Apartment Property Ad Strategy: Part 1

Marketing your property effectively is crucial for attracting the right tenants and maximizing your investment. In today's post, we're diving into the world of ad strategy & sharing the benefits of these two powerful options: Google Ads and internet listing sites.

Getting to Know: Google Ads & ILS

Google Ads: Your Digital Billboard

Imagine Google Ads as your digital billboard along the bustling highway of the internet. These ads appear when potential tenants are actively searching for apartments online.

Targeting Options: With Google Ads, you have the power to target specific locations and interests. This means your ad reaches the eyes that matter most—people actively looking for a place to call home. By optimizing a keyword strategy, you can target renters who are in-market and looking for exactly what your property offers.

Customization Opportunities: Tailor your ad copy to highlight what makes your apartment complex special. Showcase amenities, special offers, and the unique features that set you apart from the competition.

Cost Structures: Google Ads operates on a pay-per-click model, meaning you pay when someone clicks on your ad. The cost per click can vary dramatically, so you’ll want an experienced PPC manager to make sure you’re targeting the correct keywords and locations and not throwing money away on clicks that won’t convert to tours.

Internet Listing Sites: Your Digital Showcase

Internet listing sites act as your online showcase, where potential tenants can explore available apartments in their area or an area they’re looking to move to. On an ILS, your apartment community will be featured among others in your geographic location, making the apartment search process easier on your prospects.

Listing Fees and Packages: Each listing site offers tiered pricing packages built to enhance your property's visibility. It's like choosing the right window display to attract passersby. When you’re debating on which service or package, make sure you ask your rep for the stats in your area. To make the most informed decision, you’ll want to know how many comps are in which package and how many users are in your market. When you work with an omnichannel marketing agency, like Visceral Ore, the agency should facilitate these conversations for you to ensure you’re maximizing your budget.

Exposure and Visibility Metrics: Your listing gets prime real estate (pun intended) on multiple platforms, reaching a wide audience of apartment seekers. The major 3 ILS own and operate basically all of the listing sites – Apartments.com, Rent., and Zillow will each connect your listing to their vast network of other smaller ILS (like Apartment Guide or Zumper).

Conversion Tracking and ROI: Internet listing sites provide reports to track user interactions, traffic to your listing, clicks to your website, and more, helping you measure the return on investment and refine your approach.

Choosing the Right Strategy

The big question: Where to invest your marketing dollars? The answer might just be both! These channels complement each other, working together to maximize your marketing impact.

Google Ads for Precision: Use Google Ads when you want to target specific audiences actively searching online. It's like placing a sign right where people are looking for apartments.

Listing Sites for Broad Reach: Internet listing sites cast a wider net, putting your property in front of a diverse audience. They're the virtual bulletin board where potential tenants browse available options.

As an apartment owner or manager, finding the right balance for your ad spend is key. Both Google Ads and ILS offer unique benefits, and deployed together can potentially boost your prospecting leads up a notch. However, it may be outside your budget or your teams' capability to effectively manage both. It's not a one-size-fits-all scenario; it's about creating a unique blend that works for you. Working with an agency that offers an omnichannel marketing solution may be your best bet to understand, strategize, and execute your ad strategy.