We’ve covered the basics of creating a successful property marketing campaign and we’ve taken a deep dive into several of the most important components of an effective student housing marketing strategy. Now we’re going to look at some of the marketing best practices our clients have incorporated. These tactics drive audience engagement and produce real results
DO Focus On Your Customers’ Needs
Your marketing strategy must focus on your customer needs and not just on what you have to offer. This is not only a marketing best practice; it is the golden rule of marketing. If you’ve taken the time to identify a target market buyer persona, you’ll know the challenges prospective renters face and what problems they hope student housing will solve.
Hone in on how your target audience will benefit from what you are offering - the ways your property or management company will fulfill their needs and provide them with solutions to their problems. Match your property’s positive features and amenities (convenience, privacy, affordability, space, etc.) with the specific benefits that those amenities provide for a student population.
DON'T Forget to Study Your Market
A strong understanding of your industry, competition, and the demographics your student housing campaign is targeting is vital. Knowing who and what performs well (in your industry, in your market, with your audience) and why will inevitably influence your marketing strategy.
Know what else is available in the market, stay aware of current trends, and don’t coast with the status quo. Have a comprehensive understanding of your rental property and management services and what sets them apart, and then make sure you can communicate that information in clear, simple, captivating terms to consumers.
DO Implement a Strong Social Media Strategy
In the modern student housing rental market, it is essential to have an excellent online presence and strategy. Student rentals cater almost exclusively to Millennial and Generation Z audiences, both digitally native demographics. To advertise to and connect with these demographics, you must include a digital advertising strategy in your marketing plans. This is one of the one of the most important marketing best practices today.
In fact, the advent of the internet was a huge boon to property marketing managers. Your website now provides a central place to market multiple properties and a way to showcase property details, amenities, pictures, and virtual tours. If you utilize your website properly, you will also be able to collect information about prospective tenants, such as what type of property they’re looking for, when they would like to move in, and their monthly rental budget.
The public image that you create and promote for your property (and property management company) is an important part of attracting renters. When your reputation both reaches and speaks directly to your target audience, you will generate meaningful results.
“Companies that model best practices, that model the most upstanding principles, end up as the most profitable. It's not a trade of profits versus principles.”
- PHILIP ZIMBARDO
Engaging in influencer marketing is possibly the most effective PR tactic for student housing properties. This form of marketing has exploded with the growth of social media. Mentions and shares on sites like Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr, TikTok and Linked-In reach millions of viewers.
Whether individuals share your content with their peers or high-profile influencers speak favorably of your organization, you gain exposure, build positive brand awareness, and engage more of your target audience.
When it comes to social media, focus on three main purposes: engagement, scheduling and reporting. Each social media site serves a distinct purpose and your company needs to know how to utilize each of these platforms.
+ Download the Complete Marketing Best Practices Checklist
DON'T Misuse Multimedia
Videos are a key marketing tool and are rapidly growing in popularity. With compelling video creation and promotion, your marketing message can be effectively conveyed to a wide audience faster than ever. Four times as many people would prefer to watch a product or informational video than read about it, so using videos in your marketing campaign is probably one of the easiest ways to capture consumers.
For student housing properties, video marketing can be absolutely essential. A virtual tour of a rental property can entice local students to view the space in person and may even garner completed applications from young people before they’re physically present on campus. A well-produced and informative video also conveys a lot about your management company’s identity. And it’s easily shared via social media.
DO Make Marketing Campaigns Mobile Friendly
We live in an increasingly virtual era. In practice, this means that a lot of people spend a lot of time on their phones. This makes sense, as mobile devices are smaller, lighter and more convenient than computers. Therefore, it’s increasingly important that companies know how to optimize their marketing campaigns for a mobile setting and make the mobile shopping experience as easy and seamless as possible.
+ Download the complete Mobile Internet Stats infographic.
+ Learn how to amplify your campus marketing campaign with mobile apps.
DON'T Forget Other Marketing Tactics
To obtain real results when performing property marketing for the student housing sector, you need a properly designed full-funnel integrated marketing strategy with crystal-clear marketing goals, a well-defined target audience, and a thorough understanding of your buyer’s journey from awareness to action. Including a mix of advertising and marketing tactics is another marketing best practice.
To learn more about how to create a wildly successful occupancy campaign in today’s competitive market, see our Complete Guide to Property Marketing in the Student Housing Sector.
Here at MSSmedia, we’ve been providing Education, Government, Real Estate & Lifestyle clients with succinct, optimized, and successful marketing solutions for more than 15 years. Consider MSSmedia a full-service, one-stop shop for all your Media and Public Relations needs. Your goals are our motivation. And our mission is to propel your message, further and faster, to achieve the outcomes you’re looking for. If you found this blog post helpful, please share!
