Expanding your reach on social media builds your brand and spreads the word about your property’s appeal. But jumping into the digital world — and measuring your own success — can be tricky. Sporadic posts can lower your relevance, and vague hashtags can mean too few people will click through to see your space. Maximize your social presence with these tips.

1. Define your goals. What outcome are you looking for? A specific click-through rate to each rental on your site? Or do you want to drive traffic to content you’re posting? With your goals in place, you can direct your efforts to targeted platforms.
2. Pick the right channels. Who is it you’re trying to reach? Before you post a single picture or create a hashtag, determine which demographic is mostly likely to live in your building, then focus on the social platform that best fits this population. For example, college-age kids are likely to spend more time on Instagram than middle-aged adults who have families — they tend to favor Facebook. To further home in on your audience, join subgroups like Facebook neighborhood groups whenever possible.
3. Go beyond the usual sites. Facebook, Twitter and Instagram are the biggies, but other platforms like Pinterest can highlight your property as well as nearby attractions. Pin restaurants, shops, transportation hubs and pet perks (such as dog runs or parks) with photo links to promote the wider appeal of living in your property. You might also create a blog on Tumblr or join the real estate section on Nextdoor, a free private social network for neighborhoods. For now, Nextdoor’s listings are only available in specific areas, but this network is continually expanding its reach.
4. Understand the market. Researching other rental properties in your area and adopting their best practices isn’t cheating — it’s scoping out the competition. Log on to their websites, check out their Twitter feeds and view their videos and picture galleries. If you find their content appealing or chuckle at some of the more creative hashtags, you’ll understand what the market responds to — and how you can capture a portion of it for yourself.
5. Create engaging content. This should be fun! Use pointed search terms to craft taglines and handles that are engaging, shoot informative videos and post crisp, beautiful photos to highlight your properties’ best features. When it comes to content, your audience should be top of mind. Certain groups may be more likely to take a virtual tour of your buildings, while others simply want to sign up for weekly newsletters about upcoming rentals. Choose hashtags and SEO keywords that reflect your property’s perks, such as available parking, a rooftop garden, an on-site superintendent, pet-friendly policies and more.
6. Invest in video. Today’s consumer expects videos — which explains why social sites reward them with better reach than a text post. Get creative: Include footage of tenants enjoying the weather in the back garden (with permission!), a video of your annual summer barbecue or short clips that feature some of your rentals’ amenities.
7. Set up a schedule. To drive traffic to your listings and open houses, create posts regularly and be available to respond as needed. Take note of what time of day potential renters are most likely to interact with and view your content (more on that below). Answering questions and directing prospective tenants to the information they need is a big part of optimizing your social media posts.
8. Offer incentives. Did a potential renter like your post or follow you on Twitter? If so, offer them a discount on parking or a month of free on-site storage as an incentive. You’ll be advertising your generosity as you reward future tenants for their social engagement — and enticing others to follow their lead.
9. Measure your success. Some channels provide analytics you can track. On Facebook, for example, you can view the number of page likes on the Insights tab, and you can note your followers’ engagement over the course of a week to see what days and times people are most active. For other platforms, however, you’ll need a to use an outside tool. Unless people are tagging you directly, consider a third-party service to count your mentions on a platform like Twitter.
10. Plan for the future. The bigger you grow socially, the more you’ll want to learn from each marketing campaign. Check the demographic makeup of your Facebook followers in the Fans section. Click on Audience in Twitter and track the number of impressions on each of your tweets.

Creating social media posts that get attention and audience engagement is almost an art form. But with some practice, as well as smart digital strategy, your property will be seen far and wide.