Social Media: “It goes to 11” Allison Crabtree, Director of Marketing Bell Partners Formerly Steven D. Bell & Co. April 30, 2009

Say what? Steven D. Bell and Company is now Bell Partners! Top 10 Apartment Managers (NMHC) About 3,000 employees 61,000+ units 200+ properties Founded in 1976 Private Company (Multifamily, Senior Living, and Commercial)

Steven D. Bell and Company is now Bell Partners!

Top 10 Apartment Managers (NMHC)

About 3,000 employees

61,000+ units

200+ properties

Founded in 1976

Private Company (Multifamily, Senior Living, and Commercial)

First things first… Social Media Is NOT: Having accounts with Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, etc. Surfing the web “Easy” Social Media Is: Engaging in a two way conversation with your customers A revenue generator Time intensive Electronic “word of mouth”

Social Media Is NOT:

Having accounts with Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, etc.

Surfing the web

“Easy”

Social Media Is:

Engaging in a two way conversation with your customers

A revenue generator

Time intensive

Electronic “word of mouth”

There’s a lot to understand…

Bell Partners Social Media- Why? To be one of the first multifamily management companies to use social media to add value through non-traditional techniques User generated content- by people for people New technology = New way to work with customers We wanted “real”: Feedback Organization Promotion Pull vs. Push Uh….why not?

To be one of the first multifamily management companies to use social media to add value through non-traditional techniques

User generated content- by people for people

New technology = New way to work with customers

We wanted “real”:

Feedback

Organization

Promotion

Pull vs. Push

Uh….why not?

Bell Partners Social Media- How? Small Controlled Beta Group Generated Support and Excitement Started with MySpace, then Facebook, Twitter, etc. Tracked Results Monthly Reports to the Entire Company Created Training and Support Systems Created Risk Management Systems Added to Corporate Audit

Small Controlled Beta Group

Generated Support and Excitement

Started with MySpace, then Facebook, Twitter, etc.

Tracked Results

Monthly Reports to the Entire Company

Created Training and Support Systems

Created Risk Management Systems

Added to Corporate Audit

Bell Partners Social Media- Who? “Owned” by the Marketing team “Managed” regularly by site teams Dedicated one corporate resource for support to build processes Company support from the President down I don’t get it, but I know it’s important. Let’s do what we have to do to “keep it real!”

“Owned” by the Marketing team

“Managed” regularly by site teams

Dedicated one corporate resource for support to build processes

Company support from the President down

I don’t get it, but I know it’s important. Let’s do what we have to do to “keep it real!”

Sharing Successes

Data Tracking- Pros and Cons

Bell Partners Challenges Generating Top Down Support and Buy-In Ongoing Training and Continued Engagement Data Tracking Measuring ROI? Risk Management Company Size and Roll-out plan Successes WOM Training Generating Buzz Generating Leads/Leases Collecting Delinquent Rent SEO Cap/Trans Leads Resident and Employee Communication

Challenges

Generating Top Down Support and Buy-In

Ongoing Training and Continued Engagement

Data Tracking

Measuring ROI?

Risk Management

Company Size and Roll-out plan

Successes

WOM Training

Generating Buzz

Generating Leads/Leases

Collecting Delinquent Rent

SEO

Cap/Trans Leads

Resident and Employee Communication

So many choices… Social Networking MySpace, Facebook, and coming soon an internal and external Bell network Social Networking/Microblogging Twitter Photo Sharing Flickr Video Sharing YouTube Product/Neighborhood Reviews Yelp.com, RentWiki.com

Social Networking

MySpace, Facebook, and coming soon an internal and external Bell network

Social Networking/Microblogging

Twitter

Photo Sharing

Flickr

Video Sharing

YouTube

Product/Neighborhood Reviews

Yelp.com, RentWiki.com

Social Media: An Extension of Word of Mouth What forms of word of mouth will experience the most growth in the next few years ? Social media marketing 37% Social network marketing 35% Mobile marketing 34% User-generated Content 31% Influencer marketing 28% Brand communities 20% Customer forums 17% Branded entertainment 16% Cause-related marketing 14% Brand microblogging 14% Buzz marketing 13% Corporate/brand blogging 11% Source: Agent Wildfire, 2009

What forms of word of mouth will experience the most growth in the next

few years ?

Social media marketing 37%

Social network marketing 35%

Mobile marketing 34%

User-generated Content 31%

Influencer marketing 28%

Brand communities 20%

Customer forums 17%

Branded entertainment 16%

Cause-related marketing 14%

Brand microblogging 14%

Buzz marketing 13%

Corporate/brand blogging 11%

Source: Agent Wildfire, 2009

Facebook Fan Page

Showing Personality through being “Real”

Using Online Classifieds with Social Media

Twitter

Conversation with Residents

Properties can get creative… www.myspace.com/springs_at_tyvola_centre Great song written and performed by maintenance technician!

Fact Social Media is not just for the “ marketing” department.

Social Media

is not

just for the

“ marketing”

department.

Bell’s Top 10 Lie’s of Social Media

Lie #1: Old school is still cool

Lie #2: Use fake photos Original Good BEST! ;)

Original Good BEST! ;)

Lie #3: It’s just web surfing Social Media is just playing on MySpace and Facebook all day and friending random people.

Social Media is just playing on MySpace and Facebook all day and friending random people.

Lie #4: One Size Fits All Everyone’s objectives are the same.

Everyone’s objectives are the same.

Lie #5: It’s a Race “ All social media and networking sites are like…the same thing, right? YouSpace, MyTube, FriendBook, LinkedOut, Twiendster, Flicky, Dug. Whatever. Sign up all at once.” Don’t collaborate.

“ All social media and networking sites are like…the

same thing, right? YouSpace, MyTube, FriendBook,

LinkedOut, Twiendster, Flicky, Dug. Whatever. Sign

up all at once.”

Don’t collaborate.

Lie #6: All people are stupid. State-of-the-art fitness center?

State-of-the-art fitness center?

Lie #7: If you don’t tell them, how will they know?

Lie #8: Skate where the puck is? “ A good hockey player plays where the puck is. A great hockey player plays where the puck is going to be.” – Wayne Gretzky

“ A good hockey player plays where the puck is. A

great hockey player plays where the puck is going to

be.”

– Wayne Gretzky

Lie #9: Everyone else is doing it. If everyone else jumped off a bridge, hmmm?

If everyone else jumped off a bridge, hmmm?

Lie #10: Ignore or Discredit

It goes to 11… Spinal Tap Clip

Spinal Tap Clip

Lie #11: The Economy is good

Final Thoughts Know where you want to go first . Then figure out the right tools to achieve it. Have a short term and long term strategy Generate company wide buy-in and keep building it! Don’t stop Release some control to the consumer Social Media is all about transparency and dialogue Be “Remarkable” We are living in exponential times Have fun!

Know where you want to go first . Then figure out the right tools to achieve it.

Have a short term and long term strategy

Generate company wide buy-in and keep building it!

Don’t stop

Release some control to the consumer

Social Media is all about transparency and dialogue

Be “Remarkable”

We are living in exponential times

Have fun!

We are in a good space…

Check us out on the web: Follow us on Twitter Twitter.com/BellPartners Fan us on Facebook Bell Partners Fan Page Corporate Website www.BellPartnersInc.com

Follow us on Twitter

Twitter.com/BellPartners

Fan us on Facebook

Bell Partners Fan Page

Corporate Website

www.BellPartnersInc.com

Just getting started? Social Media in Plain English Common Craft Videos for the Workplace Did you know? Exponential times video Advertiser vs. Consumer Great video 5 Digital Trends to Watch for 2009 White paper LinkedIn Video Reid Hoffman Interview Mashable Online Social Media Source Guide

Social Media in Plain English

Common Craft Videos for the Workplace

Did you know?

Exponential times video

Advertiser vs. Consumer

Great video

5 Digital Trends to Watch for 2009

White paper

LinkedIn Video

Reid Hoffman Interview

Mashable

Online Social Media Source Guide

“ 11” is the new “10” “ It takes a lot of courage to release the familiar and seemingly secure, to embrace the new. But there is no real security in what is no longer meaningful. There is more security in the adventurous and exciting, for in movement there is life, and in change there is power.” Alan Cohen

“ It takes a lot of courage to release the familiar and seemingly secure, to embrace the new. But there is no real security in what is no longer meaningful. There is more security in the adventurous and exciting, for in movement there is life, and in change there is power.”

Alan Cohen