On a normal day, connecting with your audience on social media can be challenging. When you’re in the midst of a crisis, it can become even more difficult to figure out what to say, how to say it and when to hit “Post.”

As a property management company, it isn’t possible to simply close up shop until a crisis passes. Take COVID-19 as the perfect example. Property managers still have tenants with issues and questions and might even have some vacancies to fill under certain conditions. While you’ll always have traditional lines of communication open (phone, email, snail mail), there’s significant value in leveraging social media to engage with current and potential clients during times of crisis.

(Access our COVID-19 Resource Page today.)

Why Social Media Is Vital for Property Managers

When a crisis strikes, people have a growing hunger for information. Instead of waiting for the six o’clock news or the paper to hit their doorstep at the crack of dawn, most look for the latest updates online. According to the Pew Research Center, more than half (55%) of Americans get news from social media sites.

If you’re looking for the digital marketing channel with the broadest reach, social media is the place to be. Over 3.5 billion people currently use social media, and two-thirds of U.S. adults are on Facebook.

(Download How to Improve Your Reputation with Effective Social Media Management.)

Reasons to Engage with Social Media Locally During a Crisis

In times of crisis, your property management firm may wish to adjust its approach to social media marketing. For example, it’s not a good idea to look for ways to capitalize on a pandemic or natural disaster. However, there are several reasons you should continue to engage locally on social media during difficult times:

1) Keep Your Clients and Tenants Informed

Use social media as a real-time tool to keep everyone informed about anything that might impact them. This can range from changes to your office hours and contact information, to information about shelter-in-place or evacuation orders by local officials.

Park La Brea Apartments in Los Angeles keeps tenants informed on Twitter.

2) Offer Another Means of Contact and Support

During times of crisis, it’s almost always better to over-communicate than leave people wondering where you’ve gone. Perhaps you didn’t take service requests or schedule appointments via social media in the past, but this might be a good time to start.

3) Reaffirm Your Commitment to Service

Stress can reach unprecedented levels in times of uncertainty. You can give your customers some additional peace of mind by sharing your commitment to customer service. Let clients know what you are doing to keep their property and communities safe.

Stuy Town in New York City engages with residents and the community on Facebook.

4) Stay Engaged with Your Audience

Sometimes people just want to know that you are still there. You can post about how you are helping out in the community and even invite customers to participate. Engage with your audience by asking questions, such as what they are doing to stay safe and sane during difficult times.

5) Look for Ways to Improve Your Business

As always, social media is a valuable tool to learn more about what your customers want and need so that you can give it to them. You can do this by reading posts that tag your business, developing surveys to gauge client sentiment, and encouraging and responding to online customer reviews.

Potential clients overwhelmingly search for online reviews before contacting a business, and this includes property management companies. Download our Property Management Report to learn more about how your business can use the power of social media and other ORM solutions to improve customer experience.