Do you know that consumer reviews are trusted nearly 12 times more than product descriptions that come from companies? That is huge! Your prospects don’t trust your traditional marketing tools – including the information on your website. They want to know what other residents think of you.
Apartment reviews are a form of word of mouth marketing. With the development of social media and review sites, word of mouth has drastically changed. It has gone digital, and your reviews are very powerful. In a way, your residents are marketing for you. A handful of positive reviews can be much more impactful than a traditional marketing campaign.
Reviews also keep working hard for you long after they are written. Your prospects read more than just the reviews that were written a week ago. They read the history of your community. Because of that, reviews provide a constant impression. They provide personal stories and moments that can only be told by your residents and prospects. It was their experience and perception. It is their story to tell.
I’m not advocating you drop all of your marketing efforts to focus only on reviews, but I am telling you that reviews need to be part of your integrated marketing campaigns. And more importantly, they need to be part of your customer experience plan because perception is reality. Your prospects know exactly who you are before they ever walk into your leasing office. Or, they think they know exactly who you are. They have done their research and read your apartment reviews, and they have preconceived notions about you and your community. It doesn’t matter if their perception isn’t completely accurate.
If your reviews and reputation are managed well, your apartment reviews can do the leasing for you. Then your job is only to close the deal.
We spend countless hours crafting our brand, creating our marketing messages, and developing ad campaigns. We think we are defining who we are, but we are not. Our prospects and residents do that through their word of mouth – offline and online. Your community’s reviews on www.rentersvoice.com work hard to tell your story, influence your prospects, and engage with your residents. You can further shape and direct the perception created through your apartment reviews by monitoring and responding consistently.
Your apartment reviews define you and your brand. How much time do you spend thinking about how you are perceived?
Misty Sanford
Social Insight Thought Leader