For decades, apartment managers have relied upon glossy brochures to sell their communities to prospective renters. The coupling of community photography and informative text has always looked and carried the best on professionally produced paper marketing materials. With the internet, those brochures have migrated to online presentations, but printed materials are still are a necessary element of the in-person leasing process.
Or are they?
At Pynwheel, we think of virtual e-brochures as scissors - they beat the old-school paper brochure every time!
Why? Here are some of the reasons:
1) They are
thorough. You never know what a prospective resident is looking for. (And often, neither do they!) Their focus could on common spaces, fitness areas, and shared amenities. Maybe they care more about the surrounding area of where they will live. Or, maybe, they are most concerned about the details of the actual apartment they will live in. Printed brochures have to include as much information as possible within an extremely finite space, but they cannot possibly include all of the salient benefits of your community.
2) But they are also
succinct. Too much information is almost as ineffective as no information at all. In this day and age, there is so much information out there. People need to be able access what they are looking for quickly and easily, without having to wade through the stuff they don’t really care about.
3) They are
curatable. Potential residents design brochures to their own specifications, choosing from the wealth of information that is out there and narrowing down to the items that will lead them to lease.
4) They are
stunning.
Photography is the best weapon you have in creating a positive impression of your community. You want that photography to be as vivid, and large, as possible. Paper brochure printing has built-in limitations when it comes to showcasing bold imagery, while digital formats allow for all striking clarity and visual effects.
5) They are
portable. People - especially
millennials - rely on their smartphones for everything these days. You want potential residents to be able to share your information with those that they intend to live with, as well as those who influence their decision. In other words, you want to get your brochure on to their cell phones.
6) They are
interactive. Today’s technology is designed to let buyer’s interact with marketing materials. If something is of particular interest to them, they want to be able to find out more, in a manner that is as easy and engaging as possible.
7) They are
current. Potential residents only want to know about the apartments that meet their needs, and that are available when they want to rent. (Whether that be today, or some time in the near future.) E-brochures provide information about the specific units that meet an individual’s requirements, and that are available when they need them.
In other words, technology is making the once-unbeatable print brochure obsolete. As information delivery changes, old methodologies lose their effectiveness.
This is why we love the combination of huge displays in the leasing office, and customizable e-brochures for on-the-go smartphone use. The combination allows you to paint a picture of your community that is both
thorough and
succinct, by allowing prospective residents to
curate and save eBrochures to their own
portable devices. They offer
stunning photography on large, high-resolution displays, without the limitations of paper printing.
Interactive interfaces invite potential residents in, and direct them to your community’s best attributes. Availability is always
current, creating a leasing process that is less stressful - and much more successful.
Of course, there are other ways to accomplish this. But the key is to make your on-site marketing digital and accessible.
Are you getting the most out of your community brochures? Maybe the best way to do so is to replace them with something better.