Apartmentalize Special Report: How Purpose and Precision Can Differentiate Your Brand
Storytelling and strategy drive stronger connections, clicks and conversions.
On Day 2 of the National Apartment Association’s Apartmentalize conference, multifamily property managers and marketers heard from industry experts on how to build communities with strong brand identities that are also rooted in connection and belonging.
With residents having a plethora of options when shopping for an apartment or when it’s time to renew, it’s more important for marketers to go beyond amenities. Creating a sense of belonging starts with making residents feel heard and appreciated. One way they can do this is through stories that resonate.
The story begins with the resident
“Stories are being told no matter what, and we’re hearing the feedback on what residents want,” said Faith Barker, a manager of national client marketing at Greystar, during a session titled From Prospective Resident to Protagonist: Storytelling Strategies for Standout Brands. Barker was joined by Stephanie Linton, director of marketing at Princeton Management and Khara House, founder of CASA Communications.
Barker believes that storytelling strategies should go beyond amenities and directly tie into brand identity, so prospects don’t see you as “just another property.” Look for opportunities to capture authentic moments that will connect with residents and drive that sense of belonging. “We (should) always be understanding where they’re at and how we can do something and build that loyalty,” said Barker.
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Linton stressed the importance of starting with meaningful content that reflects what your community is like. “Be authentic,” she said. Involve your residents, to make it even more personalized. That gives prospects “a better picture and a better understanding of what it’s going to be like to tour and what’s it’s like to live here,” said Barker.
There’s ROI value in differentiating your brand and your properties with a marketing strategy that prioritizes storytelling. Marketing is a numbers game, so being able to tie your social content with data such as conversion and engagement rates is key. Ask yourself: what are prospects doing after they see the content? If they’re clicking through to see more of what you offer, that’s where you see the strategy really pay off, said Barker.
The easiest way to relate your residents to your stories is by including them. “Highlight your residents (and) capture those moments at resident events or of them coming to the office to say “hi” to a leasing specialist,” recommended Linton.
And don’t forget your on-site team. Including them fosters trust and connection among residents. The benefit here is twofold, says Linton. It offers a way for residents to connect more meaningfully with team members and see them as part of the community.
It’s about “letting them see that these are more than people who are just fixing something when it’s broken or people who are collecting their rent.” said Linton. This could be a video of your maintenance technician completing a work order or a how-to video. Take a video of your leasing team that shows their personality and community spirit in an authentic way.
Property “stories” that resonate
In a session titled The State of Search: SEO, PPC & AI, Oh My! panelists called attention to the importance of search rankings and the story that your website tells when it’s being analyzed by Google. With Google Ads’ Performance Max tool, which uses generative AI to optimize ads, you can elevate your campaign and make it much more targeted.
This is important because users are getting more specific with their searches, so Google’s tool allows one to take both a targeted approach and a broad approach. “The idea is: showing the right ad to the right use at the right time,” said Kyle Jones, a search manager at REACH by RentCafe.
GenAI is all about creating content, so here, your content strategy becomes more important. “But you really need to pay attention to structure,” noted Esther Bonardi, a vice president at REACH by RentCafe. This means your website’s homepage needs to tell a clear story.
“Generative engines love directly answering user queries in highly specific ways,” said Jones. So, what you have on that page will determine how well you perform.
One way to increase your relevancy is by creating a strong content mix. For example, add a neighborhood overview section on your site, which Jones says is a good example of mid-form content. Pair that with short-form content such as an FAQ section and long-form content like a blog. “You can get incredibly detailed—highlighting different details around your neighborhood and giving stickiness to the page for users to come back and engage.”
Leveraging the different types of content allows marketers to reach prospects at a key stage in their journey by providing valuable information that they need. When executed well, your SEO and GEO strategy can improve your authority and trustworthiness in searches, while guiding residents through the customer journey.
Showcasing your property’s uniqueness
Christina Steeg, a senior vice president at Waterton, shared tailors campaigns on unique property characteristics. One campaign might be centered around a property with a rich history, and target residents who would appreciate that. Another might lean into a property’s location and proximity to big employers. Yet another might be targeting a unique audience.
“ When you’re thinking about your PPC campaigns, think about each one of your assets as being unique (and) find out what actually makes that asset particularly interesting and what are those residents are interested in,” said Steeg.
For a property in Atlanta, Steeg’s team layered a general campaign targeting people wanting to live in a downtown high-rise with additional campaigns that were focused on fitness enthusiasts. “(Create) that general audience, and then affinity audiences beyond that.
Once those websites become optimized, you’ll maximize the return on results, “The money that you’re putting into SEO is almost like running a marathon,” said Steeg.
