by Carrie Bobb
1.7 seconds is how long a marketer has to catch someone’s attention on their social media feed. So how are landlords of brick and mortar retail supposed to stay in front of their target audience in a Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn world? (Hint: it is not posting more pictures about the building.)
Retailers
are driving revenue through social media. It’s about time landlords did too.
GENERATIONAL SHIFTS
According
to Entrepreneur, more than 90% of millennials regularly use social media
platforms, and more than 85% of Gen Zers learn about new products through
social media.[1]
In
her book Instabrain, Sarah Weise explains that “The average 13-24 year
old checks social media about 100 times a day, and sends at least 8 snaps a day
on Snapchat.”
With attention spans getting shorter and the amount of information hitting individuals every minute growing rapidly, consistent messaging that merges into the feeds of target audiences across various platforms is critical.
Websites are becoming like fax machines.
Websites
are becoming like fax machines. Over 70% of all internet-based activity is done
on a mobile phone.[2]
And over 89% of people are using apps, while only 11% are using standard
websites.[3]
There is a need for landlords to shift how they are using social media to meet their prospective tenants and their consumers. When a potential retailer is looking up a landlord on social media, there better be something there. Preferably posts that aren’t six months (or two years) old.
VIDEOS MATTER
Videos
are generating more engagement than any other content types.[4]
In 2020, it is anticipated that video will make up 82% of all internet traffic.[5]
Marketers and brands are zeroing in on videos for their overall marketing
strategies.
Landlords
have a unique opportunity to bring target segments along for the ride throughout
a development project or even through the every day life of a shopping center through
various video channels.
Videos of an entrepreneur, behind the scenes of a retailer, the ins and outs of a shopping center or a development gives prospective tenants and consumers a personalized view.
Employees, partners or people involved in a project or retail center are perfect resources to express the authenticity of the real estate and make it personal. It doesn’t need to be an executive or VIP. It can be a tenant or a barista or the landscaper, anyone who works on the property with a unique perspective. In fact, highlighting those not in the C-suite is a great place to start.
THE ROLE OF INFLUENCERS
People
trust people who are most like themselves – thus the role of the micro or nano
influencers are becoming more significant. Landlords can use the people already
part of an asset as the trust source on social media.
Creating
communities develops organic content. Every property already has so much
content in it because of the people involved. The best partners are those who
are truly living the lifestyle and can tell an authentic story about the
property or the brand.
When
working at creating content that people will believe and will spark action, it
is about telling the story. It is most believable when it is true.
Influencers
don’t need to have a million followers or have celebrity status. Authenticity
is important and featuring normal people who know the property or are even regular
customers of the project can go a long way. Be wary of the macro or celebrity
influencers, as consumers have become skeptical of being sold.
STAY TUNED
Retailers continue to crack the code on social shopping by tucking opportunities to purchase products through shoppable posts, stories and videos. Why shouldn’t landlords create leasable opportunities through the same?
Part III will go into more detail about how to use social media as an income generating platform.
Carrie is the founder and CEO of Carrie Bobb & Co. She is a student of social media and a consumer behavior analytics nerd.
Carrie has completed transactions with brands such as Sephora, SoulCycle, Drybar, Fox Restaurant Concepts and many others. She has implemented leasing strategies through social media on several projects, including influencer programming. She was named one of San Diego’s Power Women in Real Estate and received her MBA from the University of San Diego. Carrie lives in San Diego with her husband, Matt, their three inquisitively adventurous kids and one joyful golden doodle.
[1] https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/343863
[2] https://www.ciodive.com/news/70-of-internet-traffic-comes-from-mobile-phones/510120/
[3] https://www.bluecorona.com/blog/mobile-marketing-statistics/
[4] https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/video-marketing-statistics-for-2020-infographic/566099/