TECHNOLOGY
TECHNOLOGY
Digital Marketing Trends to Keep an Eye On
By Ashley Tyndall
In order for a multifamily developer to be successful, they must approach their target residents where they are. In the past, this meant placing billboards on their route to work or an advertisement on an apartment search site. As technology has radically evolved, digital marketing has changed the way companies must work in order to keep appealing to target residents.
Digital marketing trends that apartment communities and developers should be aware of include the growth of augmented reality, live videos, increased personalization, and native advertising. When a company is willing to evolve with the development of technology, they will always stay ahead of the game. Keep your strategy relevant by adopting some of these new forms of digital marketing:
Chatbots
Chatbots are the small chat windows that pop up at the bottom of a web page, offer assistance, and answer any questions you may have. Some people choose to interact with these bots, while others ignore them. But not for long. Chatbots gain intelligence with each interaction they have, making them more effective by reading the user’ s needs. They also give the company time back that they may have previously spent answering customer concerns.
Chatbots are effective in marketing because they help promote your apartments, gain resident insight, personalize your brand and community, and increase engagement. It gives your web page a human-like interaction that customers would not get otherwise. As Chatbots gain traction in the digital marketing community, they will become increasingly effective and lead to more customers using them. Rather than relying solely on leasing offices and manual messaging, Chatbots will be able to quickly answer questions that potential and current residents have, allowing you to gather more accurate data about your residents.
Augmented & Virtual Reality
Augmented and virtual reality are both relatively new technologies that are on the rise. Pokemon Go recently increased the relevance of augmented reality and its potential in marketing by showing the potential it has for companies that are willing to adopt the new technology. The app received more engagement and interaction than Facebook, Snapchat, and Twitter on average. It gave consumers a chance to interact with the world around them, an idea marketers need to capitalize on. The idea of virtual reality was introduced to consumers through smart technology that can be brought into their home. Both of these advancements make marketing efforts more impactful, and allow the consumer to interact with your brand in exciting ways they have not been able to before.
In the multifamily industry, augmented reality( AR) and virtual reality( VR) can be used to display property renderings and allow customers to interact with them before construction begins. You can create a virtual tour for people who may not live close-by or are simply browsing options, allowing them to explore floor plans and ameni-
ties without the travel. The opportunities with AR and VR are endless, allowing for creative digital marketing campaigns and features that appeal to target residents.
Live Videos
Video accounts for 33 percent of all activity happening on the internet, which means a large portion of the market can be reached with the use of live videos. They consistently see more engagement with followers than any other form of content. The two best sites to utilize for live videos are Facebook and Periscope, because they can be viewed even after the live streaming has ended. Live videos are an effective and engaging way to show off resident-exclusive events, grand openings, or other celebrations that bring excitement to your brand.
Live videos invite your followers to see and be part of what you are all about, letting them get to know the faces behind the brand. And while live videos are a fun way to interact with your audience, they can also be used to provide information about upcoming events, specials, or new properties in the works.
32 | TRENDS • SEPTEMBER 2017 www. aamdhq. org