Using blogging as part of educating and informing your clients and potential customers is a wonderful, cost effective way to market your property management company – and is not just for sales people, says Loretta Morgan of Jam Property.
THERE ARE A FEW simple reasons why blogging can work really well for property managers:
- It’s a fun and exciting way to captivate and engage your audience
- It’s a great way to get your message across and educate your community
- You can build trust and rapport with your viewers
- You can become an authority in your field and the go-to agent in your area
- Content marketing is so important, and video blogging makes your content stand out above your competition
- There is such a lack of profile for property managers – what better way to change this than through education and information?
SEVEN SUBJECTS THAT GET YOU GREATER TRACTION AND HELP BUILD YOUR AUDIENCE FASTER
Landlords Why not write about how your systems, policies and procedures work in-house? Try telling your clients about ‘A day in the life of your property manager’. Don’t assume they know what’s going on because they probably don’t! Why not help them understand the ins-and-outs of what you do and why you do it? Your clients will be better informed, and this better understanding will ultimately create a stronger relationship.
Tenants There are so many issues around the relationship with property managers and tenants. This has a lot to do with a lack of communication and therefore understanding about why you do things a certain way. Why not blog out to your tenants about topics that really concern them and educate them on how problem resolution can be easily achieved, instead of in hostility and confusion?
Contractors Do your contractors really know what you require of them? These people can be your biggest fans and have the ability to rave about you. Why not blog about contractor expectations; what they can expect when working for your business, and inform them of what types of standards you have in place which will give them a good idea.
Industry news Keeping your clients informed on the changes in the industry and legislation is the best way to help them understand why you do what you do. How often do we come across clients or customers who simply don’t understand how some things work? Tell them what’s happening, and when so that there are no surprises.
Property market Relevant information on the property market is really great information. Sales people regularly blog to their clients and target market, and property managers should do it to. Medium rents, vacancy rates, recently leased properties, how your area compares to other areas in performance… the list goes on. Clever stuff, and really simple.
Team Tell everyone about your team, who they are, their background, what they do within your organisation and how that benefits the user. People love to know who is in their community, who they are dealing with and what their story is. Share it – they love it!
Case studies What a great way to build trust and rapport! Share case studies in your blogs and show how you handled situations or overcame obstacles. Everybody loves a story and this really showcases how good you are at problem solving. What better way to promote that you’re up for the challenge; you can handle tricky situations and come out with a benefit to all.
I have to say one of my favourites at the moment is video blogs. These are seriously entertaining and people love them. Video has literally taken over the world; you see it everywhere. It’s extensively used in sales and should definitely be used more in property management. If you’re unsure or need some practice, use your smartphone, practice, play it back and repeat until you’ve captivated your audience. Keep it brief; don’t bore your viewers or ramble on. Make it fast-paced and hook them in. Get good content and keep it short, sharp and interesting, or this will not work for you.
There is an endless list of great ways to blog in property management. I recommend a regular blog to your audience in a timely fashion. Once you master the art of the blog and create a following, people will anticipate your next blog and will look forward to reading it.
Just a word of caution: it’s addictive!