Last modified on January 14th, 2016
By Alexis Hammond

As a professional property management company, it comes as no surprise to you to discover that social media now plays a large role in prospective residents’ considerations. Today, however, simple tweets about available units aren’t enough – you’ve got to sweeten the deal by really getting creative and promoting the best aspects of your community, particularly those features that outshine competing properties. Here are 8 ways to drive rental interest online that you should consider when planning your social media strategy.

1. ‘Pin’ Staged Apartment Pics on Pinterest

Use Pinterest to share photos of cleverly arranged units within the various floor plans that your community offers. Incorporate photos of the best amenities you boast as well and relish in the number of users that happily share the details with subscribers and other casual browsers on the social site.

2. Prowl Twitter for Questions

Many Twitter users will post geo-targeted questions about apartments in specific cities and states, and you can be there ready with a response. Twitter makes it easy to search for related questions and for your to provide quick answers. You can potentially amass a serious following with Twitter to become the local expert on rentals in your area.

3. Hyper-Local Blog Creation

Become somewhat of a local news source not only for current residents, but for prospective ones as well with a geo-targeted blog that discusses upcoming events and activities locally. Stories of human interest and upcoming neighborhood gatherings are also newsworthy, and you’ll get a surprising amount of hits from those searching for places to live as well as things to do in the neighborhood.

4. Get Googley-eyed with Google+

Google+ might superficially appear to be any average social network, but heavy sharing through this outlet can potentially improve your property’s search engine rankings. Promoting rentals with Google + seems to inspire many users to fanatically share those pictures, so contribute some to represent your property and watch your Google+ following grow.

5. Get Linked Up with Prospects on LinkedIn

Create a customized home page for your property to connect with residents and even your primary contractors and service providers. Make personal recommendations for them and collect a number of recommendations for your property in return that can win over even other competing professionals within your industry and targeted demographic.

6. Rewarding Face Time on Facebook

Tease prospective rental hunters searching online for your property in particular by hosting a renter-exclusive Facebook page. This aura of selectivity piques the curiosity and lends a hand of desirable mystique to your rental units. Promote fun in your postings, like current events, inside community jokes, and things that will inspire individual postings and discussions by building an online community for residents. Start a secondary page for potential renters with messaging that is more geared towards answering questions and promoting move-in specials.

7. Discover Your Target’s Social Demographics

Every region’s hip locals have their trendy, local favorite social hangouts. Discover what local forums discuss rental properties, issues, concerns, and availability from a renter, owner, and property management perspective. The more you’re ingrained in these niche communities, the more exposure you can gain for your rental properties or community. Make networking work for you.

8. Are You Making the Most of YouTube?

Teens, millennials, seniors, and everyone in-between are drawn to YouTube videos, and if you don’t have a few property highlights and units featured there, you’re missing out on a major social media opportunity. YouTube is a great place to feature a 360-degree property tour, replete with videos highlighting your available units.

You don’t have to be a computer whiz to learn how to drive rentals using social media, but you do have to make time for these social media tasks daily, weekly, or monthly basis for maximum results and efficacy.