Reputation management today is no easy task.
When you’re not soliciting reviews or responding to them (probably on several websites), you’re trying to convey that your community is more than just a bunch of apartments or even a 5 star review on Yelp. Because telling your community’s story —your values, your philanthropic efforts, your involvement in the surrounding neighborhood— is a proactive measure that can help your standing.
Word travels fast in the age of the Internet, so your team has to be vigilant. But who should respond to reviews? Who decides where improvement is needed? We attempted to answer these questions and more during this week’s #AptChat; these are the highlights. (Click on the links to jump straight to a specific question.)
- Q1: What are your top priorities when it comes to reviews and reputation management? Where are you focusing your efforts?
- Q2: What are the most important sites for online reputation today? Are you focusing on any particular sites? Why?
- Q3: What are all the ways you ask for feedback? What do you do to make sure it’s not just unhappy customers venting frustrations?
- Q4: What else are you doing to show what you’re all about? Resident testimonials? Charity/philanthropy? Local PR? What else?
- Q5: Who is managing your online reputation? Who’s responsible for responding to reviews? Who identifies where you need to improve?
What are your top priorities when it comes to reviews and reputation management? Where are you focusing your efforts?
A1. Our focus this year is really diversifying the platforms where residents leave reviews #aptchat
— Holli Beckman (@Apartmentalist) March 7, 2017
@Apartmentalist Interesting. Can you share what you mean by that? #AptChat
— Apartment Chat (@AptChat) March 7, 2017
We focussed on amassing reviews on AptRatings-Now we’re actively pushing happy customers to platforms that have more negative lean #aptchat
— Holli Beckman (@Apartmentalist) March 7, 2017
@Apartmentalist Yes! There is a constant ebb/flow & teams need to be aware of where they need to negate those negative reviews #aptchat
— Kristi Fickert (@Marketing_Mommy) March 7, 2017
A1: Start building a network of brand defenders (not just brand advocates). Get customers to actually defend your brand for you #AptChat
— Kristi Fickert (@Marketing_Mommy) March 7, 2017
@AptChat I’d never ask them to but if they adore you, they’ll do it on their own. So what can we do to make them WANT to defend us?#aptchat
— Kristi Fickert (@Marketing_Mommy) March 7, 2017
@AptChat And you can always identify the highly engaged/happy residents who love the team. When it’s personal, they’ll defend them #AptChat
— Kristi Fickert (@Marketing_Mommy) March 7, 2017
@Marketing_Mommy @AptChat Totally agree with this! We’ve tried to identify these residents (offline) and thank them personally #aptchat
— KAMo (@kimbean_) March 7, 2017
@kimbean_ @AptChat I’ve seen online retails boutiques (w/big Facebook presence) who have a LOT of brand defenders. Pretty impressed #AptChat
— Kristi Fickert (@Marketing_Mommy) March 7, 2017
@AptChat Identify: Who renewed, attends events/programming, refers, engages/shares on social, gives constructive feedback?#aptchat
— Kristi Fickert (@Marketing_Mommy) March 7, 2017
@Marketing_Mommy @AptChat Love the focus on “constructive” feedback #aptchat
— KAMo (@kimbean_) March 7, 2017
@kimbean_ Customers willing 2 give you the good+bad are invested ones. They WANT you 2 do well. That’s why they’re telling you. #aptchat
— Kristi Fickert (@Marketing_Mommy) March 7, 2017
@AptChat Still fledgling, getting a handle on where residents leave reviews, and training how to respond for a greater audience #aptchat
— KAMo (@kimbean_) March 7, 2017
Has anyone noticed significantly more reviews on a certain platform? #aptchat
— Dyverse (@dyverse) March 7, 2017
@dyverse We’ve noticed Google. I always attributed it to more visibility promoted by Google. #aptchat
— KAMo (@kimbean_) March 7, 2017
What are the most important sites for online reputation today? Are you focusing on any particular sites? Why?
@AptChat In our world: Apt. Ratings, Facebook, Google. Mostly because of ubiquity. #aptchat
— KAMo (@kimbean_) March 7, 2017
@kimbean_ @AptChat Agreed…I would add that I’m seeing a lot more Yelp activity in the past year. #aptchat
— Holli Beckman (@Apartmentalist) March 7, 2017
What are all the ways you ask for feedback? What do you do to make sure it’s not just unhappy customers venting frustrations?
A3: @SatisFactsLia integration helps with apt.rating LA’s gauge experience at move-in, and send a follow up email with links #aptchat
— KAMo (@kimbean_) March 7, 2017
Very curious to know this, too. It’s deflating to be reamed out publically on review sites! #AptChat https://t.co/qrNH13OVl4
— Mindy Sharp (@MsMin) March 7, 2017
@MsMin The Negative Nellies look for ways to be vocal. The Positive Patty’s not so much so. This is the challenge. #AptChat
— Kristi Fickert (@Marketing_Mommy) March 7, 2017
A3. We are focussing on training our service teams to work for reviews. They have the best opportunity to wow our residents daily. #Aptchat
— Holli Beckman (@Apartmentalist) March 7, 2017
@Apartmentalist That’s an excellent idea – borrowing this one!!! #AptChat
— Mindy Sharp (@MsMin) March 7, 2017
What else are you doing to show what you’re all about? Resident testimonials? Charity/philanthropy? Local PR? What else?
@AptChat Does keeping your property name off the news bc of nearby gunshots count as PR? #AptChat
— Mindy Sharp (@MsMin) March 7, 2017
@MsMin @AptChat Ahh yeah, that counts! #1 goal with any potential on-site disaster:Don’t let the media announce the community name! #AptChat
— Kristi Fickert (@Marketing_Mommy) March 7, 2017
Who is managing your online reputation? Who’s responsible for responding to reviews? Who identifies where you need to improve?
@AptChat Imo, if you r trying to reposition a property, Corporate should! Once asset is stabilized, onsite could step up. #AptChat
— Mindy Sharp (@MsMin) March 7, 2017
@AptChat I’ve found by saying, “I am/am not familiar with this, let’s talk about it – call me @ and I’m happy to help, thx” is good #AptChat
— Mindy Sharp (@MsMin) March 7, 2017
@MsMin I agree with this. You need to immediate response & an idea of where resources are most needed..then you can hand off #AptChat
— Holli Beckman (@Apartmentalist) March 7, 2017
Our next #AptChat is slated for Tuesday, March 14, 2017 at 12 pm Eastern. In the meantime, be sure to sign up for #AptChat updates to get these recaps and more delivered straight to your inbox!