Most rental owners are on a tight budget, especially when it comes to marketing. Times are hard and many landlords feel like they don’t have a lot of money to invest on advertising and marketing. The irony is, not marketing your business will have a detrimental effect on your business. Online marketing is not only much cheaper but it is far more effective than traditional methods of marketing, plus you can easily track the success of each marketing campaign that you launch.
Here Are Some Big Marketing Ideas for
Landlords With a Small Marketing Budget
Look into Google Plus Local
Google really is on your side and it wants to help your rentals be found. They make sure that if potential customers are looking for a product or service that you provide, Google wants your company to appear in the listings. As a result, search results are becoming much more local and personalized and companies who claim their Google Plus Local Page and optimize it properly get the best rewards.
2. Start a Blog
No matter what type of rental homes you offer, you can still have a blog. In case you don’t know what a blog is, it basically stands for “web log” and they’re effectively online diaries. Anyone can set one up, that’s the easy part. Use a resource such as WordPress.com to create a free blog.
3. Social Networking
Facebook, Twitter and Google+ are all popular sites that you can’t ignore. Consider creating a profile on each of these sites. You will not only create new opportunities for potential rental residents to find you but they may also be excellent sources of traffic. Local rental owners that use social media sites like these, almost always see a significant increase in monthly traffic. The part that excites them the most is the fact that it is completely free. All it costs is a little of their time but the results are well worth it. “You can no longer afford to ignore social media marketing. In 2012, 85% of marketers found that social media generated more exposure for their business.”
4. Case Studies and Testimonials
If you already have happy customers who love your product or service, why not get a testimonial or case study from them? Case studies and testimonials are a perfect way to get brand new residents because they build credibility and give the potential customers the confidence to try your rentals knowing that other people like it. They will be less inclined to buy if they don’t see any testimonials or reviews. The secret is to get your customer to talk about your product or service, how they used it, and the results that they got. Most customers will be happy to do this if you ask them.
5. Write a Free “Guide” for Customers to Download
No matter what kind of business you are in, you can get a lot more business by writing a free “Guide”. It is an excellent marketing technique. They are an excellent way to get a lot of traffic to your site and increase the interest in your product or service. Some examples are:
- Guide to Choosing the Right Rental Home or Apartment
- Guide to Leasing a Home with the Option to Buy
- How to Enjoy Customized Upgrades in Your Next Rental Home
- How to Find Rental Homes Which Offers Your Choice of Pay Plans!
These kinds of free reports rank highly in the search engines and do a superb job of up-selling your rentals, as well as making you an “authority” in your field. Rental applicants will see that you cater to their needs and will decide to rent from you instead of your competitors.
6. Ask For Referrals
It is surprising how many landlords don’t ask their customers for referrals. Why not? If you have satisfied and happy customers, you really should be asking for referrals as it is a very effective way of getting even more happy customers. Some people feel shy about asking and are afraid that the customer will turn them down. However, you will be surprised at how few customers actually will say no. If a large proportion of customers do refuse to introduce you to others, it might be a sign that you are doing something wrong and could be doing a much better job of making them happy, giving you something to work on.
7. Harness the Power of YouTube
Savvy landlords are latching on to the importance of YouTube in their marketing campaigns. Not only do videos now appear in the search results, but you can also use videos to show off your rental home. A video tour of your home or apartments could be a great way to help fill your vacancy.
— The above online marketing ideas are from Charles Blair, a featured instructor at this year’s www.MrLandlord.com National Convention. To receive a free sample of Mr. Landlord newsletter, call 1-800-950-2250 or visit their informative Q&A Forum at www.andlordingAdvice.com, where you can ask landlording questions and seek the advice of other rental owners 24 hours a day.