Resident’s Use and Perceptions of

S i lM
Social Media
di & th
the M
Multifamily
ltif il Industry
I d t
Strategies and Tools to Evaluate Your
Community’s Online Involvement
 The Panelists

Joseph Batdorf
Joseph Batdorf Robert Turnbull
Robert Turnbull
Principal Co‐Founder & President
J Turner Research RentWiki
 The Panelists

Mike Whaling
Mike Whaling Jamie Gorski
Jamie Gorski
President Sr. Vice President, 
30Lines Corporate Marketing, 
The Bozzuto Group
 What is Social Media and Why is
it Important?
I t t?

• Web-based service, focused on creating

a community of users who share similar
interests and activities.
• Social networkingg has become ppart of our
everyday lives.
• And embraced by businesses as a fast
growing and effective marketing channel.
The Social Media Landscape
 What Are Consumers Saying
Ab t Social
About S i l Media?
M di ?
ercent of Americans that ……

Use social media  60%

Believe a company should have a presence in
social media  93%
Believe a company should interact with members
of social media  85%
Feel a stronger connection with companies that
interact with them  56%
According to a study by Cone LLC
 Key Questions to Consider
So how do these trends apply
pp y to our
industry?
Do residents really use social networking
when
h looking
l ki forf or wanting
ti tto communicate
i t
with an apartment community?
How important is it for apartment
owner/operators to utilize this channel?
What is the most effective way a community
can capitalize on the emergence of social
networking?
 Joseph Batdorf
P i i l J TTurner Research
Principal, R h
 J Turner Research
S i l Media
Social M di Survey
S
JTR specializes
p in p
prospect
p and resident surveys
y for the
multifamily industry.
Survey objective: Determine how residents use social
media
di to
t interact
i t t with
ith an apartment
t t community.
it
Partnered with 5 multifamily owner/operators to survey
residents about their use of social media.
A six question, e-mail survey distributed to 54,753
residents at 415 communities nationwide.
Secured 15,694 responses (29% response rate)between
January and June 2010. Survey remains ongoing.
 Here’s What Residents Are
S i
Saying
Which sites do residents use?
69%

NONE 24%

15%

9%

6%

OTHER 2%

2%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%

 What Residents Are Saying
Frequency of engagement
Daily 45%

Not Applicable 23%

Weekly 19%

Hourly 6%

Monthly 6%

Every six months 1%

Once a year 0%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50%

 Do Residents Visit Community
Pages
Residents were asked, “Have
Have you ever visited a
community’s social networking page?”

Yes
7%

No
93%
 Digging Deeper
Resident Visits to Community Pages
45

40%
40

35

30

25
Conventional
Percentage
20
Active Communities
Student
15 13%
10
7%
5
 Social Media & Resident
C
Communication
i ti
Very Important 10 7%
Conventional 
9 4% Average 
8 9% Importance: 
7 9% 4 25
4.25
6 8%
5 16%
4 6% Student Average 
d
Importance: 
3 7%
4.72 
2 6%
1 4%
Not at all important 0 25%

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30%

 What Information Are Residents
L ki For?
Looking F ?
See what other people are saying about the 
62%
community
Conduct preliminary research about the 
57%
rtments, floor plans and /or unit availability
Find discounts or deals related to signing a 
37%
lease
Contact a staff member about scheduling an 
11%
on‐site
on site visit
visit

Refer a friend 9%

Other 9%

Initiate the leasing process to live at the 
8%
community
0% 20% 40% 60% 80%
 Primary Use of a Community’s
S i l Media
Social M di Site
Sit
Learn about community events and/or 
52%
activities

Provide positive feedback regarding 
20%
p
some aspect of the community y

Other 9%

Ask a question about a maintenance 
8%
issue

Provide negative feedback regarding 
6%
some aspect of the community

Ask a question about a lease renewal 5%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%

 Take Aways from the Data
Initial results indicate social media is currentlyy a
low priority for resident / community interaction.
24 percent of residents in conventional housing
d nott engage in
do i social
i l networking
t ki att all.
ll
Very little change in resident data during first six
months of survey program
program.
Generational differences regarding usage exist:
student vs. conventional.
Resident’s perspective regarding importance of
communication doesn’t change much.
 Take Aways from the Data

Primary uses among residents visiting a

community’s social networking page
include:
1. See what others are saying about a community
2. Apartment research
3. Find a discount or deal
 Robert Turnbull
C F d & President,
Co-Founder P id t RentWiki
R tWiki
Top 5 Reasons Companies Are
S
Scaredd off Social
S i l Media
M di
 Top 5 Reasons Companies Are
S
Scaredd off Social
S i l Media
M di
Employees
p y will waste time.
– According to emarketer, there are 30 million
Smartphones in the United States.
– Employers can
can'tt stop people from accessing the
Internet - on breaks, at lunch, in the bathroom, you
name it.
– The value to workers of having Internet access - in
terms of research, communication, and speed - is far
greater than the threat of lost productivity.
– Co
Companies
pa es have
a e a right
g to o make
a e po
policies
c es a
and
d rules
u es
about personal use of the Internet, but blocking it
during work is just not smart.
 Top 5 Reasons Companies Are
S
Scaredd off Social
S i l Media
M di
Haters will damage our brand
– There may be things you need to change
about your brand,
brand and in that case,
case you
should thank them for letting you know what
theyy are. Then you
y should make changes.g
– If you have built an online community that
includes people who don't hate you, that
community will rise to your defense and
they will handle the problem for you.
 Top 5 Reasons Companies Are
S
Scaredd off Social
S i l Media
M di
We'll
We ll lose control of the brand.
brand
– Message control is an illusion. Give it up.
– Your customers are emailing, Tweeting, Facebooking,
and that old standby - calling - their friends about
their experience with your brand. You don't have
control.
control
– You might as well join the conversation.
conversation At least
that wayy yyou can influence what is being g said.
 Top 5 Reasons Companies Are
S
Scaredd off Social
S i l Media
M di
Social media requires a real budget!
It's not really cheap, or free.
– While many social media tools are free
free, knowing
how to use them takes experience and
perspective.
perspective
 Top 5 Reasons Companies Are
S
Scaredd off Social
S i l Media
M di
They're
They re scared they'll
they ll be sued
– All regular business practices remain the
same, i.e.,
same i e Fair Housing Laws
Laws.
– You’re not changing the message, just where
it’s
it s heard.
Feedback…
Feedback
tripadvisor, amazon, rottentomatoes, etc.
Is not always…
Mostly it’s…
ww.yelp.com
 Becoming a Social Media Expert
First things
g first:
– Go to Google and set up alert emails with your
company keyword, your name and your URL. Then
go to Technorati and do a search there as well. Keep
g p
these searches fresh.

– Learn who is talking about you, what they're

they re saying
and create an action plan based on what you're
reading.

– Once you are fully committed, start reaching out to

customers (happy and, most importantly, not happy)
and jjoin in.
 Becoming a Social Media Expert
Analyze
y each medium:
– Every tool is different and this is another place
where marketers can go wrong.

– Blogging is not Twitter is not Flickr is not

Facebook. The rules change from one to the
other
th and d you h
have tto kknow what
h t th
they are b
before
f
engaging.

– How do people get value in each network and

how can you add to it?
 Becoming a Social Media Expert
Conduct mock trials:
– There is benefit to walking through different scenarios
before jumping in. Imagine you create a Twitter account.

• What would you say each day?

• How will you add friends?
• How will you stay on top of replies and direct
messages?
• How will you add value?
• How will yyou respond
p to criticism?

– These are all points that need to be discussed and

can be done sitting around a table and talking.
 Becoming a Social Media Expert
Start slow:
– Do NOT go out and sign up for a Facebook page,
Twitter account, blog, flickr profile and MySpace page
all in one day.
y Social media burnout is for content
creators as well as content consumers.

– Pick the most strategic medium to belong to and start

slow.
slow

– As you become more comfortable you can ramp up

and add networks into the fold. Any additions should
compliment your effort and be on strategy.
 Protect Your Name
Register your username.
username
• Facebook
• MySpace
• LinkedIn
• Twitter
• Naymz
– Everyday a new social network pops up and if you
don’t act fast, someone else can claim your name.
name
– Use a service like KnowEm to quickly check and
register your name,
name handle,
handle company
company, products
products, high
profile employees, domain, etc. across more than two
hundred social networks.
 Becoming a Social Media Expert

Be transparent:

– Thi
This iis a no-brainer,
b i b
butt it'
it's surprisingly
i i l ttricky.
i k Y You
need to decide where your conflicts occur, how
yyou'll deal with them and how y you introduce
yourself.
yourself
 Becoming a Social Media Expert

Don'tt stop:
Don

– Thi
This iis th
the kill
killer. It'
It's worse th
than nott h
having
i started
t t d
at all.

– How many companies have you seen start using

a tool and later abandon it?
 Becoming a Social Media Expert
Finally,
y, embrace it:
– Imagine having a built
built--in feedback loop.
loop That’s
what social media is
is…to
to the consumer
consumer, and to you
the business/advertiser.

– Invest in a social media manager,

manager someone who
swims in these pools every day.

– Thi
Thinkk off ways you can actually
t ll integrate
i t t contributed
t ib t d
content and social networking into your own websites
and business practices.
 So if you’re
you re asking…

Should I join the conversation?

Or…..
Mike Whaling, President
30Lines
30Li
we want
social
i l media.
di
what now?
 outsourcing – challenges
outsource it!
pros
 pros
Minimizes time investment
Partner with experts
p
Access to information, scale
Hit the ground running
Consistent( ish) budget
Consistent(-ish)
cons
 cons
Not your voice
Still takes time
Is content remarkable, unique?
Outsourcing relationships
Compelling relevant multimedia?
Compelling,
things to
consider
id
 considerations
Set SMART goals
Measure outcomes,, not outputs
p
Understand the workflow
Stay on message
Operators vs.
vs fee managers?
can you get this?
Jamie Gorski
• Senior Vice President, Corporate
Marketing The Bozzuto
Marketing, Bo to Gro
Group
p
• Provides strategic marketing
direction for Bozzuto’s seven
companies: Acquisitions,
Acquisitions
Construction, Development,
Homebuilding, Land Development,
Property Management and
SalesMark.
• More than 25 years of multifamily
marketing experience
• B.S. in mathematics from Ohio
State University
 SOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGY

cure Your Brand – Brand Management

e first step of a successful social media plan is to grab

ur brand everywhere you can, regardless of whether or
t you plan to use it. It’s important that you have control of
ur identity on the web.

y
you’ve not alreadyy done so,, set up
p accounts for yyour
mmunities and corporate brand on facebook, twitter,
nked In, foursquare, Flickr, YouTube and more.
 SET YOUR METRICS - Goals

. Brand management
g - building
g buzz and conversation
around your brand & communities
. Better overall brand awareness - new knowledge
about your customers and how they view your brand
. Embrace technology
. I
Increase resident
id t retention
t ti
. Generate leads - more traffic to websites, increased
phone calls/visits, referrals
 Follow the crowds
perty’s Social Media
p y
Residents & Prospects!
 P
Property
t Fan
F Pages
P
nline communities Residents & Prospects!
mmunicate with staff 
mmunicate with staff
d other residents

hat’s happening on 
h t’ h i
d around property

eates “buzz” about 
property
 E h
Enhance your Fan
F Pages
P
elcome Page
siness 
urs/location/contact 
urs/location/contact
o
stimonial Page with 
eo testimonials
t ti i l
wsletters
oor plans – availability
ntests / special 
nts
b board
b board
alytics – apply HTML 
 Replicate our successes

R id t A
Resident Appreciation –
i ti Id tif b d
Identify brand evangelists
li t
 Replicate our successes

sidents Make Their Own Events 
 Replicate our successes

Fabulous Property Events!
 Property Twitter Profiles

parate channel from 
h lf
ebook Residents & Prospects!

sy for property to 
nect with people, 
ups &businesses
ups &businesses

nerating new leads 
d
d spreading a 
di
perty’s brand name
 Leverage open conversation

S
Sweepstakes Brings New Friends!
t k Bi N Fi d!
 Leverage open conversation

Local Events & Property Updates

Local Events & Property Updates
 The Link Between Social Media & Sales!

operty’ss Social Media
operty Social Media Brand 
Brand
Champion New Residents!
Brand Champion Responsibilities

Respond to Prospects & 
R dt P t &
Train Property Staff
Residents

Manage 
Property 
A
Accounts

Report & Handle Service 
R t & H dl S i Monitor Activity & 
M it A ti it &
Issues Reporting
 Trainingg Brand Champion
Brand Champion
ocusing on quantity of fans and followers, not quality…

I have 10,000  I have only 150, but 
followers I have interacted 
with all of them
i h ll f h

Not useful
Useful 
Tools Brand Champion

Hootsuite
1. Evaluated 25+ social media management
tools
2. Web based – can access from any computer
3. Adopted by major brands
Tools HootSuite
Setup search columns for key terms
Foursquare Nearby Tips
 APARTMENT RATINGS.COM

TBD
 Measure the Impact of Social Media

Measure Exposure - # of followers, fans, views,

posts

Measure Engagement – retweets, clicked links,

replies,
p , messages,
g , likes,, wall posts,
p , ratings,
g ,
interaction

Measure Influence - Radian 6, Social Mention

Grading
g 100+ Properties
p
Search Results
 Keep tabs on social media

Mystery shopping

New marketing
N k ti position
iti – communityit
manager – in charge of engaging a
b d’ community
brand’s it off ffollowers
ll
Marketers must now integrate their e-mail
marketing and social media marketing
efforts.
Future Communication
Future Communication
Panell Discussion
P Di i &
Audience Questions
Q
 Contact Information

Joseph Batdorf
Batdorf, J Turner Research
– jbatdorf@jturnerresearch.com / (281) 558-4840
Robert Turnbull,
Turnbull RentWiki
– robert.turnbull@rentwiki.com / (770) 617-8812
Mike Whaling, 30Lines
– mike@30lines.com / Text My30 to 88000
Jamie Gorski, The Bozzuto Group
– jg
jgorski@bozzuto.com
@ / ((301)) 446-2204