performance of your listings by tracking metrics such as views, inquiries and conversion rates.
Many of the same strategies used to optimize social media posts will also optimize your listings. For instance, it’s equally important to use quality photos and videos and list out all of the benefits of renting your property, including features and amenities that appeal to your target audience.
Improve visibility in search results by using keywords and phrases in your listing titles and descriptions that potential tenants are likely to use when searching for rentals in your area. Also, ensure that all details in your listings are accurate and up-to-date, provide clear and accessible contact information to make it as easy as possible for interested renters to reach you, and consider offering special promotions or incentives to attract more attention.
Some property management software companies offer listing syndication so you can create a single account to advertise your rental property easily and with consistency across multiple listing sites. Look for a software platform that partners and integrates with popular listing sites and automatically syndicates your listings to these sites.
Property management software can also help with legal and regulatory compliance by providing standardized listing templates and disclosure requirements while offering other essential functions that make renting easier, such as automated tenant screening, lease signing, rent collection and maintenance coordination.
The more time you spend cultivating a social media presence or strengthening your brand through other means, the easier and quicker it will become to fill vacancies. Building an authentic, creative and dependable brand will make it easier to build trust with your audience and set you apart from the competition.
Ryan Barone is the co-founder and CEO of RentRedi, an award-winning rental management software that transforms the way landlords and tenants manage their renting experience.