Congratulations: your attention span is now shorter than that of a goldfish…by one whole second. Recent studies show the average human attention span is now 8 seconds.  That means social marketers and digital advertisers have to hook you with compelling content within moments.  How much does that bait cost?  Advertisers spent an estimated $8.5 billion on social ads alone in 2014, all to keep your brain entertained long enough to get to the punchline.  And succeed they did. Our Social Media Team kept a keen eye out for those creative and unusual marketing campaigns with solid storytelling and strong social presence. Here are a few of our favorite digital campaigns from the last year. Mini Cooper  Mini USA – Multiple Social Channels Mini Cooper has created a world of engagement, and it’s truly an experience all of its own.  The iconic import has grasped attention and stolen the hearts of many motorists across the country, and to that end, they have established their own mini-nation: Mini USA. Beyond the exclusivity of an owner’s only club, the camaraderie and fellowship between Mini drivers curves closer to extended family.  And what better way to spend time with your family than to be “couped” up with them on the greatest of American familial pastimes?  “Mini Takes the States” is a clash of Mini Cooper clans cruising on a 5,000 mile road trip from [#MTTS]San Francisco to [#MTTS]Boston.  Motorists can post to social networks during pit stops with a set of branded hashtags, photos and videos.  Along with crossing the continental US, Mini’s social presence spans across platforms: Facebook, YouTube, Tumblr, Instagram and Twitter. Need some Mini maintenance? For continued care of your car, the company’s website features a downloadable PDF of your owner’s manuals, a roadside assistance...

As a property manager, it may become prudent to ask yourself: Are you getting the most out of Pinterest? This new social media tool has skyrocketed in popularity over the last year, and owners and operators across the country are finding it is a great way to promote their communities. In a recent webinar called “Pinterest for Property Managers,” Charity Zierten, a consultant for Socially Engaged Marketing LLC, provided tips and tricks to integrate Pinterest into a winning social media strategy. The key aspects for a successful professional Pinterest account include being professional, being relevant, and focusing on great products, fun communities and inspiring ideas. According to Zierten, it’s important to integrate Pinterest with a property website, including adding a “Pin It” button so that people can pin directly from the site. She also suggested that property employees, such as leasing agents and people on the maintenance team, take pictures of the property using their smartphones, and pinning those pictures directly to community boards. And, while Zierten definitely recommends pinning original images to Pinterest boards, she also suggested repinning applicable images from other people’s boards. “It’s the polite thing to do, especially if they’re residents,” Zierten said. Additionally, Zierten suggested incorporating Pinterest accounts with Facebook accounts. “This is how you’re going to generate leads,” she said. One way to generate leads through Facebook is to announce Pinterest contests on Facebook feeds. Beyond being a way to increase a social media profile of a community, Zierten said that Pinterest is useful because it could increase a property’s presence online. “Google loves Pinterest!” Zierten said. It is crucial to optimize pins for online search and to get the most repins. One method is to have a call to action in the pin’s description, such as “lease...

Each year Google pushes out over 500 updates to its search algorithm, and 2012 was no different.  In its effort to improve the quality of search results, the latest updates may have helped to level the playing field for property managers and increased the opportunity to drive leads to your doorstep.  Now is the time to plan out where your online efforts will be focused in the months ahead.     G+Local If you haven’t already claimed your property online, this should be your first step in 2013.  If you’re unsure, simply do a Google search for your apartment community and include the city.  If you’ve claimed your business it should be the first result.  Select the Google+ page link to view your page.  On the right hand side of the Google+ page is a link to Manage this Page, meaning manage your business listing. If your property’s website is not toward the top of the results, it most likely has not been claimed or there aren’t enough details included in the listing.  Whether you need to update your listing or create a new one, you’ll need a Google+ account to get started; http://www.google.com/+/business/.   Be sure to fill out all of the fields, upload your logo and photos, include a description and your website URL.  One benefit of claiming your community is the increased screen real estate that will be given to your property in the search results.  Google will include a map in the result, directions to the property, phone numbers and hours of operation, photos, and a link to your website.  Claiming your G+ Local page is also important because Google is emphasizing personal and local results.  In addition, if someone is searching for your property with a mobile device they’ll be...

This year’s Apartment Internet Marketing (AIM) conference, which concluded today in Phoenix, definitely put the “social” in social media by the sharing of information between hundreds of multifamily executives. Conference panelists included people across the gamut of the industry, including speakers from Yelp, apartmentratings.com, Google and many others. And we can’t leave out the stuffed monkey, named Bongo, who helped demonstrate what was probably the most important message conveyed here about launching a social marketing campaign: “Keep it simple (stupid).” Here are five other take-aways from AIM 2012. Make social media easy (and fun!) for your residents or prospects. If you want engagement on your sites, you have to make it easy for people to participate. Have lots of calls to action. And make the campaign something that they would actually participate in, such as entertaining videos, funny pictures, and giveaways. People are suckers for free stuff (case in point: all the cool AIM swag I have safely squirreled away in my luggage.) Go topless (AKA: get their attention). One speaker mentioned the new Mini Cooper campaign, which was set up as a peep show because the new car (a convertible) was “going topless.” That definitely got everyone’s attention, and is sure to stick with people. When you’re starting a new campaign, make sure you are original and you grab people’s attention. If not, your campaign is in danger of disappearing in the white noise of the million other apartment community campaigns out there. Ratings and reviews are a good thing. Even if they’re bad. Everyone rates everything online. Hotels, restaurants, apartment communities… Make sure you’re monitoring all the talk about your property. And respond! Residents want to know they have a voice, and that you’re listening. Just know when it is more appropriate...

Launched in 2010 by Ben Silbermann, Pinterest has established a world record – the fastest website to break the 10 million unique visitor mark. But this viral social site is not only about pinning pretty pictures from your interests on a virtual board. It is also a powerful and intriguing marketing tool for some businesses, including property management companies. We now have the luxury of social media platforms that can cater to specific corporate needs. When it comes to property management, there is nothing more important than branding your property. Houzz.com offers a valuable lesson in this respect – the emphasis on the aesthetic quality of a residence is king on the Internet.  Pinterest throws in great social interaction which can help mobilize products through its “look and share” approach. An important factor here is comprehension of your demographics. If your community has a target market of seniors, you probably don’t need to waste your time with Pinterest. If you’re targeting the 20-40 crowd, pin away. You’ll also need a strategic marketing strategy incorporating SEO keywords. Your content should reflect your company. Create boards for interior design and for furnishing – anything that complements your properties. As long as you produce and repin interesting content, you are bound to generate traffic and attract potential customers. In addition, a property management company should make use of the platform’s video functions. The other value of Pinterest is as a tool for tracking customer trends and preferences. One glance at the site’s main board can offer ideas for redesign and refurbishing your property. Out of touch with what staging providers should be incorporating into your look? Pinterest can bring you up to speed fast. Scouring Pinterest for property management companies that actually understand social media marketing has...