Marketing Military Housing

Marketing for military housing and multifamily housing is very similar and quite different at the same time due to their distinct target audiences and unique needs. Lynette Hegeman, senior vice president at Hunt Military Communities, told Multi-Housing News how it’s done, while also dismantling myths around military housing. She has been with the company since 2018, overseeing the development and execution of the company’s branding, marketing, public relations, advertising and special events.   

What distinguishes marketing for military housing from marketing for multifamily apartments?

Hegeman: Marketing for military housing and multifamily apartments are very different endeavors even if many tools are the same.

Military housing has a unique target audience that is very defined—generally active-duty service members and their families—whereas multifamily apartments have a broader audience. More so, at Hunt Military Communities we tailor our messaging for each military service because each military branch has distinct application requirements.

Military housing also has several unique selling propositions that we want to highlight in our marketing efforts. Examples comprise utility expenses and landscaping costs being included, 24/7 on-call maintenance support, no deposits required and no pet rent. Also, our rent rates align with the Basic Allowance for Housing, which is annually set by the U.S. Government.

Service members are grouped by rank and by the number of dependents they have. Therefore, all prospects are placed on a waitlist for the home they are eligible to receive. The sales cycle for military housing can range from immediate to six months or longer depending on orders received and home availability.

We need to ensure our marketing efforts demonstrate that we understand the unique needs of military members and their family members while also reinforcing the sense of community they’ll feel living at one of our properties. Overall, our mission is to create homes where military families can feel secure, supported and valued, so our marketing campaigns must reflect that ethos.

How do you tailor your marketing strategies to address the unique needs of different branches of the military?

Hegeman: Understanding the various personas of our service members and the differences between military branches allows us to customize messaging by branch and by individual base. By utilizing geotargeted advertising we can attract service members based on their branch.

Another way we tailor our marketing is by researching where potential residents are coming from or going to for their next assignment. For example, Marines have roughly 10 locations they can be assigned to. By geotargeting those installations, we can target ads to those in the vicinity. We also use remarketing and search advertising to assist in narrowing down the locations where we are most likely to have inbound leads.

What are the key elements of a successful marketing campaign for military housing?

Hegeman: Marketing efforts must not only highlight the benefits of military housing, such as included utilities, but also reflect the sense of community provided by living in military housing.

A successful marketing campaign for military housing begins with understanding our target audience for that particular property, which can include active-duty military members, Department of Defense, retirees and even civilians. We then want to ensure our messaging highlights property features and amenities and speaks to the sense of community our residents feel living on our properties.

We also use data to drive our marketing campaigns, ensuring that we are reaching our target audience and that the messaging is resonating with them. This is followed by grassroots-based partnerships, and digital marketing efforts to enhance our visibility. Our team continually monitors SEO so that we can optimize our keyword targeting.

Military service members and their families rely heavily on social media for word-of-mouth recommendations. Therefore, we actively use social media to post information about our communities and respond to all posts and comments. Finally, nurture marketing has become essential in our marketing strategy as we automate email triggers based on consumer behavior.

Our marketing efforts are integrated campaigns that go beyond traditional channels and approaches used by multifamily properties.

What role does community engagement play in your marketing efforts for military housing?

Hegeman: By actively engaging with the local community, we work to build trust and establish a positive reputation, which can ultimately lead to increased occupancy rates and resident satisfaction. One of the main benefits of community engagement is the opportunity to showcase the unique amenities and services that military housing offers.

By creating resident events in the community, hosting open houses, or offering tours to potential residents and their families, we work to highlight the advantages of living in military housing. These include 24/7 emergency maintenance, access to recreational facilities and amenities, highly rated schools and proximity to work. Community engagement also allows for direct communication with current and prospective residents. This provides valuable insights into their needs and preferences.

How do you leverage social media for marketing military housing, and which channels have proven most effective?

Hegeman: Social media continues to be a marketing tactic that provides for increased communication to current residents and allows us to expand our reach to target potential prospects more effectively.

Some of the ways we leverage social media for marketing military housing include creating engaging content that showcases our communities. To do so we use high-quality photos, virtual tours, or videos that highlight the features and amenities of our communities.

Testimonial campaigns have proved valuable, as well as contests and resident event promotions. Meta-targeted advertising is another tool that we use.

What common myths have you encountered in your role as a marketing professional for military housing?

Hegeman: One myth is that military families have no choice when it comes to housing options. In reality, while military families may be limited in their options due to location and availability, they can choose between on-base housing or living off-base. Factors including rank and family size can influence this decision.

Another myth is that military housing is always subpar and rundown. This myth may stem from outdated stereotypes of military housing. In recent years, there has been a push for quality renovations and updates in military housing communities. It is also important to note that each military installation and community can vary greatly in terms of housing conditions and age.

We believe in the power of brand building. Creating awareness, positioning the product correctly and repeated exposure through effective marketing are essential to positively stand out from a marketing perspective and support the sales process.

Which amenities have you found to be most important to residents of military housing?

Hegeman: Some of the most important amenities that residents of military housing look for include: security and safety, proximity to base and quality schools.

Given the unique circumstances of military life, security is a top priority for many families. Military housing developments are often designed with gated entrances, 24/7 surveillance, among other measures to ensure the safety of its residents.

In order to ease the burden of lengthy commutes, many service members and their families prefer housing options that are located close to their base or duty station. This also allows for easy access to services on base such as schools, healthcare facilities and shopping centers.

Families with children prioritize finding housing in areas with good school districts.

What challenges have you faced in marketing military housing, and how have you overcome them?

Hegeman: Marketing military housing poses a unique set of challenges that may not be encountered in marketing other types of real estate properties. These challenges can come from various factors such as the target market, location and regulations set forth by the military partners.

In general, we do not have to advertise for active-duty service members. The challenge comes when our waterfall is open, and we must advertise for and educate these other eligible tenants. To overcome this challenge, we utilize digital advertising campaigns that are specifically targeted to the various groups we are targeting. We also conduct A/B testing to assess campaign effectiveness.

Due to fair housing restrictions, it is challenging to create targeted advertising campaigns. Because of this, we receive a lot of unqualified leads who are not income- or background-qualified. To address this issue, we have begun noting our credit score requirements in our ads.

How do you measure the success of your marketing campaigns for military housing?

Hegeman: We use three main metrics to measure the success of our marketing campaigns.

Conversion rate—we measure the percentage of people who have taken a desired action after interacting with our campaign, such as filling out a form or making an inquiry about military housing.

Cost per acquisition—we calculate how much it costs to acquire a new resident through our marketing campaigns. We take into account all the expenses related to running our campaigns.

Return on investment—ROI is a crucial metric that helps us determine whether our marketing efforts are generating profitable returns.