The Limitations of Likes

Many property management companies and apartment communities engage in social media marketing with the common goal of increasing awareness, measured by likes and followings. However, there is a significant difference between someone who simply likes your community and someone who recommends your community to others in search of a new home—and how frequently those recommendations occur. While likes do have value and can help build trust, most communities and management companies aim to be liked frequently and by as many people as possible. Yet, likes do not typically translate to referrals. The motivation for a resident, prospect, or anyone else to recommend your community is more about their own social standing and less about their obligation to you. As marketing guru and best-selling author Seth Godin points out, people make recommendations when it enhances their status or affiliation with others, not because they feel indebted to you. 

Accomplished marketing professionals understand the limitations of likes and do not get distracted by them. Instead, top marketers focus their campaigns on obtaining recommendations, which should also be the focus of individual property marketing efforts.