A poor reputation can be a real interest killer for a community. Prospective residents looking for a new place to call home want to feel welcomed, taken care of, and amongst those who understand them and their needs. If your reputation is poor, prospects will turn, and turn quickly, in another direction – usually that of your competitors. Whether you’re trying to overhaul your current reputation, or you’ve taken over management of a community with a formerly poor reputation, there are things you can do to repair your reputation and do so quickly. 5 ways to improve your community management reputation are:

1. Keep track of all review platforms – Perhaps you have platforms where you expect reviews, but they can pop up anywhere. Keep track of reviews on your website, on community forums, on social media, and anywhere else your community may be mentioned. Searching your community’s name can lead you to where prospective, former, and current residents are talking, giving you an opportunity to keep your finger on the pulse of how your community is perceived.

2. Know when to ask for reviews – The moment matters when it comes to getting reviews from your current, former, or prospective residents. Automated e-mails or text prompts that ask for reviews are best received either after a tour, when a resident renews their lease, or when a resident is getting ready to leave your community.

3. Research your competition and carry out analysis – Your competition can tell you a lot about where you are and where you may need to go. Don’t be afraid to extensively research your competition, their digital reputation, and what differences you may have that your community can improve upon.

4. Respond to all of your reviews – Good, bad, or neutral, responses to your reviews are a powerful thing. It gives you a way to respond to issues that may be brought up by reviewers, and it shows prospective residents that you’re active and engaged within your community. You hear what they have to say, and you take it all into consideration.

5. Use SEO-friendly language in your positive responses – You want your positive reviews to be the first prospects see when they look up your community, so make them easier to find! Using SEO friendly keywords and phrases in your responses to positive reviews makes them more likely to come up on search engines, so use them liberally in positive review responses and avoid them in negative ones.

At OccupancySolutions.com we want to let you know that it’s possible to turn around a poor online reputation for any community. To learn more about improving your reputation, contact us today.