by threshold | Jun 24, 2023 | Creative, Digital Marketing, Marketing
Ava Page
In today’s market, if you don’t have a standout brand, you might as well be invisible – but never fear.
We’re diving into the essence of building an authentic brand that resonates with your audience, so that everyone who engages with your brand thinks, “Yep – I’ve gotta work with them“.
In a world dominated by fleeting trends and constant noise, authenticity is the key to standing out and forging lasting connections.
So, grab your favorite beverage, settle into a cozy spot, and let’s explore the wonderful journey of creating an authentic brand together.
embrace your identity.
Authenticity starts with self-discovery. Understanding who you are as a brand is fundamental to building an authentic identity.
Take a moment to reflect on your core values, mission, and unique qualities. Embrace what makes you special and weave it into the fabric of your brand.
By staying true to your essence, you’ll attract like-minded individuals who resonate with your purpose.
know your audience.
Building an authentic brand requires a deep understanding of your target audience. Take the time to listen and learn about their needs, desires, and pain points.
By developing empathy and connecting with your audience on a personal level, you’ll be better equipped to create meaningful experiences and solutions that genuinely resonate with them.
consistency is key.
Consistency breeds familiarity and trust. Ensure that your brand voice, visual identity, and messaging align across all touchpoints.
From your website to your social media platforms and customer interactions, strive for a cohesive brand experience.
This consistent approach will create a sense of reliability and authenticity, earning the trust of your audience over time.
keep it real.
Authentic brands are built on honesty and transparency. Be open about your values, processes, and even your shortcomings.
Authenticity thrives in an environment of trust, and being transparent about your brand’s journey creates a genuine connection with your audience.
When you make a mistake, acknowledge it, learn from it, and communicate your commitment to improvement.
engage and listen.
Authenticity goes hand in hand with active engagement. Encourage conversations with your audience through social media, blog comments, or even offline events.
Engaging with your customers and truly listening to their feedback shows that you value their opinions and are committed to serving their needs.
By actively involving your audience, you can refine your brand and create experiences that resonate deeply.
celebrate your community.
An authentic brand understands that success is a collaborative effort. Celebrate and shine a spotlight on your community of customers, fans, and advocates.
Share their stories, testimonials, and experiences to create a sense of belonging and foster genuine connections.
By placing your community at the heart of your brand, you create a bond that extends beyond transactional relationships.
to conclude.
Building an authentic brand is a journey that requires self-reflection, understanding your audience, and a commitment to transparency.
By embracing your true identity, consistently delivering on your promises, and actively engaging with your community, you can forge deep and meaningful connections that will differentiate your brand in today’s crowded marketplace.
Remember, authenticity is a superpower that can transform your brand into something extraordinary.
So, go forth, be authentic, and let your brand shine!
before you go.
At Threshold, we specialize in helping brands discover and unleash their own authentic voice. If you’re looking for some professional guidance on your brand’s journey, we’d be thrilled to assist you.
Get in touch with one of our marketing experts today to embark on an exciting adventure of creating an authentic brand that connects with your audience on a profound level. It’s kind of our thing.
For more tips and information about marketing your everything, take a look at the rest of our blogs, right here on our website!
You can also subscribe to our email newsletter (it’s got some great stuff), and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, or LinkedIn!
about the author.
Ava is the Content Marketing Specialist at Threshold.
This makes her responsible for the content creation and management of all Threshold and PromoShak social channels, blog content, and SEO maintenance, and aids in digital marketing strategies both internal and client-facing.
When she’s not busy creating content, you can usually find her picking out new plants, island-hopping, watching Duke basketball, or spending time with her fur babies.
by threshold | Jun 15, 2023 | Creative, Digital Marketing, Marketing, Thought Leadership
Laura Robbins
Your brand story is the soul of everything you do. In a world of ever-increasing competition and constant bombardment of advertisements, your “why” as a company, brand, and business is just as important as the services you offer, the apartments you lease, and the products you sell. Connecting with your audience on a deeper level has become the key to successful marketing.
Your brand’s story holds the power to captivate, inspire, and foster a genuine connection with your target audience. Let’s explore several powerful ways to share your brand’s story and make an indelible impact on your customers, shall we?
craft a compelling brand narrative.
What’s your humble beginning? What are the core values, mission, and vision that drive your business? Crafting a story that highlights your brand’s journey, challenges overcome, and triumphs achieved will tap into the emotional response of your target audience. It conveys authenticity and can transform your brand from being a mere product or service provider to a source of inspiration and trust.
Stuck? Go back to the basics with a simple principle: why it all began.
showcase your people.
Humans are visual creatures. It’s human nature to feel more connected to a brand with a face. Leverage behind-the-scenes footage that resonates with your audience. Engaging visuals not only grab attention but also make your brand story more memorable and shareable.
leverage customer success stories.
Your customers are an invaluable asset when it comes to sharing your brand’s story. Encourage them to share their experiences, testimonials, and success stories. User-generated content adds an authentic touch to your marketing efforts, demonstrating real-world examples of how your brand has positively impacted people’s lives. Think about it, who wouldn’t be drawn to live in an apartment community that has so many real happy endings?
don’t forget: share your storytelling across all channels.
Your brand’s story should permeate all your marketing channels consistently. From your website and social media platforms to email campaigns and advertising, ensure that your narrative is integrated seamlessly. Develop a cohesive brand voice and tone that reflects your story, creating a unified experience for your audience across various touchpoints.
Why? Consistency helps reinforce your brand’s message and fosters brand recognition, making it easier for customers to connect with your story.
to sum it up.
Sharing your brand’s story is an integral part of effective marketing, allowing you to forge meaningful connections with your audience. Remember, your brand’s story is unique and deserves to be shared. At Threshold, we believe in storytelling’s power and are committed to helping businesses unlock their brand’s potential through compelling narratives. Watch as your marketing efforts become more impactful and resonate with your audience on a deeper level.
For more tips and information about marketing, take a look at the rest of our blogs, right here on our website! You can also subscribe to our email newsletter, or follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter!
by Alex Pullen | May 28, 2023 | Digital Marketing, General, Marketing
Ava Page
In the ever-evolving landscape of digital marketing, success hinges on making data-driven decisions. Monitoring and measuring your marketing efforts through Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) is crucial to understanding the effectiveness of your strategies and optimizing your campaigns.
By keeping a close eye on the right metrics, you can gain valuable insights and take proactive steps to achieve your marketing goals.
conversion rate.
Your conversion rate is a fundamental KPI that measures the percentage of website visitors who take the desired action, such as making a purchase, filling out a form, or making a phone call.
By tracking your conversion rate, you can gauge the effectiveness of your website’s design, user experience, and call-to-action elements, and marketing campaigns.
Analyzing your conversion points on your website and keeping track of where users fall off of your website can help you make data-driven decisions that can help you improve your website’s performance, increase sales, and ultimately enhance your overall marketing efforts.
return on investment (ROI).
ROI is a crucial KPI that assesses the profitability of your marketing campaigns. It measures the amount of revenue generated compared to the amount spent on marketing efforts. Tracking ROI allows you to determine which marketing channels and strategies are delivering the highest returns, enabling you to allocate your budget effectively.
Optimizing your marketing activities based on ROI allows you to maximize your profits and ensure long-term business success.
cost per acquisition (CPA).
Cost Per Acquisition (CPA) is a metric that calculates the average amount of money you spend to acquire a new customer. By tracking CPA, you can determine the efficiency of your marketing campaigns and evaluate the ROI for each customer acquired.
Monitoring this KPI allows you to identify areas where you can reduce costs, optimize your marketing channels, and increase profitability.
website traffic.
Monitoring your website traffic is vital to understanding the effectiveness of your marketing efforts and the popularity of your brand. Analyzing the number of visitors, their demographics, and their behavior on your website can provide valuable insights into the effectiveness of your marketing campaigns.
By leveraging this data, you can make data-driven decisions to optimize your content, enhance user experience, and attract more qualified traffic.
social media engagement.
With the growing influence of social media, tracking social media engagement metrics is crucial to assess your brand’s online presence and customer interaction. Metrics such as likes, shares, comments, and followers can help you measure the effectiveness of your social media strategies.
By analyzing engagement metrics, you can identify the type of content that resonates with your audience, refine your social media campaigns, and build stronger connections with your target market.
email marketing performance.
Email marketing remains a powerful tool for driving conversions and nurturing customer relationships. Tracking metrics like open rates, click-through rates (CTRs), and conversion rates for your email campaigns can provide insights into the effectiveness of your messaging and email strategy.
Using this data, you have the ability to enhance the performance of your email campaigns, improve customer engagement, and boost your overall marketing results.
to conclude.
By consistently tracking and analyzing these essential marketing KPIs, you can gain valuable insights into the effectiveness of your marketing strategies and make data-driven decisions to optimize your campaigns.
Understanding conversion rates, CPA, ROI, website traffic, social media engagement, and email marketing performance allows you to fine-tune your marketing efforts and drive meaningful results.
Remember, monitoring and adapting your KPIs based on changing trends and customer behavior is crucial for staying ahead in the competitive digital landscape. Start tracking these KPIs today to elevate your marketing game and achieve long-term success.
before you go.
Don’t forget, we’re experts when it comes to crafting marketing strategies that drive leasing results and building high-ranking SEO-friendly custom websites! Need help? Reach out to a CSM or any of our team members to get started on taking your marketing and SEO to the next level, see an increase in traffic, and watch the leads roll in.
For more tips and information about digital and real estate marketing, take a look at the rest of our blogs, right here on our website! You can also subscribe to our email newsletter, or follow us on Instagram, Facebook, or LinkedIn!
about the author.
Ava is the content marketing specialist at Threshold and is responsible for the content creation and management of all Threshold and PromoShak social channels, blog content, and SEO maintenance, and aids in digital marketing strategies both internal and client-facing. When she’s not busy creating content, you can usually find her in a coffee shop, picking out new plants, island-hopping, or spending time with her fur babies.
by threshold | Jan 24, 2023 | Digital Marketing, General, Marketing
Ava Page
Rising averages in student housing occupancy
Year after year, fewer students are living at home and on campus during their college years, opting for off-campus student housing options instead. From pricing to safety to amenities, off-campus luxury student housing is becoming the new norm for many college students. Many student housing properties are seeing an uptick of 10-20% in leasing and pre-leasing compared to just last year.
Even if numbers this high happen to be a one-year anomaly, the fact is, student housing isn’t going anywhere. In fact, it’s only continuing to grow. Whether it be for safety reasons, amenity access, location convenience, pricing, or any number of factors to choose off-campus housing over dorm life, you don’t want to catch yourself falling behind on these marketing trends, or property management trends.
Manage growth expectations
As the demand grows for off-campus housing, so do the expectations for your property. As rent increases, so do the expectations of current and potential residents. See where we’re going with this?
2023 needs to be the year of self-reflection for your property; How can you enhance your amenities? What updates need to be made, both interior and exterior? What needs to be done to improve upon maintenance requests completion, satisfaction, and timeliness?
As you look toward reflection, rebranding, and renovation, your residents need to be at the forefront of your thought process, not only in what they’d like to see but what they’d like to receive. This is why image is just the first step when it comes to keeping up with the expectations of your off-campus housing property.
When looking to rebrand, or even just refresh your property, one of the most important—yet often forgotten—things to remember is to research your competitors. If you’re looking to be the property with the best value, best access, best amenities, etc., you need to be aware of what your competition is offering first, so you don’t join a long list of properties that offer the same talking points in today’s highly saturated markets.
Ensure quality services
Before you begin anything else, as you reflect on your property, you need to realistically understand your value, so you know what your most marketable assets are. When creating a marketing campaign, you must be able to ensure that ALL areas of your property are worth the value—not just the sparkling pool or hi-tech fitness center.
Analyze your maintenance reports, check on those areas that need repairing or updating, and make sure the parking is adequate for your current AND prospective residents—things like these are what is going to set you aside from a competitor with all of the same amenities or price points that you have to offer.
Quality will always rise over quantity when it comes to choosing a new home.
Effectively market rate increases
It’s no secret that rent payments have skyrocketed over the last few years following the rental boom that occurred during the height of COVID-19. While many rental payments are stabilizing toward what’s favorable in the market, people have really begun to see the potential that renting has to offer in different lifestyles—and that’s what you’re going to want your largest marketing point to be, moving forward.
Product type, quality, and proximity are going to be the key factors as you look toward not only improving your property to validate higher rental rates but being able to successfully apply marketing strategies to these higher rates as well. You need to be able to associate an experience with your property and its pricing, rather than just finishes.
Many new builds in off-campus housing have larger floor plan options with individual rent options, so a student looking to move in with friends has the same abilities as one looking to be assigned a roommate. Many properties say new supply leased up to 86% in 2022, which was up 6% YoY (year-over-year).
These numbers prove that as we move forward, there will continue to be a subset of students who will remain willing to pay the higher rates for higher quality, product type, and proximity ratings, as they know they will more than likely spend 2+ years living in these properties.
The success of AI leasing & marketing efforts
As we move into a time where AI has become more normalized than ever, it’s relevant to address whether or not it’s a useful tool in your leasing and marketing efforts, or if it should be left to handle other tasks.
We’ve all been there, dealing with an AI bot for support at a property, store, etc. where we only really want to get in touch with a real person once the bot has proven it can’t help us in the way we need. Is this really something that you want to be handling potential leases and prospective residents?
As Millennials and Gen Z take over the real estate market, both in home-buying and renting, we’re seeing a generation of buyers and renters that value authenticity, and don’t want to waste any time. Studies have shown that AI responses are often seen as stoic, cold, and generic if they’re able to warrant a relevant response at all.
When a client has a question that falls outside the lines of a templated response, they’re left to resubmit whatever information they’ve already inquired about, if they even choose to continue looking for answers at all. At this step, many prospective residents would bounce from the site where AI was being used, resulting in potentially lost leasing.
While AI can come in handy in any number of ways, leasing and marketing aren’t the places where you want to place so much reliance on something that doesn’t necessarily have all of the answers.
You want your residents—both current and prospective—to feel special, and get a sense of personalization from any support they need, and they’re not going to get that from AI.
Standing out in a saturated market
As we’ve discussed how common off-campus housing is becoming for college students, it also means that we’re dealing with a heavily saturated market. Here’s how to ensure you stand out from the competition, and don’t get lost in the shuffle:
Content consumption
Keep in the loop of knowing the content your demographic is consuming at high rates in order to stay ahead of your competitors. This can be done through hosting resident events that follow popular trends, as well as knowing what kind of content to create for your own marketing strategies. This shows you’re taking the time to really understand the needs and desires of your residents.
Create a consistent experience
Ensuring both your marketing and digital marketing efforts follow a cohesive pattern is a huge part of landing a sense of authenticity, and understanding of your brand image with current and prospective residents. Your messaging won’t get the attention it deserves if your marketing strategies seem to be coming from two different areas. (Psst, Threshold can help with that!)
Lifestyle enhancement
As we’ve spoken about how Millennials and Gen Z are taking over the real estate market, it’s important to recognize what areas of your marketing strategy need to change in order to best appeal to this changing audience. For this generation, there is so much more to emphasize than four walls and a roof over their head, and pricing points. Their lifestyle is their priority because they are coming into and establishing their adulthood.
This isn’t a generation that is going to sacrifice the things they want and feel they deserve to save a quick buck or choose the most convenient option—you need to let them know how you’re going to value and enhance their lifestyle, no matter what that may look like.
Before you go
Don’t forget, we’re experts when it comes to crafting marketing strategies that drive leasing results & building high-ranking SEO-friendly custom websites! Need help? Reach out to a CSM or any of our team members to get started on taking your marketing and SEO to the next level, see an increase in traffic, and watch the leads roll in.
For more tips and information about digital and real estate marketing, take a look at the rest of our blogs, right here on our website! You can also subscribe to our email newsletter, or follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter!
by threshold | Dec 29, 2022 | Digital Marketing, General, Marketing, Tech/Web
Ava Page
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What is SEO?
Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of utilizing optimized content in order to improve your ranking on search engines and increase traffic to your website. The best ways to ensure this practice is completed at maximum success are to create high-quality content, ensure quick load time for your website, and create a user-friendly website across all platforms.
Why should I focus on SEO?
The bottom line is that SEO is what will make your website visible, and will in turn ensure long-term equity for your business or brand. Higher visibility will result in higher organic traffic for your site, all without spending a dime on advertising.
Improving your SEO rankings is one of the easiest and most cost-effective ways to drive traffic to your site. 65% of users who search on Google say they will choose organic results over ads, proving that securing a solid SEO campaign can be more effective than paid ads in this arena.
What SEO content should be included on my website?
At Threshold, we happen to know a thing or two about SEO. In fact, it’s pretty much our specialty. So much so, that we’re offering some insight on the top ways to ensure SEO success for your business or brand and how we provide for our clients on custom websites, social media management, and other digital marketing services.
Alt-text
First things first, it’s worth noting that 22.6% of Google searches come from image searches, hence the importance of your website images’ SEO.
Alt-text – sometimes referred to as alt tags or alt attributes – is an included written description of an image within the website. This helps in giving your site and its images a higher search engine ranking, as it enhances the accessibility of your site.
Meta descriptions
Meta descriptions allow you to provide a snippet or summary of your website and all its pages to be shown in the SERP (search engine results page).
A good meta description will entice viewers to click on your page in search engines, increasing your CTR (click-through rate), organic traffic, and lead generation.
Without effective meta descriptions, search engines will rank your website lower, and those potential viewers who do make it down to your listing will turn away from site descriptions that don’t interest them.
Page titles
We’ve all heard not to judge a book by its cover, but in most cases, it’s inevitable.
Page titles on a website are no different! When creating your page titles, you must be sure to let your clients know what they’re searching for, while also drawing their interest.
As far as page titles go for SEO, it’s a pretty similar idea. Search engines are never going to prioritize a website without clear page titles to indicate where they are sending their users.
Keywords
Keywords are where things can get tricky in SEO, and why we recommend you leave it to the professionals – like us!
However, for the sake of giving you a better understanding of why we do what we do when choosing keywords, we’ll let you in on some tricks of the trade.
Keywords are what most often will attract users to your website in search engines. Think about what clients will be plugging into their search engines when looking for a business such as your own – these are the starting points for choosing your keywords.
Another tricky part of keywords is knowing how many to include per page, per site. Include too little, and search engines won’t recognize your site. Include too many, and search engines will avoid promoting your sites due to spam triggers.
Lucky for you, keyword research and implementation are a huge part of our premium SEO services when creating our custom websites.
Linking
Whether it’s to provide examples, deeper dives into the information you’re promoting, or simply linking to other locations within your own website, this is a step you’ll want to pay attention to. Both internal and external links let search engines know that your information is relatable, and oftentimes, verified.
Mobile-friendly
Creating a website that is user-friendly across all devices is something that will contribute largely to your SEO rankings, and it’s because of one simple fact: nearly 60% of online users access the web using a mobile device.
Gone are the days of simply using laptops and desktops to access the internet, and mobile-friendly websites are here to stay. Google and other search engines are simply not going to prioritize a website that isn’t designed with the majority of online users in mind.
This is why creating a mobile-friendly website isn’t something that can be pushed to the back burner to be resolved later – it’s something to look at now, or else your SEO rankings will suffer exponentially as a result.
Before you go
Don’t forget, we’re experts when it comes to crafting high ranking SEO friendly custom websites, and we are here to help! Reach out to a CSM or any of our team members to get started on taking your website’s SEO to the next level, and see an increase in traffic, and watch the leads roll in.
For more tips and information about digital and real estate marketing, take a look at the rest of our blogs, right here on our website! You can also subscribe to our email newsletter, or follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter!
by threshold | Nov 30, 2022 | Creative, Digital Marketing, Marketing
Ava Page
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Even though many people’s first impression of TikTok users is that they’re all young – far too young to be thinking about buying or renting homes – this mindset couldn’t be further from the truth.
While it is true that the majority of TikTok users (57%, to be exact) are between the ages of 10 and 29, the largest active demographic of that majority are between the ages of 17 and 29 – the perfect age to begin targeting potential renters and homebuyers.
Now, that leaves the minority 43% of users who are over the age of 30. While it may seem like a low number to begin with, one must remember that 43% of TikTok users amounts to 430,000,000 people. Yes, you read that right! That’s 430,000,000 potential users that could be looking for homes to rent, or buy.
When you break down the numbers like that, NOT using TikTok ads seems like a devastatingly missed marketing opportunity, wouldn’t you think?
Why should you be using TikTok?
Algorithm Targeting
TikTok allows its users to see personalized content at a higher rate than any other social media platform due to their specific algorithm on each user’s For You Page (FYP). This allows users to market to their target audiences at higher rates than any other platform, and is exactly why you should jump in as soon as you can!
Engagement
According to a Nielsen study, TikTok users engage more than any other social media, with an estimated 79% of users reading the comments on the videos they watch, and over 50% say they regularly save sound clips or search through hashtags in a video.
Maximize ROI
Overall, Tiktok’s algorithm ensures that the majority of users who will be viewing your ads will already show an interest in real estate, home and apartment renting, buying, or selling. Because of this, a Nielsen study conducted by TikTok found that nearly 90% of TikTok users enjoy discovering new content and products while scrolling. As if that’s not enough, over 50% of responders said they have discovered new products through TikTok ads that they directly acted through when purchasing. Over 80% said that TikTok in general – ads or regular content – inspired their purchases.
What content should you include?
Keep up with trends
- Not only will including popular trends increase your chances of winding up on someone’s FYP, it will also engage users far longer than a bland template and content they won’t recognize. This can be as simple as including a trending song, or as involved as including a dance, challenge, or other trending activity in your content. The more relatable your content, the more views, and eventual leads you will receive.
Use trending hashtags
- Real estate TikTok is no new feat, so take advantage of those who came before you and learn what hashtags are trending in the industry. Including hashtags with your content only increases your odds with the algorithm of landing on more users’ FYP.
Keep your content simple and straightforward
- TikTok is not a place where users come to dive deep into intricate content. If their attention is not caught within the first 2-3 seconds, your ad will be skipped without a second thought. Clear, concise messaging and branding is key for TikTok ads, so be sure and get your point across and gain their attention quickly.
See the numbers for yourself
Before you set up your TikTok ad, it’s important to discuss how TikTok ads can result in increased traffic and lead generation for your real estate properties. Let’s take a look at the numbers:
- Real estate listings and ads with video receive 403% more inquiries than those without
- Video advertising results in 300% more traffic for generating new leads in real estate
- 70% of homebuyers and renters watch video tours before signing a lease or mortgage
- Over 36% of homebuyers and renters say they would sign on a home or apartment entirely online, without ever visiting the property
Bottom Line
With stats like these, it’s hard to say no to using a platform as popular as TikTok, with over 1 billion active users, to streamline your real estate marketing campaign.
By using your ads to drive traffic to your website or landing page, the conversions will soon follow, resulting in a direct increase in property leads.
For more tips and information about digital and real estate marketing, take a look at the rest of our blogs, right here on our website! You can also subscribe to our email newsletter, or follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter!
