I emailed a property manager for interior photos of an apartment I came across on Craigslist, and she replied, “You may look at our Face book page!” I was a little miffed that she couldn’t even link me, and a little horrified that they (apparently?) didn’t have a website. All I could write back was “Um. Ok.”
(Correction: They do have a website. It just doesn’t have property photos…or page titles.)
If your marketing efforts generate a lead, don’t send that lead to another lead generation channel.
Not only does it make you look unprofessional, it’s not a good experience for the potential customer. If you’re going to look for leads using Craigslist, be prepared to deal with them when they come. Sending someone to your Facebook Page for product information is quintessential antisocial marketing. Don’t do it. Instead, make this information easy to find on your website, and when someone asks for it, be ready to share it with them. You shouldn’t even have a Facebook Page if it’s the first (or only) place you put product information.
Facebook isn’t your new website.
Especially if THIS is what your Facebook Page looks like.
Frankly, as a property management company, Facebook shouldn’t be on your radar until your website is up to par. If I’m finding you on Craigslist, I should be able to easily click to your website for more information. And I expect your website to have all (or most) of the information I need to make a decision. Honestly, it doesn’t even need to look all that great. Sure, it can’t hurt, but as long as the content is there, your customers will get what they need and expect.
Your customers might be on Facebook, but they’re not looking for you there and they don’t want you there.
If you’re a property management company, your customers are probably finding you on Craigslist and they’re researching you through your website and review sites. If you want to “do social media,” all you have to do is make yourself easy to find and make sure your customers have good things to say about you.
Social media is all about—wait for it—being social. It’s not something you do, it’s something your customers do. Make it easy for them. If you’re providing your customers with a really good experience, they’ll be vocal about it. (The same goes if you’re providing them a really bad experience, so be careful.)
Social networks might bring people to brands, but brands shouldn’t bring people to social networks.
First of all, it does no good. (Unless your objective is to raise awareness of your Facebook Page, which it isn’t.) Social networks are about content discovery through social connections. They are not a place to store your content, and social media profiles are not a place to send customers.
If you’re a property manager looking to “do social media,” focus on being social and send people to your website, not away from it. This also applies to all those other brands who run commercials with “social” calls to action to “like them on Facebook” or “find them on Twitter.” Sorry, guys, but that’s not a social strategy.
Is this a common practice among property management companies or did I just hit the jackpot here?
