Multi-Housing News - September 2009 - (Page 38)

products & services Internet Marketing Boost your portfolio’s occupancy with Web-based advertising tools By Keat Foong, Executive Editor The Internet has indeed become a leasing tool for apartment companies. Using the Internet to market apartment properties can help boost occupancy. It is no wonder that for many apartment companies, most of their property marketing activities today have migrated to the Web. CWS Apartment Homes LLC in Austin emphasizes four main areas in its Internet marketing strategy: search engine optimization, listing on ILSs, social media and Internet classifieds. There has been a huge increase in traffic for CWS, especially from 2007 to 2009, says Sarah Colandra, national marketing manager, who attributes much of the increase to the Internet. The company still advertises its properties in print in a few markets, but it is reevaluating whether it needs to, given the success of the Internet, says Colandra. CWS has an internal team that constantly monitors the company’s Website’s performance on search engines. “The goal is if someone does a search, we want to be popping [up] in the top 10,” she says. Another company, CTL Management Inc., based in Portland, Ore., utilizes the major ILSs, including ForRent.com, ApartmentGuide.com, ApartmentFinder.com, Apartments.com and Rent.com to list its apartment properties. “However, our main online ad source is Craigslist,” says Kristie Bollinger, strategic innovations manager. CTL Management is currently testing some Internet marketing options. It has seen some favorable results from Apartment Marketer, an online service that blasts online apartment ads to over 100 online rental sites and sends back leads via phone and email, says Bollinger. The company will continue to test the program for the next few months. It appears Craigslist, a free listing service, is getting a lot of good reviews from users. Josh McDonald, director of marketing at Holland Residential, Vancouver, Wash., says Craigslist has continued to provide his company with the greatest volume of leases, followed by ForRent.com and Rent.com. And do not underestimate the importance of having up-to-date information on community and company Websites. Updating content on the Webresidents about the apartment community's events sites is critical to leasing success, Bollinger emphaand news. Twitter, on the other hand, is used to sizes. “If property managers and their teams aren’t communicate good deals or events in the area and diligent about updating the content on their ads, other lifestyle topics. Colandra says her team is also whether it’s online or print, then the ad won’t be on the lookout for new social media that emerges. effective,” says Bollinger. For Holland Residential, social media provides a CTL Management has a company site that proforum for residents to share experiences living at vides a presence for each property at a prospect level, the community, as well as as well as for residents. The photos of their living company is currently testspaces and videos of the ing VaultWare’s “Check There has been a huge community events. Availability” and automatBlogging is also a useful ed rental rate update feaincrease in traffic for advertising tool for Holland tures at eight of its properCWS, especially from Residential, says McDonties and their prescreening 2007 to 2009. ald. “There is a continued feature at one property, growth of traffic being gensays Bollinger. erated and driven to our “We recognize that it is Websites via our use of important to keep our ads blogging,” he says. Proper‘fresh’ and continually ty-specific blogs dedicated to specific keywords as update the content. This is generally the responsiwell as the ultra-popular Twitter have produced an bility of the onsite teams—they are in control and increase in search engine results, though responsible for their budgets and marketing dolFacebook.com has yet to produce quantifiable traffic lars, so they work closely with their area property for the properties.” managers to determine where to spend accordingOne important lesson from CTL Management ly,” says Bollinger. is to “test” vendor services on a limited number “As long as you are updating your ads, consumers of properties before committing to them. Anothwill be going to the site,” agrees Colandra. CWS er major component of CTL Management's overuses Yieldstar to provide nightly update feeds for its all Internet marketing strategy is for its property apartment prices. “This has been a really great tool managers and area property managers to routinefor us,” she says. The company has also found Interly review their conversion ratios to determine net classifieds to be effective. what ad sources are generating qualified traffic, As for social media, it appears there is still some says Bollinger. question about social media’s effectiveness as a tool “In some cases, we have stopped using online in marketing, per se. Colandra says that social journals because there are many low-cost and media may be used more in the capacity of resident even free ad sources that generate qualified trafretention rather than advertising. The company has fic,” says Bollinger. MHN dabbled with social media to lease apartments, and is not sure it is effective for that purpose. “As a tool To comment, e-mail keat.foong@nielsen.com. to communicate with residents, that appears to be where we have success,” she says. Social media provides a way to communicate MHN ONLINE with residents on Internet sites, says Colandra. Each For the full article, visit CWS community runs its own Facebook or Twitter www.multi-housingnews.com/Internet_Sept09 site. Facebook is used more to communicate with “ ” 38 September 2009 | Multi-Housing News http://www.Facebook.com http://www.ForRent.com http://www.ApartmentGuide.com http://www.apartmentFinder.com http://www.apartmentFinder.com http://www.Apartments.com http://www.Rent.com http://www.ForRent.com http://www.Rent.com http://www.multi-housingnews.com/Internet_Sept09

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Multi-Housing News - September 2009

Multi-Housing News - September 2009
Contents
From the Editor
Letters to the Editor
Executive Insight: Jack Kern
Market Pulse
Conversation with Shaun Donovan
Property Management
Global Market Report
Development & Design: Low-Rise
Directory: Top Architects
Kitchen & Bath: Cabinets
Products: Leasing Tools
Technology: Lead Management
NMHC Notebook

Multi-Housing News - September 2009