600,000,000 users are currently active on Instagram worldwide, and this platform is becoming one of the fastest growing social media platforms out there today. For property management teams, this means that there is a resource out there that you can’t afford to pass up, but being overwhelmed by the idea of branching out into Instagram for your brand is understandable. Mastering Instagram for your property management brand is actually quite simple, and the one important rule to remember when using the platform is that quality should be the focus over quantity. 

Instagram is a bit different than other social media platforms as it focuses primarily on photos for content, rather than links, wordy statuses, or short thoughts. Along with these photos are descriptions, and hashtags that can be used to make your photos searchable worldwide. Over 80% of Instagram users are under the age of 35, and if you’re planning to market to those within that age group, being Instagram savvy is a must. Savvy doesn’t mean posting a lot of content all throughout the day, especially when that content is focused solely on your available residences, and one should consider that this is a social media platform so being social is key. 

When creating your Instagram posts, make sure to use a mix of available residences as well as lifestyle content. Promote the lifestyle your community is striving for, and highlight the community feeling you want to represent. Simply posting available listings may draw some prospective residents initially, but you’re not going to keep their interest for long. To entice and lead others to follow you, convey that community feeling and get followers interested less in the residences you provide, and more the lifestyle you can offer them. 

Once you have your photo content ready, it’s time to think about hashtags, and when hashtagging your Instagram content, it’s actually best to focus on content that isn’t exactly original. Think of your hashtags as your buzzwords, and focus on those common buzzwords that come to mind when you think about your lifestyle and what you have to offer. Highly detailed and original hashtags are less searchable hashtags, and they won’t do the work for you in making sure your audiences see what you have to offer.