Read any article about marketing trends, best ways to reach target audiences, or differentiating from the competition and video is the one thing they will nearly all have in common. And for good reason – video works! It can be one of the best and simplest weapons for marketers to deploy.
However, before jumping on the video bandwagon, stop and consider what your goal is with videos. Are you looking to increase the effectiveness and conversion of your marketing campaigns or looking to showcase your community during the leasing process. Or maybe you’re looking to make your onsite teams more efficient by creating move-in, maintenance, and resident engagement videos. Whatever it is you are dreaming of doing with video, developing a strategy can make sure your video efforts work and aren’t just a bunch of random videos with no real purpose – and a waste of resources.
Documenting a strategic video plan can help any multifamily company create a carefully curated range of videos to fit any need, desire, plan, or goal. A documented plan will also ensure that these videos are aimed at a specific audience via the right channels and have the desire look, feel, and messaging throughout them as well.
Still not convinced that you need to get a set video strategy in place? Well, here are five of the top reasons why a video strategy is absolutely necessary for any multifamily team or company.
You Need Video
Time and again, reports prove that video works. It is one of, if not THE, most effective and simplest way to reach target audiences of prospective residents. According to Forbes, 90% of customers say video helps them make buying decisions and 64% of customers say that seeing a video makes them more likely to buy. So, the hands-down, top reason why there should be a corporate strategy in place for video? Because video works!
Acknowledging that video is necessary is a great first step, but without a strategy in place that is set from the top down, it opens the door to onsite teams doing either nothing with video or using it ineffectively. Both are big gaps and risks in today’s market.
Uniformity
Getting a set corporate video strategy in place will also help push for uniformity across all leasing teams and communities. Communities should have the flexibility to create videos that convey the real look and feel for the space and what it would be like to live there; however, regardless of which community a video comes from, it should follow standardized brand directions. Providing onsite teams direction as to the types of videos to create, how to create them, video best practices, where to share those videos, and any other specific community guidelines is integral to the success of your video efforts. On top of that, using a set video platform for creating and sharing those videos will further help solidify uniformity across the company ensuring that no one is going rogue with their videos.
Training
Speaking of uniformity, having a set corporate video strategy means needing to train your teams on that set corporate strategy. Properly training each onsite team on best practices with video, and how to be successful with it, helps to ensure compliance to the strategy and success overall. Not sure why video best practices should be included in your strategy? Challenge each of your communities to record a video without any direction and you’ll quickly see why providing training on consistent video tactics is necessary. Make sure to cover everything from your goals and plans for video in your training along with best practices like the type of equipment to use when creating videos, the type of tone or language to use when speaking, how to integrate video into their processes…and much, much more. Training and sharing best practices and successes should have a regular cadence as this area evolves quickly.
Compliance
Compliance is normally at the forefront of most multifamily activities. And video is no exception. Compliance in video marketing is critical. It also goes far beyond compliance to the corporate vision for the videos, but also compliance with the Fair Housing Act. Multifamily leasing teams need to remain vigilant that their videos are compliant beyond some of the more obvious tips such as ensuring diversity in images and including language welcoming to all. There remain some trickier issues and minefields they need to follow including displaying the Equal Housing Opportunity logo and disclaimer when providing video experiences to prospective residents or making sure there is a recording and audit trail to defend against any claims should they arise. Read more about how to keep videos compliant here.
Recruiting
Recruiting may not be the first thing to come to mind when considering a corporate strategy around video. But, when a multifamily company or community is looking to recruit top talent for their communities, top talent will want, in fact, they’ll expect access to the latest marketing tools. These are the things that will not only make their lives easier and more efficient, but they will make them better at what they do. The goal is to have a powerhouse leasing team. And that means giving them all the tools necessary to be just that. Without video, one of the most powerful tools in the toolbox is noticeably missing.
Combine the viral nature, ease of production, accessibility and proven ROI, and video clearly earns its place among the best marketing and leasing tools around. But, without a strategy, multifamily companies risk producing disparate, low-quality content and that could end up costing more in the long run.
Want some help creating your video strategy for 2019? Message us at sales@realync.com — we’re here to help!
Until next time…keep it real!
