[SPEAKER_01]: Hey friends, today I'm excited to talk to you about something that could be a real time saver and a game changer when it comes to social media.
[SPEAKER_01]: So I know this time of the year is very busy for onsite teams and my goal over the next few episodes is to really share strategies that help you have the biggest impact with not as much effort.
[SPEAKER_01]: And I know that social can be one of those areas that's so overwhelming like when do you find time to post content?
[SPEAKER_01]: How can you even keep up with everything that's changing the trends?
[SPEAKER_01]: all of those things while managing a community.
[SPEAKER_01]: So today I'd like to share a very underrated strategy that can simplify your social media for your community and that's content categories.
[SPEAKER_01]: I want you to think of content categories like meal prepping for your community.
[SPEAKER_01]: Now I love on a Sunday usually to go to Trader Joe's and buy a mix of proteins and veggies and snacks and some breakfast items and I come home I might
[SPEAKER_01]: I usually like to do like cook up some hard boiled eggs.
[SPEAKER_01]: I always make a pot of rice that I can have easy in the fridge.
[SPEAKER_01]: I might even cook up some of the proteins so that when the weak starts and things are busy, I can grab different components and know that I can throw a meal together and some of them super simple, right?
[SPEAKER_01]: Because in the middle of the week it's busy.
[SPEAKER_01]: So with content categories, this is a simple way that you can get ahead where you have these very specific things that you know, okay I'm gonna sit down, what are the ingredients that I need?
[SPEAKER_01]: Now before I get into the content categories, I have a separate formula that I like when I sit down to post and that's platform category subcategory format and intent.
[SPEAKER_01]: I wanted to come up with a fun name for it, but this is what it is right now.
[SPEAKER_01]: So first I pick my platform and I'm going to be posting on Instagram, Facebook or TikTok.
[SPEAKER_01]: Then I pick the category.
[SPEAKER_01]: I'll be sharing those and the subcategories in just a second.
[SPEAKER_01]: And then I pick the format.
[SPEAKER_01]: So what is this content?
[SPEAKER_01]: Is it going to be a static post with just an image, a carousel post with multiple images?
[SPEAKER_01]: Will the post have actual text on top of it?
[SPEAKER_01]: Is it going to be a video like an Instagram story where I'm showing up kind of live?
[SPEAKER_01]: Or is it a pre-recorded one where it's face to camera?
[SPEAKER_01]: Or is it a real where I'm maybe acting out something with music or a trending audio behind me?
[SPEAKER_01]: So that's the format.
[SPEAKER_01]: And then the intent is do I want this to educate?
[SPEAKER_01]: Do I want this to inspire or to entertain?
[SPEAKER_01]: And just so that you guys know, a post can do one or all three or a couple a combo of all.
[SPEAKER_01]: So platform category, subcategory format and intent.
[SPEAKER_01]: Now, my big three categories that I like to break content into is first.
[SPEAKER_00]: Whoops, I'm gonna stop you right there for just a second barber because I feel like there's some people out there who may be listening to this and thinking, oh my gosh, this is really great content, but
[SPEAKER_00]: What would be super helpful and what I really want is for someone else to just do this for me which is totally fair because the property managers and on-site teams have it to do list that grows like weeds and that's why we have our summer savings happening right now where you can get a full year of social media post and captions created done for you sent to you no hassle all for only
[SPEAKER_00]: a year.
[SPEAKER_00]: That's only about a month.
[SPEAKER_00]: So stick around to the end to hear a little bit more about that.
[SPEAKER_01]: Now my big three categories that I like to break content into is first marketing.
[SPEAKER_01]: So that is to fill your funnel.
[SPEAKER_01]: Keep those leads going.
[SPEAKER_01]: It's a great place for prospects to once they've toured or they're thinking about touring.
[SPEAKER_01]: They kind of get to see what your community is all about.
[SPEAKER_01]: But these are posts specifically meant to draw people in to come and tour your community or make the decision to convert.
[SPEAKER_01]: So these are sales posts.
[SPEAKER_01]: Then it's retention.
[SPEAKER_01]: This is a way to love on your current residence.
[SPEAKER_01]: This is a way to let them know and remind them of what they love about your community.
[SPEAKER_01]: I'll say something though.
[SPEAKER_01]: What's great about retention posts is they're really a two for one.
[SPEAKER_01]: Retention posts also help us sell because people like to see what we're doing for a residence.
[SPEAKER_01]: They like the vibe and then that can be motivating too.
[SPEAKER_01]: but they're just not any direct sales.
[SPEAKER_01]: This is when we're speaking to residents specifically.
[SPEAKER_01]: And then my third category is just for fun.
[SPEAKER_01]: And this is to stay human and engaging.
[SPEAKER_01]: Now, each one of these has subcategories that rotate like the balance plate.
[SPEAKER_01]: You know, I like to eat sometimes the same meals, but I prefer to have a little bit of variety.
[SPEAKER_01]: And that's what social is about.
[SPEAKER_01]: So in this episode, I'm gonna share all of those subcategories.
[SPEAKER_01]: And I'm gonna give you some examples of posts
[SPEAKER_01]: on how you can use some of those with static posts, with stories, carousels and reels, and whether you're managing it solo or you just need a little help to do a plug-in play, you're going to leave this episode with a menu, let's say, of ideas of what to post about.
[SPEAKER_01]: So let's dig in.
[SPEAKER_01]: Hey there, welcome to the Multifamily Mix.
[SPEAKER_01]: You're a go-to blend for all things Multifamily.
[SPEAKER_01]: Equal parts apartment marketing and retention with a generous splash of encouragement, my friend.
[SPEAKER_01]: Ready to shake up the Multifamily world?
[SPEAKER_01]: I'm Barbara Savona of Sprout Marketing here to serve up ideas and innovations.
[SPEAKER_01]: Time to mix things up.
[SPEAKER_01]: Let's do it!
[SPEAKER_01]: Marketing content is how you stay top of the mind for prospects, but it doesn't have to be pushy, it just has to be consistent to show off the value of living at your community.
[SPEAKER_01]: So these are the sub categories that I like to rotate through.
[SPEAKER_01]: So the first one is specials.
[SPEAKER_01]: Let's say you just are having a crazy blowout.
[SPEAKER_01]: that can be a great way to just really pinpoint a special on a maybe specific unit or a total move in package.
[SPEAKER_01]: The second one is tour focused and this is where we're really giving in behind the scenes and showing the ins and outs of specific floor plans.
[SPEAKER_01]: It can also be a tour focused on different amenities.
[SPEAKER_01]: You can also do a focus on unit features.
[SPEAKER_01]: So this is where you could go really deep on something specific like if you have a great kitchen
[SPEAKER_01]: You might want to do something that showcases that specific unit feature or like an amazing closet with so much room.
[SPEAKER_01]: So the content doesn't always have to show so many things or absolutely every detail.
[SPEAKER_01]: It's nice to do micro content that kind of hones in on individual features.
[SPEAKER_01]: Same thing with amenities.
[SPEAKER_01]: You don't have to show them all off at once.
[SPEAKER_01]: You could do one feature of one amenity with a fun fact.
[SPEAKER_01]: Also a neighborhood feature and this is where you're taking something in the neighborhood and you're doing some sort of content around it, which pairs well with a business cross promotion sometimes, but this can work well even for things that are not businesses.
[SPEAKER_01]: So, neighborhood features can be like your parks, your museums,
[SPEAKER_01]: Even neighborhood features could be things like your parks, your museums, anything that's cool in your neighborhood that adds value to the entire area.
[SPEAKER_01]: So it makes people fall in love not just with your community, but with the neighborhood itself.
[SPEAKER_01]: This is a great category because I think a lot of people sometimes forget.
[SPEAKER_01]: that as leasing professionals, we are there to not just sell the unit, but we're really helping people fall in love with the area.
[SPEAKER_01]: It's a part of our sales package.
[SPEAKER_01]: Now, business cross promotions are post where you feature a business and it's a business that you know residents, maybe love or that is well known or that also attracts people that potentially could be your residents.
[SPEAKER_01]: So this is a great way to cross promote some of these business.
[SPEAKER_01]: You feature them, maybe you highlight how close they are to your community.
[SPEAKER_01]: or if they do certain perks, that would be a really great thing to share as well.
[SPEAKER_01]: You tag them and it's a great way for you to get in front of their audience and for them to get in front of your audience.
[SPEAKER_01]: Posts also featuring preferred employers and any special incentives or maybe events are outreach that you did at their, you know, employment.
[SPEAKER_01]: That can be really cool too.
[SPEAKER_01]: Another great marketing post is just testimonials and you can do these in a variety of ways.
[SPEAKER_01]: We'll dig into some of that in a minute.
[SPEAKER_01]: But testimonials are essentially your social proof.
[SPEAKER_01]: This is what tells people, hey, other people love to live here too.
[SPEAKER_01]: FAQs are also a great way to market your community.
[SPEAKER_01]: It's questions that people typically ask like qualifying for rent or qualifying for the community or maybe what is the moving process.
[SPEAKER_01]: Different things like that that people have questions about.
[SPEAKER_01]: That's a great way to share.
[SPEAKER_01]: Now if you do referral bonuses or any kind of specials around referrals, this is also a subcategory that can help bring that to life.
[SPEAKER_01]: So when you think about things like these subcategories, this is now where the format can really take a center stage.
[SPEAKER_01]: So for example, if you're wanting to do a special post, you could do an intentional post that has a great graphic of maybe a beautiful space in like of the pool.
[SPEAKER_01]: Let's say we're in summer.
[SPEAKER_01]: So you're gonna think about the season
[SPEAKER_01]: give a beautiful space that shows off your community pool.
[SPEAKER_01]: And then it says something like, because you deserve to love where you live this summer, but it doesn't have to cost a fortune.
[SPEAKER_01]: And then that's where you could have in the caption, whatever your special is.
[SPEAKER_01]: So that's something that you could do.
[SPEAKER_01]: A tour focused is like a cinematic style real with trending audio that can go through your model unit.
[SPEAKER_01]: Maybe it has a bold opening statement where it's like step inside where your story begins or step inside your new sanctuary.
[SPEAKER_01]: And a caption can be super simple, quiet mornings, big windows, coffee on this patio.
[SPEAKER_01]: Ready for your next chapter?
[SPEAKER_01]: Let's tour.
[SPEAKER_01]: So all of these things are really great.
[SPEAKER_01]: You can even include pinned comments with tour links or booking instructions or direct and back to your bio.
[SPEAKER_01]: Now, a neighborhood feature could be a moody edited photo of a local spot, maybe at Golden Hour and say, Sundays at an insert your local coffee house.
[SPEAKER_01]: And it says Sundays at such and such coffee house hit different when it's just a four minute commute from your front door.
[SPEAKER_01]: So now you're talking about location and a great place, plus you're setting a vibe.
[SPEAKER_01]: So these are fun ways that you can do that.
[SPEAKER_01]: And FAQ could be a branded carousel with three questions.
[SPEAKER_01]: Do I need runners insurance?
[SPEAKER_01]: Can I tour the same day or pets a lot?
[SPEAKER_01]: Whatever your FAQs are, it could be a branded carousel with the question.
[SPEAKER_01]: And then the next one could be a slide with the answer.
[SPEAKER_01]: This could also though work in a different format where it's face to camera where you do, today I'm answering your top FAQs and then you say that to your highlights.
[SPEAKER_01]: So again, remember that any of these that we shared, you can do this kind of a post and then you can switch it up by doing a different format and posting similar content.
[SPEAKER_01]: Again, so one day it could be a carousel and then a week or two later, you could do it as a real.
[SPEAKER_01]: Okay, next up is retention.
[SPEAKER_01]: Retention is our second large umbrella.
[SPEAKER_01]: This content is how you nurture the people that you already that have already chosen you.
[SPEAKER_01]: And when they feel seen and appreciated and engaged, they're more likely to stay and refer and review, which is what it's all about, right?
[SPEAKER_01]: So some of the subcategories under retention are meet the team, welcoming new residents, appreciating the ones that already live there, reminders for what's coming up around in the neighborhood.
[SPEAKER_01]: events that are specific to your community, even behind the scenes that let them get to know kind of the personality of the community, sharing resident parks, asking for reviews or even sharing reviews.
[SPEAKER_01]: I put these on both categories because I think reviews are a great way to resell the community to your current residents.
[SPEAKER_01]: And then things like maintenance tips and living tips, those could be really great.
[SPEAKER_01]: So how does this actually play out?
[SPEAKER_01]: What are some examples?
[SPEAKER_01]: So you could go as simple for a meet the team as a candid portrait of one of your team members with a bold overlay that says meet Oscar maintenance extraordinaire with a caption that says from leaky sinks to making your dogs day with a treat at the door Oscar is the behind the scenes hero of our community.
[SPEAKER_01]: Drop a thank you if Oscars helped you lately.
[SPEAKER_01]: So you may have a maintenance man or you might have a leasing professional that like just all the residents love.
[SPEAKER_01]: And that's a great way to kind of boost them and give them some props or share a little something behind the scenes.
[SPEAKER_01]: But you could also do that as a video.
[SPEAKER_01]: Let's say, for example, you could do a trending audio that has audio that really showcases the team.
[SPEAKER_01]: I saw a great community do one where they did if every team member had like a walk-up song, like as if they were walking them to the plate.
[SPEAKER_01]: and every single one was different and it went viral for that community and it was so fun they almost like as people as the person was walking in and the music was playing they slowed it down in slow mo so it was like the super cool really cool vibes and I think they edited it all in Instagram or Capcut and it just is a really fun way to get to know like an aspect immediately when you know what somebody likes what kind of music someone likes or the the way they like their coffee you feel like you know a little bit about them so
[SPEAKER_01]: Again, the post could be super simple and image with an overlay or it could be a real.
[SPEAKER_01]: You could also do like meet, you know, meet the pets behind the team and it could be a way to introduce their pets or something fun like that.
[SPEAKER_01]: Okay, so for appreciation, you could do a flat lay of photos of grabbing go things like maybe some of the little goodies that people get on moving and it's a small moment's big impact swing by the office fridge and grab a cold drink.
[SPEAKER_01]: Just our way of saying thanks for being part of what makes this community feel like home.
[SPEAKER_01]: You could also do that as a video that's on Instagram stories or, you know, that says, hey guys, come in today.
[SPEAKER_01]: We're doing a little, you know, grab and go coconut, look Royce at the office because we're coconuts about our residents.
[SPEAKER_01]: It can be totally cheesy and you could pass out, you know, coconut, look Royce in flamingo floats and that would make a really great visual.
[SPEAKER_01]: So another one with maintenance tips is it could be a voiceover with three things to check before submitting a work order.
[SPEAKER_01]: And this could be like little tips like before you submit a work order or have a submit a work order or if your AC is in cooling three things to do before calling maintenance.
[SPEAKER_01]: Little things like that it could be a video or a carousel post could work really really well.
[SPEAKER_01]: So you can get super creative with these.
[SPEAKER_01]: Now my last category is just for fun.
[SPEAKER_01]: And this content is the content that gives your brand life.
[SPEAKER_01]: It's not about selling.
[SPEAKER_01]: It's just about being relatable, human and memorable.
[SPEAKER_01]: So these are things like seasonal posts, national fund days, quotes for inspiration, funny memes.
[SPEAKER_01]: tips, recipes, games, polls, caption this photo, days of the week.
[SPEAKER_01]: It's just kind of silly things.
[SPEAKER_01]: So like for example, if it's national ice cream day, which is coming up on the twenty first of July, asking them what's your go to flavor drop it below or like if you could only eat one ice cream flavor for the rest of your life, what would it be and why?
[SPEAKER_01]: So this is a fun way to get engagement.
[SPEAKER_01]: And if you post these things also
[SPEAKER_01]: at a time when it's already trending, like on national ice cream day, that has the potential to get a little bit more reach.
[SPEAKER_01]: You can also do things like caption this photo, like a goofy behind the scenes shot of one of your team members, and you can say caption this, best one gets bragging rights, or it wrong answers only, right?
[SPEAKER_01]: So these are really fun ways to just kind of get people commenting on silly things that that's a low barrier to entry.
[SPEAKER_01]: You're not selling, you're just saying, hey, we're relatable.
[SPEAKER_01]: We found on Fridays is a really good day to do kind of funny content.
[SPEAKER_01]: People are ready to check out.
[SPEAKER_01]: I've actually noticed that a lot, the beginning of the week is great for content that is marketing heavy, that is kind of like tips, do this, try this, and the end of the week when people are just kind of fried from hearing so many different things.
[SPEAKER_01]: That's when you're relatable, easy content just works best.
[SPEAKER_01]: So even things like virtual games on Instagram stories like this or that,
[SPEAKER_01]: Coffee on the patio or a gym workout first, or neutral tones or bold colors.
[SPEAKER_01]: What's your vibe?
[SPEAKER_01]: Morning quiet or evening vibes, and you kind of get to know your residence like that, but it's super easy, low barrier response.
[SPEAKER_01]: So these are some fun things that you can do within those categories.
[SPEAKER_01]: But just to recap, there's three big buckets.
[SPEAKER_01]: When you have marketing posts, you have retention posts, and you have just for fun posts,
[SPEAKER_01]: You can rotate these weekly for a very healthy social media post.
[SPEAKER_01]: It never feels like you're non-stop selling.
[SPEAKER_01]: It never feels like you're ghosting or posting and ghosting.
[SPEAKER_01]: It doesn't feel like you've forgotten about your residents or like you're only talking to your residents, right?
[SPEAKER_01]: You could try a rotation like Monday marketing and it could be a tour focused real.
[SPEAKER_01]: or Wednesday retention, meet the team and Friday just for fun.
[SPEAKER_01]: If you're struggling with social, just try a three day posting schedule for the week.
[SPEAKER_01]: And then after you get that kind of locked in, you can add additional days.
[SPEAKER_01]: If that feels like a stretch some weeks, that's exactly why we created this brought simply social plan.
[SPEAKER_01]: It's literally like, forget just the ingredients.
[SPEAKER_01]: It's like having a fridge full of pre-prept meals for you.
[SPEAKER_01]: So this is prepped content done for you.
[SPEAKER_01]: You get a plug-in-play calendar, caption templates that then you can customize with local information.
[SPEAKER_01]: You get canva graphics and also digital graphics, stock photography, and pre-done videos, and a healthy mix of all three pillars.
[SPEAKER_01]: So the great part about this is you get a month of content in advance so you can preschedule your content and then you get it weekly as well.
[SPEAKER_01]: Now we created this for busy burned out teams who want to stay visible but without over complicating it.
[SPEAKER_01]: And right now we're offering a super awesome incentive.
[SPEAKER_01]: Go to apartment-social.com and use code save SS to get an entire year of social media content.
[SPEAKER_01]: for a hundred and ninety nine dollars.
[SPEAKER_01]: That's about sixteen dollars a month.
[SPEAKER_01]: Imagine having your social media not be a stressor having captions and graphics ready to go for about sixteen dollars a month.
[SPEAKER_01]: Now this content comes out monthly so you don't get the entire year at once which is great because that would be way too overwhelming.
[SPEAKER_01]: This is done in a monthly way and then you get weekly emails that help remind you to make sure that your content is fresh.
[SPEAKER_01]: Social media is definitely like a conversation.
[SPEAKER_01]: You don't need to talk non-stop, but when you do speak, you want it to mean something.
[SPEAKER_01]: Content categories help you post with purpose.
[SPEAKER_01]: I'm going to say that again, you want to post with a purpose.
[SPEAKER_01]: This is not just throwing spaghetti at the wall and seeing what sticks.
[SPEAKER_01]: This gives your feet a rhythm.
[SPEAKER_01]: It gives your strategy structure, and it gives your audience a nice variety.
[SPEAKER_01]: You don't have to go viral.
[SPEAKER_01]: You just have to show up consistently, and content categories makes that doable.
[SPEAKER_01]: So, for my home office to your leasing desk, I just want to remind you, you've got this a little at a time, and as always, the sprout team and I have your back.
[SPEAKER_01]: Talk soon, and I hope this was a really helpful way to simplify your social.
[SPEAKER_01]: Alright guys, that's a wrap on today's multi-family mix.
[SPEAKER_01]: Keep shaking things up at your community, your career, and most importantly, your life.
[SPEAKER_01]: Until we mix and mingle again, see you next week, friend.