The world of multifamily marketing has certainly seen its fair share of changes in the last few years. As the world continues to move toward more virtual experiences, which was accelerated by a pandemic, multifamily marketing trends have adjusted in response.

While video and virtual leasing were already on their way to being a significant line item in most multifamily marketing plans, they are now critical. That’s not to say that more old-fashioned apartment advertisements like TV commercials, radio advertisements, or even paper mailers don’t have a place in marketing plans. However, if you want to reach more and better-qualified prospects, you’ll need to include digital outreach. And, by that we mean video.

We understand that the video category, and the claim that you should absolutely include video in your multifamily apartment marketing strategy, is a fairly broad statement. There are so many different types of videos with different purposes for each. As such, video should have a few line items in a multifamily marketing strategy, and here’s why.

Multifamily Marketing Video Has Changed

Not that long ago, if you heard the term “multifamily marketing video,” your thoughts would have jumped to a heavily produced promotional video with all the bells and whistles – a full production crew, staging, lighting, and even actors. It would live on the landing page of your website providing potential prospects with a glamorous, idealized version of what living in your property would be like. Now, this type of multifamily housing video still can have a place. But, it’s dependent on a few things such as specific multifamily branding, and how you’re wanting to present your community online.

However, multifamily marketing videos, and what today’s prospects want, have evolved to something more. Today, what works for consumers are videos that are personalized, raw, and authentic. Don’t just show the glamorized version of what life would be like on your property. Show what it IS like. That way you’ll get better-qualified leads interested and into the lead to lease funnel faster.

Also, you’ll want to create a higher volume of videos with a lower production value. It’s what today’s consumers are doing now on their own social media channels. Think TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook. Each of those channels are built on a high volume of user-generated content with a low production value. And, multifamily teams can participate too!

That type of multifamily marketing video is done through DIY videos at the site level. Marketing teams need to build video into their marketing strategies. That way, you’re equipping onsite teams to capture, utilize and deliver smart content that consumers are looking to engage with. That ranges through the entire resident lifecycle- from marketing to leasing to resident engagement.

When we say lower production value, we don’t mean low-quality. Quite the opposite. You can produce high-quality, high-volume, low production value pieces with the right platforms. Now, what does that mean?

Multifamily Needs the Right Marketing Platform

When including video into multifamily marketing plans, you need it to be part of a very defined marketing strategy. Teams can’t be set loose to shoot whatever they want with whatever sort of branding they feel like. But, you’ll need a strategy in place and a video platform designed to support it. That means a video solution custom-built for multifamily properties. Having the right platform allows multifamily teams to have confidence that they are creating the right content and they have a team ready to assist when/if they have questions. A platform built for multifamily means a few key things. It will:

  • Keep your property compliant. When a virtual leasing platform is built for multifamily, you’re supporting the ability for anyone to tour your community online in a safe way. It should be Fair Housing Compliant and have Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) built into the platform. Learn more about digital accessibility in multifamily!
  • Provide full training, onboarding, and support. Every team should be trained on how to produce smooth, polished, and high-quality videos. Platforms should provide training and other resources to make sure your teams are set up for success, using nothing more than their iPhone, Android, or other mobile devices. On-site teams can create professional content in no time when offered the proper training. These training sessions should also share what add-ons teams may need to create the best result – like an anti-shake gimbal.
  • Be cloud-based. The platform should also be cloud-based, giving teams easy access to create, save and share videos from an easily accessible cloud-based library.

Having the right platform allows multifamily teams to have confidence that they are creating the right content to see success in their marketing efforts.

There are so many reasons video should have a place in multifamily marketing strategies. But, in the end, what is the main reason? It works. Relevant, personalized, and authentic videos will be what resonates with prospective and current residents.

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Enhancing your leasing strategy with 1:1, DIY or pre-recorded videos will help leasing teams WIN more leases! Get DIY video tips and multifamily marketing knowledge delivered to your inbox bi-weekly by subscribing to our newsletter!