December 15, 2017
By Cassie James, PMI Public Relations Manager
The winter months tend to be the slowest of the year for the property management industry. Tenants usually want to avoid moving out during the holidays, and many property managers see this as a welcome break from the regular grind, but wise property managers know that the holidays are an ideal time for growing your property management business through marketing.
Because property management is a service and you are not marketing a product you need to understand that you are actually marketing yourself. Marketing yourself is about building relationships and being human-to-human with your clients. What other time of year is it customary to stop by just to give a gift, whether you know a person or not? Gift giving is part of the season and is the perfect opportunity to build a personal relationship with current and potential clients and tenants and build rapport that will last year round.
Here are a few of our ideas for how to market your property management business and strengthen connections during the holidays.
Send Holiday Cards
Sending cards is one of the easiest ways to show appreciation for the business of your clients and tenants. Because sending cards in the mail keeps you removed from your clients and referral sources physically, be sure to make the card as personal as possible. You can personalize the card by using the recipient’s first name in the greeting and sign the card with your name (and/or your employee’s names) in addition to your business name. It’s a good idea to incorporate a photo of yourself onto the card, taking personalization to another level by providing a face to go along with your company’s name and making you more memorable.
Gifts of Appreciation and Holiday Greetings
Give a simple branded gift to those who have helped your business to grow during the year. Consider property owners, referral sources, vendors, and tenants. If your budget is tight, it’s better to give something small of higher quality than something larger of poor quality. My personal recommendation is to give a food-related gift. Food can be shared, is appreciated by almost everyone, and you don’t have to worry about whether it will be useful to the recipient. Gift baskets, professionally baked goods, and fruit or nuts are generally well received. Include a personalized holiday card and express your appreciation for the recipient’s specific role in your business.If you choose to give gift baskets, finding pre-assembled baskets is your best bet because making your own can be extremely time-consuming. I have found the best value for gift baskets to be at Costco. They generally include quality contents for a reasonable price. Costco sells gifts online that you can ship directly to your out of state property owners. Avoid including a sales pitch in your cards and gifts because you don’t want recipients to see the gift you gave them an advertising vehicle and think your intent is less genuine. Remember, the goal here is to build relationships, and giving these gifts without asking for something in return will help you achieve that.
Host a Holiday Giving Event
Many people are looking for ways to give this time of year and organizing a holiday gift-giving charity event with no direct benefit to your business enhances your reputation. Canned food drives, coat drives, or toy collections for low-income families are popular ways for people to easily participate in giving. One way to do this is to host an event like an open house and invite your referral sources, property owners, agents/brokers, and HOA board members. If you are a member of the chamber of commerce, you can promote your event through their outlets. Advertise the event on your blog and then share that blog on social media. Send invitations by email or traditional mail. Getting the word out is a key part of a successful event. Offering refreshments and entertainment at the donation collection event is a great way to make it social and enjoyable for your guests. Remember to have the option of a monetary donation for those who don’t bring the specified item.
More Holiday Marketing Ideas
If any HOA Boards are meeting in November or December, offer to provide refreshments at the meeting.
Host a gift-giving tree.
Offer to provide Hot Cocoa at a community Holiday Event such as a City Tree Lighting.
Host a client appreciation event.
Do a 12-days-of-Christmas Social Media gift giveaway on Facebook, for added exposure select the boost post option on Facebook.
