How To Use Email Blasts In Your Apartment Marketing
February 9, 2022 8:00 am Leave your thoughtsEmail marketing is a simple and effective way to connect with potential renters and current residents. One of the best ways to use email marketing is by sending email blasts which are emails that are sent to a large group at once. When done right, email blasts can help fill empty apartments, share special offers, and keep everyone in the loop.
Emails go straight to people’s inboxes, making it easy to reach them quickly with important information. Whether you’re a landlord looking to fill vacancies or a property manager wanting to keep residents engaged, email marketing is still one of the most powerful tools. When used well, email helps build strong connections with both future tenants and current residents. Plus, it’s a cost-effective way to boost your occupancy and keep your tenants satisfied. In this blog, we’ll share tips and strategies to help you get the most out of your email marketing so that you can reach your property goals.
How To Use Email Marketing For Apartments
There are many ways to use email marketing, but it’s important to find the strategies that work best for your property. Apartment email marketing can be divided into two main areas: prospective renters and current residents. By sending the right message to the right group, you can make your emails more personal and more likely to get results. Email is an effective way to attract new renters by showcasing available apartments, move-in specials, and community highlights. For current residents, it keeps them engaged with updates on events, maintenance, and lease renewals, helping to build a strong sense of community and encourage longer stays.
Compliance and Tools for Email Marketing
When you send marketing emails, it’s important to follow rules like the CAN-SPAM Act. This law helps protect people from unwanted or misleading emails. Following the CAN-SPAM Act isn’t just about staying legal; it also builds trust with your audience and keeps your emails effective. Here’s what you need to do:
- Include an Unsubscribe Link: Every email you send must have an easy way for people to opt out if they don’t want to receive future emails from you. This helps people feel in control of what they’re receiving.
- Use Honest Subject Lines: Your subject line should match the content of your email. Don’t try to trick people into opening your email with misleading or exaggerated subject lines.
- Add a Physical Address: The law requires you to include a valid physical address in your emails, such as your business address or a P.O. Box. This ensures people know where your company is located.
- Be Honest in Your Content: Avoid any deceptive content in your email, including the “From” name and headers. Everything should be clear and straightforward.
- Honor Opt-Out Requests: If someone asks to be removed from your email list, make sure you process that request quickly. Continuing to email someone who has opted out can lead to penalties.
To help make your email marketing more efficient, consider using tools that can automate parts of the process. Here are some popular options:
- Mailchimp: Mailchimp is one of the most popular email marketing tools, known for its easy-to-use features. You can set up automated email sequences based on customer behavior or specific actions. It also provides detailed reports to track how well your emails are performing.
- Constant Contact: Constant Contact is another great tool for email marketing, especially for beginners. It offers a wide range of customizable templates, so you don’t need to be a design expert to create good-looking emails. It also has segmentation features, which allow you to send tailored content to different groups of people.
- HubSpot: HubSpot is a more advanced platform that integrates email marketing with other marketing tools. HubSpot also offers automation features and analytics that help you optimize your campaigns for better results.
1. Know Who You’re Sending Emails To
Before you send an email blast, it’s important to think about who will be reading it. Not everyone should receive the same message, and sending the right message to the right person makes a big difference. Consider the segments below before you send out the email:
- Potential Renters: These are people who are actively looking for an apartment. They might have signed up for your newsletter, visited your website, or contacted you for more information. You can gather potential renter emails from online forms, open houses, and apartment search websites.
- Current Residents: People already living in your community need to be kept up-to-date on important information like maintenance schedules, upcoming events, or renewal offers. Collect their emails during move-in, through community surveys, or resident portals.
- Past Tenants: People who lived in your apartments before could be interested in moving back, especially if they had a good experience. You can keep in touch with them by offering special promotions, move-in deals, or letting them know when new apartments are available.
Consider this example below when crafting your email:
Potential Renters:
Subject Line: “Your Dream Apartment Awaits – Schedule a Tour Today!”
Body: Write a short description of the apartment, include high-quality photos, and add a CTA like “Book a tour now.”
Current Residents:
Subject Line: “Join Our Exclusive Movie Night This Friday!”
Body: Share event details, RSVP instructions, and highlight community benefits to increase engagement.
Past Tenants:
Subject Line: “We Miss You! Enjoy Special Rates for Returning Tenants”
Body: Offer specific incentives, such as reduced deposit fees or discounted first-month rent.
In order to build your email list, you will need to collect more emails. You can:
- Add an email sign-up option on your apartment website or social media pages.
- Use open houses or tours as an opportunity to collect emails from potential renters.
- Offer incentives for residents or prospects to sign up for your email list, like a discount, a free gift, or a local gift card.
2. Write a Catchy Subject Line
The subject line is the first thing people see when they receive your email, so it’s really important to make it grab their attention! If the subject line isn’t interesting or clear, people will just skip your email. Here are some tips to help you write a subject line that makes people want to open your message:
Keep it short and sweet: Aim for 6-8 words so it’s easy to read quickly. People are busy and want to know what your email’s about right away.
Be clear and specific: Let them know exactly what they’ll get. Instead of “Exciting news,” try “1 Month Free Rent—Sign Up Now!”
Create urgency or curiosity: Use words that make people feel like they might miss out, like “Limited time offer!” or “Hurry—Only a Few Left!”
Personalize it: If you can, add their name or something you know they’re interested in. “Hi [Name], Your Perfect Apartment Is Waiting!” makes the email feel special.
How to Make the Most of Your Subject Line
To an impactful subject line, you need to think about who you’re emailing and what they care about:
- For potential renters: Highlight offers or benefits, like “Schedule Your Free Tour!” or “New Resident Discount—Sign Up Today!”
- For current residents: Make it something relevant to them, like “Join Our Pool Party This Saturday!” or “Renew Your Lease and Save $100!”
- For past tenants: Remind them of what they loved, with something like “We Miss You! Come Back for Special Deals” or “New Apartments Available—Come Take a Look!”
Test and See What Works
You can also test different subject lines to see which one works best. Send two versions of the same email to a small group and see which one gets opened more often. This helps you learn what kinds of words and offers will get the most attention. A great subject line and copywriting can be the difference between someone reading your email or ignoring it. So, take a little extra time to make it stand out and be relevant to the people you’re emailing.
3. Offer Something Valuable in the Email
Once people open your email, make sure they find something useful or interesting. You can include special deals like a free month of rent or no application fee to attract potential renters, or highlight apartment features like a gym, pool, or pet-friendly policies. For current residents, update them on community events such as movie nights, parties, or fitness classes, and keep them informed about important updates like maintenance schedules or new services. Don’t forget to include a clear call to action, like “Schedule a tour today!” or “Click here to apply now,” to guide them on what to do next.
4. Make the Email Easy to Read
People are busy and don’t have much time to read long emails, so it’s important to make sure your email is easy to understand and quick to read. Here are some simple tips to help you create an email that grabs attention and gets results:
Use Short Paragraphs
Keep your email organized by breaking it up into short, easy-to-read sections. Long blocks of text can be hard to follow, especially on a phone. Use short paragraphs, bullet points, or lists to make the information clear and easy to skim. This way, your readers can quickly find the most important details.
Include Images
People love visuals! Including high-quality images of your apartments, amenities (like the pool or gym), or events can make your email more interesting. A picture is worth a thousand words, and it helps people picture themselves in your space. Just be sure your images are clear and professional, so they show off your property in the best light.
Make Your Call-to-Action Stand Out
Your call-to-action (CTA) is the part of your email where you want readers to take action, whether it’s scheduling a tour, applying for an apartment, or signing up for an event. Make sure this part is easy to find and hard to miss. You can use bold text, buttons, or different colors to make the CTA stand out. For example, instead of just saying “Click here,” you can use something more direct like “Schedule Your Tour Today!” or “Get 10% Off Your First Month!”
Make Sure It Looks Good on Mobile
Most people check their emails on their smartphones, so it’s important that your email looks good on smaller screens. Use a mobile-friendly design that adjusts to different screen sizes. If your email is too wide or too cluttered, it might be hard to read on a phone. Test your email on different devices to make sure everything looks great and is easy to click on. You also want to ensure that your website is mobile-friendly and include a link for them to view the website on their device.
5. Test Your Emails
Before you send your email to your entire list, it’s a good idea to test a few different versions first. Testing, also called A/B testing, allows you to see which elements of your email work the best and help you improve future emails. When you try out different versions of your email, you can learn more about what your audience likes and what gets them to take action. This way, you’ll know exactly how to make your emails more effective in the future. Here are a few things you can test to make sure your email gets the best results:
Different Subject Lines
The subject line is the first thing people see, so it’s important to make it stand out. Try testing two different subject lines to see which one gets more opens. For example, you can try a subject like “Limited-Time Offer on Apartments” vs. “Get One Month Free Rent – Act Fast!” Testing different subject lines can help you understand what grabs your audience’s attention the most.
Different Images
Images play a big role in making your email more interesting and engaging. Try using different pictures that showcase your property or amenities so that you can see which ones your audience likes best. For example, you can test using a picture of your floor plans or one of the community spaces, like a pool or gym. You might find that people respond better to one image over another.
Why Testing Matters
Testing your email campaigns is all about learning what works best and making improvements. Every email campaign is a chance to improve your strategy, making each email more effective than the last. The more you test and adjust, the better your emails will perform. So, don’t be afraid to experiment and try new things. The goal is to keep improving and making your emails as helpful and engaging as possible for your audience.
6. Don’t Send Too Many Emails
It’s important to send emails regularly, but don’t go overboard. If you send too many emails, people might get annoyed and unsubscribe. On the other hand, if you don’t send enough emails, people might forget about your apartment. Find a balance so you stay in touch without overwhelming people.
Here’s a good apartment email marketing plan:
- Send one or two emails a month to current residents with updates or events. These emails can be formatted as a community newsletter with various updates.
- Send occasional emails to potential renters when you have a special offer or when apartments become available.
7. Track Your Results and Improve
After you send your email blast, it’s important to check how well it performed. Tracking performance is key to improving your email campaigns. Pay attention to the open rate, which shows how many people opened your email. If the open rate is low, it could mean you need to make some changes.
Also, look at the click-through rate, which shows how many people clicked on the links inside your email. A low click-through rate might mean your calls to action aren’t clear or exciting enough. Another key thing to check is the number of unsubscribes. If a lot of people unsubscribe, it could mean you’re sending too many emails or not offering enough value. Looking at these results can show you what worked and what didn’t, helping you improve your next email blast and make it more effective.
Here are some industry benchmarks to help measure success:
- Open Rates: Aim for 20-30% (source: Mailchimp).
- Click-Through Rates (CTR): Typically ranges between 2-5%.
- Unsubscribe Rates: Should remain under 0.5%. If your numbers fall short, consider tweaking your subject lines, CTAs, or email timing.
Email Templates For Apartment Marketing
Here are a few ready to use email templates and ideas that you can utilize along with images of your property.
- Move-in Specials: Subject Line: “Sign a Lease Today – Enjoy Your First Month Free!”Body: Highlight the offer, include photos of the apartment, and end with a clear CTA like “Apply Now.”
- Community Events:Subject Line: “Celebrate Summer with Us – BBQ Party on Saturday!”Body: Share event details, an RSVP link, and an image of the community space.
- Lease Renewal Reminder:Subject Line: “Renew Your Lease Today and Save $200!”Body: Mention renewal perks, include a link to renew online, and express appreciation for their tenancy.”
Use Email Blasts In Your Apartment Marketing
Email blasts are a great way to keep people informed and interested in your apartment community. Remember, the key to success with email marketing is providing value and being consistent. With the right strategy, email blasts can be a powerful tool to help you market your apartments effectively, and to increase your resident satisfaction.
Reach out to Market Apartments for more apartment marketing tips and expert services!
Categorised in: Apartment Marketing
This post was written by Isabella Housel
Isabella Housel is a passionate and versatile professional writer with a deep love for words and a commitment to crafting compelling content that engages, informs, and inspires. With many years of experience in the industry, she has honed her skills across various genres, from creative storytelling to informative articles and technical documentation.