Last modified on August 20th, 2013
By Aimee Miller

Networking is incredibly important for a property manager. After all, you want people to be familiar with the services that you offer, and you want to build a network of people that may become or refer residents. You are in a customer-focused industry, so open communication is essential. Social media makes it possible for you to easily connect with those that can help you do your job well. But you’ve got to consider how to brand yourself on sites like Twitter and Facebook if you want it to become an effective strategy.

Here are some things to think about when you’re ready to make that social media appearance.

How far are you willing to go with communication?
These sites can provide a gateway for residents to contact you to discuss issues, or you can use them to field queries from renters interested in your vacancies. But do you really want to go there? Do you have the time to invest? Social media is SOCIAL. If you’re not going to have time to communicate with people on Facebook or Twitter, it’s probably best not to set up a profile at all. But if you can commit to posting on a regular basis and fielding at least some questions, maintaining a social media presence can really help to build business.

Who are you going to be?
You want to be a resource in the property management community. But what specific community do you want to reach? Are you going to focus on your specific niche, such as your local area? Or will you branch out a bit more in an attempt to capture the attention of more people?

Will you offer social media incentives?
Offering incentives via social media can help encourage people to follow you. Simply doing a giveaway for anyone who performs a specific call to action (e.g. follows you on Facebook) can help increase your exposure. Likewise, you can offer am incentive for new residents who find you on Facebook or Twitter—perhaps a discount on their first month’s rent, a month of free parking (if you normally charge), etc. You could even offer a small incentive to those who submit rental applications online and post about it in a status update. This will also help generate some hype and encourage others to do the same.

How will you show vacancies?
Using social media to advertise vacancies on your property is a great idea. But you’ve got to consider how you’ll do that. Will you simply post a small blurb about the available properties on Facebook or Twitter? Post an image with a caption? A video tour of the whole residence? Or will you link to a complete vacancy ad? You might need to do a little trial and error to see what resonates most with people.

There is no reason why you shouldn’t take advantage of the social media tools available. Just put some forethought into your approach before you launch! Also, if you’re interested in more tips on using Facebook as a property manager, check out our webinar.