“Half the money I spend on advertising is wasted. The trouble is, I don’t know which half.” Does this sound familiar? Even though these words were said by retail magnate John Wanamaker more than 100 years ago, they still ring true today to many in real estate. With the broad expansion of the digital marketplace and corresponding rapid shifts in consumer behavior, there are more places than ever to advertise your properties, all at varying costs and success rates. But how do you know which advertising sources are working? The answer is marketing data, something that’s widely available today given the online customer journey. “Marketing analytics give you the information you need to positively impact your company’s bottom line,” said Esther Bonardi, vice president of marketing at Yardi. “Most property marketers look at cost per lease, often attributing the lease to the source that drove the first customer contact, but there is so much more data now that you need to take into consideration.” Keep an eye on these five property marketing metrics and you’ll be better able to drive revenue, reduce wasted advertising spend and plan for the future. 5 Marketing Metrics Every Property Marketer Should Know 1. Total Exposure What: A percentage that tells you how many total units are available for rent, including month-to-month and expiring leases.Why: Before you decide where to market, you need to decide how much marketing to do. If your exposure is low, it might be a good month to cut back. If it’s high, it’s probably time to ramp up spend. 2. Occupancy Trends What: A review of what percentage of units are occupied, examined on a month-by-month basis over a period of time.Why: Reviewing last year’s occupancy trends can give you a good idea of...

Twitter can place your business on the screens of 288 million monthly active users. Well, that’s its potential, anyway. If Twitter ads aren’t a part of your Marketing Genius strategy, you’re missing out on the opportunity to reach your Twitter customers on a platform that they interact with daily. What’s worse, you’re also missing out on countless new clients. Engaging with existing clients and attracting new ones isn’t exactly easy with Twitter. Fortunately, it can be a more rewarding experience than advertising through other means. Twitter targets your audience based on their interests, including who they follow and what they’ve searched for in the past. The platform also puts your message in front of their eyes at the time when they’re most likely to engage. Lastly, Twitter charges based on engagement, which can save money. With just one click, you can reap a low-cost conversion. Few other marketing tools are organized like Twitter, so you’ll want to determine which type of ad corresponds to your end goal. Check out your options below: Promoted Tweets If you’re promoting a property or unit, your best bet may be a Promoted Tweet. Promoted Tweets integrate seamlessly into users’ timelines amongst non-ad tweets. Offer all of the information needed for a renter to make the decision about the unit online right now. Include location, floor plan, cost, and a link for more info. Don’t forget to add an image, which can boost your conversion rate by 306%! Promoted Videos If you’ve created an awesome apartment tour or a heart-wrenching tenant testimonial, Promoted Videos can place your short film in users’ timelines. Promoted Videos increase users’ intent to purchase by 28% compared to similar TV commercials. Promoted Trends Another good alternative could be Promoted Trends. These hashtags begin or...