By Marc Courtenay
It’s been one year since my article urging property managers to “Get Yelp for Your Property Management Business.” Hopefully you heeded my suggestions and are reaping good results, because when used effectively and consistently, Yelp brings attention to any business that is customer-centric. If your marketing and management efforts are successful, the world will know it.
Yelp claims to offer “the best way to find great local businesses.” If your property management business is mediocre, you’re likely to find that Yelp can’t help you become “great.” You have to do that on your own, and once you are, Yelp really works!
As the company proudly proclaims, “People use Yelp to search for everything from the city’s tastiest burger to the most renowned cardiologist. What will you uncover in your neighborhood?” What would it take for your property management business to be the “the most renowned” in your local area? By examining successful businesses using Yelp, I’ve come up with a couple key ideas for you.
First, some facts:
- Over 150 million people use Yelp monthly for buying decisions.
- The number of reviews posted has grown to over 60 million since my 2014 article.
- People searching for property management and rentals often do business once they find what they’re looking for.
- Nearly a third of Yelp visitors are looking for real estate services.
Idea #1: Make sure your Yelp page spells out your services and advantages.
Highlight some of the subtle aspects of your property management business. From maintenance to resident relationships, your property management business needs to stand out in the crowd. Let the world know how you go above and beyond in outstanding ways for your clients and renters.
Make sure you’re getting Yelp’s help for business owners by going to their business page and watching the tutorial.
Property managers can offer prospective clients and residents a “Yelp Deal” on free business pages. For example, you might wave part of the application fee for people who contact you through Yelp.
Idea #2: Use your free business page to position yourself as a leader in your industry.
This is a powerful incentive for you to decide what will separate you from your competition. Use Yelp as a platform to cultivate a powerful reputation that welcomes reviews. Don’t make the mistake of ignoring reviews. Reviews, especially negative ones, should be addressed as soon as possible offering both explanations and solutions.
Delegate someone you trust to keep up with reviews and respond to complaints. As the saying goes, “roll with the punches” by not being defensive. Instead reply tactfully and constructively. Once you’ve updated your Yelp page or created one for the first time, ask your clients and grateful tenants to write a review. Maybe offer them a gift card as both an incentive and reward for their help.
Your Yelp campaign can be a cost-effective and user-friendly way to focus your community’s attention on your business. You’ll be using a social media channel that gets results using multiple technology platforms. Yelp partners with Apple, Yahoo and Microsoft’s Bing to offer search
From:: Property Management
