Over one billion people use Instagram every month , and of those one billion people , a significant percentage are the target demographic for apartment communities nationwide .
3 Ways to Use Instagram in Your Community Marketing
1
Be Consistent & Think Visually
Because Instagram is such a visual platform , how your feed looks , your profile image , and your daily posts and Stories matter almost as much as ( if not more so ) than your actual captions . Everything needs to have a consistent look and feel . Consider what you want your aesthetic to be . Do you want to have a luxurious feed ? A bright white feed ? Do you want your images to mimic the overall color hue of your brand colors ?
Set a strategy for this and work with a digital marketing agency , graphic designer , or social media specialist to create consistent filters to be used on all of your images . Moreover , you should only use high-quality , clear images on your feed . Nothing makes a resident hit the unfollow button quicker than fuzzy , cluttered , or unprofessional images .
2
Mix Up Your Content
When it comes to your everyday resident communications , consider how can you create visual interest . Are you opening the pool this weekend ? Share an armchair view ! Are you prepping for a resident event ? Show them ! Are there cupcakes in the lobby or amenities your residents are not taking advantage of ? Make sure you ’ re sharing the imagery .
Before you start , however , make sure you know what tone or personality you want to convey , and which property features you want to highlight .
Keep in mind that as residents begin to share pictures of your property on Instagram ( see point # 3 ), those photos also appear on the newsfeed of their followers . While it might not be on brand with your tone or personality , your community will most likely benefit from this exposure .
3
Engage the Resident Community
With millennials as the most active user base on Instagram , multifamily properties should consider how they can use the platform to create opportunities for engagement and content creation . Inviting your residents to participate in an Instagram contest is perhaps the simplest way to do so .
Create a call-to-action for your residents to submit pictures : “ Share your poolside pictures this month for a chance to win a gift card !” Offer an incentive for participation . Establish a timeline . This achieves a number of goals — people engage with your page , residents are creating content for you so you are not constantly looking for photos to snap , conversation and interest is sparked so people will continue to keep up with your page . It is a win all around . www . aamdhq . org MARCH 2021 TRENDS | 31