With leads coming from so many different places —calls, your website, ILSs, email, even social— staying on top of them is no easy feat. Continually refining your tracking and follow-up processes is key.
Fittingly, automated lead nurturing generated a lot of discussion during this week’s #AptChat. It’s been a hot topic in the apartment industry for awhile now, but lots of marketers still have questions about its use, namely how to find the right balance of automation and personalization.
To learn what #AptChat Nation had to say on the matter, how prospect data can impact their marketing, and which prospect data points they think need more attention, keep reading. (Click on the links to jump straight to a specific question.)
- Q1: What are the primary ways you’re tracking prospects today? What marketing/ad data sources do you reference most often?
- Q2: What trends have you noticed in your prospect data? Has the data caused you to shift how you’re marketing? If so, how?
- Q3: What are some key prospect data points our industry needs to pay more attention to? Which metrics get too much attention?
What are the primary ways you’re tracking prospects today? What marketing/ad data sources do you reference most often?
@AptChat A1: Speaking from our past lead tracking days: phone calls, emails tracked in some sort of CRM. #AptChat
— RokitNow (@RokitNowInc) April 25, 2017
A1: We use a CRM, and track contact touchpoints, ILS sites, marketing reach, etc. The more detail the better! #aptchat
— Khara House (@kharahouse) April 25, 2017
@AptChat We’ll look at how long it takes the prospect to reserve; so each TP is important, b/c any could be the deciding factor. #aptchat
— Khara House (@kharahouse) April 25, 2017
@AptChat Time between touchpoints is important, too; trying to make sure we’re creating an effective, positive timeline of contact. #aptchat
— Khara House (@kharahouse) April 25, 2017
@AptChat It’s definitely adjustable. We want to be fast, but also not overwhelming. We need to give space, but not too much space. #aptchat
— Khara House (@kharahouse) April 25, 2017
A1. Salesforce, email analytics and keeping a close eye on what is driving traffic on google analytics #aptchat
— NAA (Natl Apt Assn) (@NAAhq) April 25, 2017
@AptChat We’re trying to diversify the mix but we’re organizationally addicted to email #aptchat
— NAA (Natl Apt Assn) (@NAAhq) April 25, 2017
@NAAhq Ha, you’re not the only ones! It’s not sexy, but it works. #AptChat
— Apartment Chat (@AptChat) April 25, 2017
@AptChat In addition to what’s said, Tours, Open Rates on any sent e-blasts, web behavior in analytics, social behavior in insights #AptChat
— Karen Kossow (@AthleteatHeart) April 25, 2017
@AthleteatHeart @AptChat Do you have anything that ties all of those together, or is all that data coming from different sources? #AptChat
— Mike Whaling (@mwhaling) April 25, 2017
@mwhaling @AptChat 1- The CRM I was using with my last (and one before company) captures/shows additional touch point source if customer engages. #AptChat
— Karen Kossow (@AthleteatHeart) April 25, 2017
@AthleteatHeart @AptChat Curious as to how you’re getting email addresses for blasts? #AptChat
— Respage (@Respage) April 25, 2017
@Respage @AptChat Customer database. Was referring to blasts to existing customer base. #AptChat
— Karen Kossow (@AthleteatHeart) April 25, 2017
@AthleteatHeart @AptChat Ahh I see. Only asked because we’re building an AI Chatbot and have an email form for that. Wondering if you did something similar. #AptChat
— Respage (@Respage) April 25, 2017
What trends have you noticed in your prospect data? Has the data caused you to shift how you’re marketing? If so, how?
@AptChat A2 – so much more data now. Easier to make segments and targeted follow ups and responses #aptchat
— Jonathan Saar (@JonathanSaar) April 25, 2017
@AptChat For apts you should be able to potentially know what size apt, bed, bath etc before even the call happens #aptchat
— Jonathan Saar (@JonathanSaar) April 25, 2017
@AptChat Overall if you are tracking sections on your site it should deliver data to help isolate key interests and not so general #aptchat
— Jonathan Saar (@JonathanSaar) April 25, 2017
@AptChat The initial setup can be a beast but the long term benefits will rock the bottom line #aptchat
— Jonathan Saar (@JonathanSaar) April 25, 2017
@AptChat just playing.. Someone has to have some tech background to aggregate and setup those data streams #aptchat
— Jonathan Saar (@JonathanSaar) April 25, 2017
@JonathanSaar @AptChat This is why PM is so diverse. We needs introverts/extroverts/brainiacs & nerds in the same company! #AptChat
— Mindy Sharp (@MsMin) April 25, 2017
@AptChat As we “sort of” already knew, data shows marketing needs to be very individual property-centric at times #AptChat
— Karen Kossow (@AthleteatHeart) April 25, 2017
@AptChat 1- You can’t take a broad brush approach & utilize the same sources/content across the board. Ex. for 1 property FB generated #AptChat
— Karen Kossow (@AthleteatHeart) April 25, 2017
@AthleteatHeart @AptChat nice! Segment but dont over micro-analyze it. Have realistic pathways #AptChat
— Jonathan Saar (@JonathanSaar) April 25, 2017
@AptChat 2- many initial leads. For that site, we increased our social spend. #AptChat
— Karen Kossow (@AthleteatHeart) April 25, 2017
A2 We use it to define what content we’re concentrate on #AptChat
— NAA (Natl Apt Assn) (@NAAhq) April 25, 2017
A2 We’ve found there are often massive gaps after the ILS and after the website interaction/conversion. #AptChat
— Mike Whaling (@mwhaling) April 25, 2017
@mwhaling Have you considered a “soft” attribution model? Obviously not hard science but gives you an idea of what is working #aptchat
— NAA (Natl Apt Assn) (@NAAhq) April 25, 2017
@NAAhq We’re doing multi-channel funnels, trying to get an idea of which sources are contributing most. Lots of data pts missing, though. #AptChat
— Mike Whaling (@mwhaling) April 25, 2017
A2: There’s much more e-contact as 1st contact. It can make tracking more difficult, so means staying REALLY on top of prospects. #aptchat
— Khara House (@kharahouse) April 25, 2017
@AptChat Yes. When they’re coming in from our website or from an ILS, they often push direct to our CRM … but sometimes not our inbox. #aptchat
— Khara House (@kharahouse) April 25, 2017
@kharahouse @AptChat I actually prefer it to just go into the CRM so that the whole team is working from one location and are ALL acceptable #AptChat
— Karen Kossow (@AthleteatHeart) April 25, 2017
@kharahouse @AptChat Oops accountable #AptChat
— Karen Kossow (@AthleteatHeart) April 25, 2017
@AthleteatHeart @AptChat It’s a restructuring of how we think about F/U and lead management. So many of us start the day–and never leave–our email inbox. #aptchat
— Khara House (@kharahouse) April 25, 2017
@AthleteatHeart @AptChat YEs! Why not take advantage of a resource that tracks it all for you? (I myself am guilty of not engaging the CRM daily) #AptChat
— Khara House (@kharahouse) April 25, 2017
@kharahouse @AptChat Wonder if your CRM can do email notifications for leads that go directly to the CRM.
— RokitNow (@RokitNowInc) April 25, 2017
@RokitNowInc @AptChat It’s meant to; the issue is ID-ing where the disconnect is happening (ILS to CRM? CRM to email? Where’s the delay?) #aptchat
— Khara House (@kharahouse) April 25, 2017
@kharahouse Just curious- which type of e-contact is more difficult to track? #Aptchat
— Karen Kossow (@AthleteatHeart) April 25, 2017
@AthleteatHeart For us it’s the leads coming through an ILS. If they don’t push through quickly they sometimes (read: often) get lost in the flow. #aptchat
— Khara House (@kharahouse) April 25, 2017
@AthleteatHeart … But there’s also contacts directly through SM sites. FB messages to a page can be easily missed. #aptchat
— Khara House (@kharahouse) April 25, 2017
@kharahouse THAT I’ve also seen, & those didn’t feed directly in my past life so I had to stay on the teams to manually enter them as FB #AptChat
— Karen Kossow (@AthleteatHeart) April 25, 2017
@kharahouse @AthleteatHeart Have you seen the new FB Inbox features? Some cool tools there to facilitate follow-up. And the new Analytics are *powerful*! #AptChat
— 30 Lines (@30lines) April 25, 2017
@30lines @AthleteatHeart Yes! It’s a matter of adding that to a checklist of things to watch daily. I also love FB”s request feature. #aptchat
— Khara House (@kharahouse) April 25, 2017
What are some key prospect data points our industry needs to pay more attention to? Which metrics get too much attention?
@AptChat A3- I sometimes think “time on site” gets too much attention today. If customers are transacting, I don’t care how much time #AptChat
— Karen Kossow (@AthleteatHeart) April 25, 2017
@AthleteatHeart @AptChat Yep, plus we see time on site decreasing as mobile traffic increases. Still not enough companies tracking real conversions, though. #AptChat
— Mike Whaling (@mwhaling) April 25, 2017
@AptChat A3 (2)- and by that I mean spending a lot of time on the site. Sometimes sticky is bad sticky #AptChat
— Karen Kossow (@AthleteatHeart) April 25, 2017
@AptChat Personally, I’d like to see more leads come in with MI dates and Employers listed. #AptChat So many generic ones streaming in!
— Mindy Sharp (@MsMin) April 25, 2017
@MsMin @AptChat Take what you can get, then use your nurturing to fill in the gaps. If they’re really interested, they’ll tell you. #AptChat
— Mike Whaling (@mwhaling) April 25, 2017
@mwhaling @MsMin @AptChat Automate nurturing in initial stages. Then monitor opens/clicks/site visits to determine quality. #aptchat
— Hy.ly (@helloHyly) April 25, 2017
@MsMin @AptChat Why automation is so key. Hit those next 3-5 touchpoints and help filter out the noise from the needs #aptchat
— Jonathan Saar (@JonathanSaar) April 25, 2017
@JonathanSaar @MsMin @AptChat Agreed. Automation increases # of personalized touch points without agents spending time! #aptchat
— Hy.ly (@helloHyly) April 25, 2017
@helloHyly Time is precious. #aptchat #gollum
— Jonathan Saar (@JonathanSaar) April 25, 2017
I think for many it b/cms a balancing act: personalization to automation. The fear you’ll lose one to achieve the other. #aptchat
— Khara House (@kharahouse) April 25, 2017
@kharahouse Automation rule of thumb: automate initial stages such as “New” or “Nurturing” stages of prospect (1/2) #aptchat
— Hy.ly (@helloHyly) April 25, 2017
@kharahouse Automation rule of thumb: personalize latter stages such as “Touring” “Application Submit” stages of prospect #aptchat
— Hy.ly (@helloHyly) April 25, 2017
@kharahouse Personalization and automation need not be in conflict. Technology exists to do both! #aptchat
— Hy.ly (@helloHyly) April 25, 2017
@AptChat A3: Bounce rates on Landing Pages from #PPC campaigns. #Multifamily needs to take a serious look at how their Landers convert. #Aptchat
— Respage (@Respage) April 25, 2017
@AptChat A3(2): If you’re getting clicks, but visitors then immediately leave your site, you’re missing out on seriously qualified leads. #AptChat
— Respage (@Respage) April 25, 2017
@Respage @AptChat Yes, why do so many companies use generic, BORING landing pages on property pages? #AptChat Or, sites that are hard to navigate?
— Mindy Sharp (@MsMin) April 25, 2017
@MsMin @AptChat It’s also about pairing. If you want a #PPC ad for a studio to work perfectly, have a Studio page! Don’t send them to Home! #Aptchat
— Respage (@Respage) April 25, 2017
@AptChat A3: Not really a “tracking” data point per se,but response time to inquiries is important. Why are you responding two days later?!? #AptChat
— RokitNow (@RokitNowInc) April 25, 2017
@RokitNowInc @AptChat On site teams don’t check emails 24/7, that’s why. #AptChat
— Mindy Sharp (@MsMin) April 25, 2017
@MsMin @RokitNowInc @AptChat They shouldn’t have to. Every property should have a personalized auto-responder running, it’s the only way to respond instantly. #AptChat
— Mike Whaling (@mwhaling) April 25, 2017
@mwhaling @MsMin @RokitNowInc @AptChat In addition: automate CRM alerts on email opens/clicks, site visits/searches/unit views. #aptchat
— Hy.ly (@helloHyly) April 25, 2017
@mwhaling @MsMin @AptChat Agreed – instant responses to let them know someone will help but not all questions can be auto responded to and need a human touch #aptchat
— RokitNow (@RokitNowInc) April 25, 2017
@RokitNowInc @mwhaling @MsMin @AptChat 1-Agree for the instant response but also think we’ve lost the ability to personalize and connect with trying to help our teams #AptChat
— Karen Kossow (@AthleteatHeart) April 25, 2017
@RokitNowInc @mwhaling @MsMin @AptChat 2- By having so many templates #AptChat
— Karen Kossow (@AthleteatHeart) April 25, 2017
@AptChat @RokitNowInc @mwhaling @MsMin 1-To me it varies by customer & point in the contact “chain” but 1 example is answering customer questions #AptChat
— Karen Kossow (@AthleteatHeart) April 25, 2017
@AptChat @RokitNowInc @mwhaling @MsMin 2- With templates this often gets missed and if we can automate that…. fabulous! #AptChat
— Karen Kossow (@AthleteatHeart) April 25, 2017
@AptChat @RokitNowInc @mwhaling @MsMin 3- past that… if a customer has given you their pet’s name… USE it in responses (where applicable) #GetThemEveryTime #AptChat
— Karen Kossow (@AthleteatHeart) April 25, 2017
@AptChat @AthleteatHeart @mwhaling @MsMin Unfortunately, replies need to be personalized to address a specific question. Ex, I have a past eviction can I still apply? #AptChat
— RokitNow (@RokitNowInc) April 25, 2017
@RokitNowInc @AptChat @AthleteatHeart @mwhaling @MsMin Not everything needs to be automated. It helps to be human and personal #AptChat
— Hy.ly (@helloHyly) April 25, 2017
@helloHyly @RokitNowInc @AptChat @AthleteatHeart @mwhaling @MsMin I agree, a personal touch is always great customer service.
— Intelligents ETV (@IntelligentsETV) April 25, 2017
@AptChat Nobody is talking about #remarketing ! You don’t neccesarily need name/email to reach back out to a prospect! #Aptchat
— Respage (@Respage) April 25, 2017
@AptChat Combination of #PPC CTR and behavior flow. If there’s ad with 6% CTR and prospects don’t go past Landing Page, that’s site neglect. #Aptchat
— Respage (@Respage) April 25, 2017
Our next #AptChat is slated for Tuesday, May 2, 2017 at 12 pm Eastern, and we’ll be discussing how to keep your marketing consistent. In the meantime, be sure to sign up for #AptChat updates to get these recaps and more delivered straight to your inbox!