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Marketing Automation

Makes a Big Impact

By on Jun 22, 2017 in Marketing

Today’s renters expect to be able to find and interact with your company everywhere, all the time. But does that mean you’re suddenly able to hire more staff for around the clock support? Of course not. Marketing automation is your secret weapon in an increasingly busy digital marketplace.

Marketing automation streamlines repetitive tasks, follows user behavior and delivers targeted content to get customers into your leasing pipeline and help you keep them as loyal residents once they’ve moved in. It drives efficiency for the marketer and leasing manager while creating a more personalized experience for the customer.

Watch a quick video about marketing automation.

We talked with Esther Bonardi, vice president of marketing here at Yardi, for her perspective on the evolution of property marketing technology.

“Property marketers have to constantly innovate to keep pace with consumer trends and demands,” said Bonardi. “Marketing automation is one way even smaller marketing teams can do that and have a big impact without breaking the bank.”

3 Ways Marketing Automation Is Changing Property Marketing

  1. Larger Reach

Marketing automation tools like marketing automationILS data syndication and social media bulk posting help property marketers reach a larger audience with less effort.

Instead of manually entering details like vacancy information, pricing, policies and contact information repeatedly – increasing the likelihood of human error each time – internet listings can be automatically and accurately updated across multiple sites with information from your property management software.

Social media posts can be created just once and then scheduled and shared across popular platforms like Facebook and Twitter. Reach thousands of viewers each week without sucking time out of every work day.

  1. Better Service

Bonardi points out that marketing automation isn’t just a way to work faster, it’s a way to market more effectively. “Marketing automation provides a high level of customer service at all hours of the day. Solutions like nudge marketing, triggered text responses and automated appointment scheduling give prospects the information and tools they need to take the next step,” she says.

For example, picture this: someone searching for an apartment online sees your ad and clicks through to landing page with a number they can text for more information. They send a text asking about pets and receive an automated response letting them know your property is pet friendly. The reply includes a link to available units.

Now they’re on your site, and they’re interested. After 20 seconds, a promo code pops up. They can apply online right away in the comfort of their own home or schedule an appointment to come in, without having to call the office. Available times are controlled by your office and scheduled appointments pop up on your staff calendars, so the process is easy and convenient for everyone.

  1. Less Spend

Automating marketing processes saves time, and that time savings quickly adds up. By reducing the hours your team has to spend on repetitive back office tasks like data entry, marketing automation saves you money. You don’t have to hire interns or temps to take over the busy work during leasing season, and your staff members have more availability to focus on what matters most: prospect and resident interactions.

“Keeping residents happy so they renew leases is valuable. Attracting a new resident costs up to five times more than retaining an existing one,” concluded Bonardi. “With automation tools designed to check in with residents, conduct surveys, provide contact support and offer timed renewal savings, both your retention rates and your bottom line will improve… automatically!”

Ready to automate your marketing for better results? Learn more about RENTCafé and RENTCafé CRM or get in touch!