1. Marketing to Gen-Yers and Boomers:
Using Social Media and More
JANUARY 23, 2013 // 2:30 – 4:00 PM
Presenter(s):
Todd Harff // Creating Results, Woodbridge, VA
Nicole Conniff // Irvine Company, Irvine, CA
Cheryl Urban // Equity Residential, Chicago, IL
Lynn Klug // Greystar, Irvine, CA

2. Cheryl Urban
Equity Residential

3. Marketing to Gen-Yers and Boomers:
Using Social Media and More
Generation Y and Baby Boomers are two generations apart -
but have more in common than you might think. Together,
these two massive demographic groups will drive the
apartment industry for the foreseeable future.
In this session, developers and marketing professionals will
explore successful marketing strategies, including the wide
range of social networking tools, currently available for
attracting these demographics.

5. Todd Harff
Creating Results

6. Boomers:
• Born between 1946 and 1964 (49-67 years old)
• 78 million strong
• Desire both personal and financial fulfillment
• Most economically diverse cohort
Source: The Nielsen Company: Introducing Boomers: Marketing’s Most Valuable Generation

7. Gen Y (Millennials):
• Born between 1982 and late 2000 (13-29 years old)
• Easily adopt to using new media- including social networks
and SMS/text messaging
• High importance placed on social aspect of life
• Entry intoImage
first jobs greatly impacted by recession but are upbeat about future
• Most ethnically and racially diverse cohort

8. Source: Pew Research

9. Source: Pew Research

10. Source: Pew Research

11. Change in Social Media Use by Age/Time
100%
90%
80%
70%
60% 18‐29
50% 30‐49
40% 50‐64
30% 65+
20%
10%
0%
Feb 05 Aug 06 May 08 Apr 09 May 10 Aug 11 Feb 12 Aug 12
Source: Pew Internet & American Life Project Surveys, March 2005-February 2012

12. By the Numbers: Social Media Tendencies
Source: May 2012 Google Ad Planner; plusdemographics.com © 2012 Creating Results

14. Case Studies - 50+ Social Media Engagement
1. Make it Authentic
2. Provide Meaningful Updates
3. Make it Easy to Engage
4. Showcase Shared Values and Desires

15. Case Study:

17. Case Study:

18. Video roll-out by email:
click through rate 3% higher
than list average

19. Case Study– Gen Y Social Media Engagement
1. Be Visual
2. Mix of Messages
~ Community Specific, Lifestyle, General Engagement
~ Higher frequency required
3. Focus on Customer Service
~ Be transparent
~ Be responsive

20. Case Study:

22. Best Practices- Goals
1. Overall Marketing Goals
~Extend reach
~Build the brand
2. Social Media Marketing Objectives
~Use analytics to gain target/competitive insights
~Enhance SEO
~Drive to website/convert leads to new residents
3. Social Media Marketing Strategy
~Integrate with marketing/operations

23. Best Practices- Content Calendar

24. Best Practices-Calls to action
• Promote events,
content with links to
your website
• Contact information
• Highlight desired action

25. Best Practices
WIIFM

26. Generating Leads via Social Media:
1. Pick Appropriate Avenues
~ Refer to web statistics for highest where referrals
~ Focus efforts there
2. Messaging Frequency Counts
~ Ensure visibility in timelines and feeds
~ Pick a frequency and stick with it
~ Seek out opportunities to increase activity and engagement
(count downs, photo gallery, submissions, etc.)
3. Know Your Goals in Advance

27. Nicole Conniff
Irvine Company Apartment Communities

28. Steps to Social Media “Evolution” at a company
• Social Monitoring and Reporting
• Ratings and Reviews Communication Strategy
• Social Media Advertising
• Social Marketing Profiles

29. Social Monitoring and Reporting

30. Social Monitoring Reporting & its impact on the
customer experience and business practices
• Select websites you want to monitor – Yelp (50%), ApartmentRatings
(40%), Facebook (7%), and Google Places (2%) and Youtube (1%)
• Expected Volume = 6 reviews/year/community
• Categorize comments and record customer sentiment for both
positive and negative
• Categories may include: staff, amenities, maintenance, community,
location, construction, parking, pets, security
• Evolve your culture to embrace feedback as a way to improve the
customer experience. You MUST change!
• Case study – Our move-in and move-out process changes

31. Our Customer Comments
Move-In: Absolutely horrible…the apartment me and my I was told when signing my lease that I would not be
friends were promised wasn't given to us. We requested a 2 charged for painting, but as I put in my notice, I was
bedroom/2 bathroom upstairs room and ended up with a 2 told I would be charged not only for painting the entire
bedroom/1 bathroom…I called to confirm that we'd be moving apartment, but cleaning, AND new carpeting.
in on our move-in date. THE ROOM WASN'T EVEN
READY!!!! The woman I talked to said it wouldn't be ready
until the next day.... Luckily, they finished in time and we
moved in. Talk about gross. The carpets were still dirty, the
paint was barely dry on the walls and it still smelled like You are "required" to provide WRITTEN notice that
cleaning fluid. you intend to vacate at the end of your lease. I
received the note at my door and went to the office
and told the staff we intended to vacate…they said
they'd make a note and that I was good. When I
looked on my last month's bill it was more than my
We scheduled a pre move out inspection twice
lease…because I didn't give a written notice it
and no-one showed up and also a final walk
automatically went month to month and I had to pay…
through and no-one showed up.
Due to deposit issues, I would not recommend this place,
like a person in the other review said they do not care about
you at move-out time.

32. Ratings and Reviews
Communication Strategy

33. Ratings and Reviews Communication Strategy
• Use reviews as a tool to challenge your current practices and make
changes to result in fewer negative comments
• Should you choose to respond, purchase your Yelp listing
• Designate speaker(s) for the company – decentralized or centralized
approach to responses
• Devise a communication strategy to respond publically or privately
to posts
• Vet out all communications with your public relations/marketing,
legal and operations teams

34. Yelp Business Listing Advantages
• On demand review alerts
• Clean up location data across Yelp ecosystem (mobile, desktop,
Apple Maps)
• Control photos & messaging across Yelp ecosystem
• Removal of competitive brand & local competitive ads from
community profiles
• Track all data measurements

35. Without Enhanced Profile

36. With Enhanced Profile
Enhanced Photo
Removal of
Slideshow with Video
Display Ads
Available
Directory
Info
Tracking Links Cleanup
Post Current
Calls to Actions
Removal of Local
Competitor’s Ads
Extended Business
Information Section

37. Business Owners Account – Reviews

38. Business Owners Account – Stats
• Learn about your page’s interactions

39. Social Media Advertising

40. Relative Costs for Internet Advertising

41. Facebook Content Display Ads
Facebook advertising allows for highly targeted ads to be served
based upon user profiles, interests, or trending topics. This level
of user contributed targeting exceeds that of traditional networks
or direct site buys.
• Increase social engagement
• Drive volumes of traffic to your website
• Promote products, services and promotions
• Extend reach onto complimentary products or services
• Integrate marketing communications strategies

42. Facebook Advertising
Expectations of
Performance:
• CPC = $1.65
• CTR = .04%

43. YouTube Advertising
Target your audience
by age, gender,
interests and geo and
keywords

44. Yelp Advertising
Search Display &
Banner Ads

45. Social Marketing Profile

46. 2,000 followers engage with our daily content
@Rental_Living
Demand Shaping
Giveaways
Synergy
Wahoo’s Contest – 3 months; 2x
per week drawing of a winner

50. Incorporating social media in your
own marketing communication
vehicles

51. Cheryl Urban
Equity Residential

57. Cooking
Ashley Shyn
Aaron Thomas
Nicole Butler
Nicole

62. Lynn Klug
Greystar

63. Challenges with Social Media Implementation
• Property portfolio of 700+ communities nationwide with more than
200,000 units
• Mix of predominantly third-party communities and some Greystar-
owned communities
• 26 Marketing Associates based throughout the country
• Profitable operations and controlled expenses are driving
management goals at our company

64. Challenges with Social Media Content
• Time management challenges if on site teams or Community
Managers are tasked with the creation of content
 Don’t allow team members to prioritize social media time before
leasing, sales, or resident customer service
 Must have point person with high level of trust who monitors
content to ensure it is professional and appropriate
 Must ensure that content is kept fresh

65. Solution for Content Challenges - Outsource
• Outsource social media management
 Utilize only recommended vendors
• Monitor your vendors’ activity levels and posts –
 Minimum 4x posting per month
 Full service management of Facebook and Twitter pages
 Blog expectation parameters pre-defined
 Email alerts
 Regular social media activity reports

66. Social Media Vendor Reports
• Facebook: Total reach, friends of fans, people talking about this;
page posts, male vs. female, age, cities/countries, etc.
• Twitter: Posts, replies, retweets, other mentions, etc.
• Yelp, other rating sites
• Google analytics assessments and recommendations; referring sites

67. Reasonable Social Media Expectations
• Generally not a source of leasing traffic
• Considered the equivalent of a community newsletter
MAIN FOCUS FOR 2013:
1. REPUTATION MANAGEMENT
2. MOBILE/TABLET MARKETING
3. DIGITAL FOCUS AND ENHANCEMENTS –
PAY PER CLICK & REMARKETING CAMPAIGNS AS
TRAFFIC DRIVERS

68. Todd Harff
Creating Results

69. Social Media Success with Gen Yers & Boomers
1. Know your audience and their preferences
2. Have a clear strategy
~ Directories, Traditional Social, Advertising, SEO, Mobile, Integration
3. Identify the appropriate resources
4. Set your budget and ID Leaders
5. Define your goals
6. Manage your reputation
7. Measure your results and adjust

70. Speaker Contacts:
Todd Harff Lynn Klug
Creating Results Greystar
Woodbridge, VA Irvine, CA
703.494.7888 ext 7013
Email: Todd@creatingresults.com
Web: CreatingrResults.com
Blog: MatureMarketingMatters.com
Nicole Conniff Cheryl Urban
Irvine Company Equity Residential
Irvine, CA Chicago, IL

71. IBS Education
National Association of Home Builders
1201 15th Street | Washington, DC 20005
800-368-5242 | ibsedu@nahb.org