TikTok, once a platform targeted to Gen Z that largely focused on lip sync, dances and challenges, has experienced a recent boom in popularity and is now a crucial tool for social media teams worldwide. It soon became the most downloaded social media app, and as of now has 1.53 billion users. Major brands jumped at the opportunity to create an online presence on the platform.
The application’s functionality and algorithm make it easier for brands to become more visible to their target audience and is now a profitable component for multifamily marketing. “TikTok has a wide variety of benefits for multifamily advertising in addition to building a community online for the properties,” Bekkah Doyle, senior marketing specialist, REACH by RentCafe, told Multi-Housing News. “TikTok is a great place to post virtual tours of units and post about events. You can even put out quick how-to videos or craft videos. TikTok humanizes the property, while also providing a quick outlet to get information out.”
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We’ve compiled a list of reasons and tips why you should consider making TikTok one of the key priorities in your strategy. However, please note that that any strategy should be adapted to your company’s specific needs.
Why should you consider multifamily marketing on TikTok?
Social media can become a powerful tool for marketing your multifamily properties across multiple platforms, depending on your target demographics, and it can provide great conversion rates. According to the study “TikTok Marketing Science Post-Purchase Analysis,” conducted by Fairing, the platform is one of the fastest growing in terms of product discoveries with a response rate of 15 percent as being the first social media channel where people first heard about a certain product.
“TikTok’s unique advantage is its position as the fastest-growing social platform. Another benefit is the platform’s ability to connect with a younger audience, as 62 percent of TikTok users are aged 29 and under and engagement among this cohort is wildly high,” said Jenn Quader, president & CEO of The Smart Agency. “In fact, in 2022, TikTok captured 46 minutes a day of its users’ time, on par with YouTube. This allows for deeper storytelling and a larger share of user attention. That said, it also makes the platform most appropriate for non-senior communities.”
However, if you want to market your communities to multiple generations, you need to advertise them on multiple platforms. “Leasing for senior communities, by contrast, benefits more from a platform like Facebook, which, at 2.6 billion with projected growth to 3 billion by 2025, remains the world’s largest social network,” added Quader.
Simply put, you can leverage TikTok for younger generations and use it for several types of content that make your communities more engaging. The platform allows you to reach your audience faster, engage with current residents and promote a sense of community among existing ones, grow brand awareness and authority, as well as take advantage of video storytelling and user-generated content.
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Multifamily Marketing on TikTok: Tips & Tricks
TikTok marketing campaigns are like the ones on other social media platforms and are quite self-explanatory. You will need a business account that is approved, and then you can set up your first marketing campaign. There are a few things to consider before starting, such as objectives, your budget and delivery type.
Your team can opt for a standard or accelerated delivery plan, meaning that your ads will appear to the audience over a longer period or as soon as possible, respectively. You can also set bids when you bid on a particular outcome, such as impressions, or you specify the average cost of each goal.
Let’s break down the best tips for making multifamily marketing on TikTok effective for your company!
Think the strategy through!
There are a few initial steps to consider for TikTok marketing, including identifying your target market, deciding on a strategy and developing a content roadmap. Quader shared some steps to consider before starting to use TikTok, including being very clear on what and how you’re going to say before starting advertising.
She also said it is beneficial to set aside a full day to gather photos and videos of current residents and mine for stories during those conversations. After that, schedule some time with your team to discuss important details for your strategy, such as the stories that make the portfolio unique, marketing specials, local and regional leasing trends on TikTok, existing content and eventual challenges, Quader said.
“Now here’s the important part: Create entertaining videos that share consistency in look and feel, while still being fresh in content,” Quader added. “This is brand-building at its core—it’s important that people know this is the same property and quality, whether they meet it on TikTok, in person, or via the property website.”
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Choose the right TikTok Ad type to reach your audience.
Besides deciding on a campaign, you also need to consider the various types of ads available on TikTok and go with the ones that are in tune with your brand voice. The platform allows you to measure different interactions with the public, such as views, likes, comments, conversion and engagement. There are different targeting options to choose from, but you need to return to the first tip in this article and select the one or multiple that fit your strategy.
Quader broke down a few of those options and mentioned broad ads, the ones that run through the application’s typical algorithm and are not targeted. The “layered interests” targeting allows you to add interest categories, such as hashtags or engagement with certain content. Lastly, you are also able to upload an existing contact list, specific to “source data” targeting, from which the app will create a similar audience, she said.
“One great option for multifamily owners and managers seeking leasing activity through TikTok is to set up a Product Catalog to organize things like floor plans and pricing,” Quader explained. “This feature, which is available only to managed accounts in certain markets, allows you to save information about the products you plan to promote, giving you a library of information to pull from as you create ads. After a catalog exists, you can create Collection Ads or Dynamic Showcase Ads that will automatically display updated information such as pricing, availability, and sizes based on your catalog.”
Stay true to your company’s voice and don’t forget authenticity
When it comes to social media, it is easy to hop on trends and go with the flow, but sometimes not all of those trends reflect what your company has to offer. Thanks to the Discover page on TikTok, users are more likely to see similar videos of certain trends because they have interacted with those. Even though trends on TikTok can be beneficial to gain more visibility, you need to think carefully before creating content.
“It’s important to try and be as authentic as possible. You don’t want to be off-brand on TikTok as it can damage your credibility and come off as cringe-worthy if you are very clearly trying to just capitalize on something that isn’t in line with your brand voice,” Doyle said.
Our advice to you is to keep it engaging and simple. Try to highlight what you are offering, some of your company values and create content that mirrors your brand voice. You can gain results while still being true to your voice and authentic at the same time.
Create distinct and engaging posts.
Always keep in mind that most people like diversity and they can get easily bored with the same type of content repeatedly. Try to think of a strategy that includes different types of videos and ads to keep your audience engaged with your company or the community you’re promoting. A great tip mentioned by Quader is to break longer clips into shorter videos, thus keeping your content more memorable and entertaining. Another good example of diversified content would be to use the platform for answering FAQs from your community.
“I would suggest they use their TikTok for educational purposes and to build an online community with residents,” Doyle said. “They can post virtual tours, and information about the surrounding area such as local places and eat best places to go for a walk. You could post updates if you are going to host an event at the property and showcase a pet of the week. These are all items that are organic to your property, it isn’t your property staff trying to recreate a viral trend just for views.”
She also mentioned the 80-20 rule, meaning that 80 percent of the time you post something helpful or educational for your audience, whereas 20 percent of the time you highlight your brand. “This will help bring in new followers because your content isn’t a repetitive sales pitch, it’s useful information in general,” added Doyle.
“User-generated content is king.”
That’s another thing that Doyle thinks is crucial to reach a broader audience on TikTok. The truth is that multifamily promotes that sense of community, so what makes it so special about your company are your people. Personal experience stories have always caught people’s attention and specifically those can influence potential renters to check out your properties.
There are several ways to create that sense of community, including short videos of people’s favorite amenities of the properties, a resident takeover, an introduction to the most active members of that community, ongoing events or even tours of the properties presented by users. “Often users don’t even realize they are watching an ad when they utilize user-generated content because it seems so natural that it blends into your stream, unlike a traditional ad,” Doyle said.
The bottom line is that no matter which platform you’re choosing for your marketing efforts, the key is to remain as authentic as possible, stay true to your objectives and engage with your audience as much as you can. This way, you will bring a sense of familiarity around your brand and will become a trust-worthy name for people out there!
