Is your community on Instagram? Social media marketing is a great way to give prospective renters more information about your community, and Instagram is one of the top channels for apartment communities. The popular photo- and video-sharing platform is used by millions of active users every month.
More than a quarter of renters report using social media in their search, according to the latest Apartments.com renter survey.
Typically, renters begin their search on a rental network like Apartments.com to explore their rental options. Once they’ve discovered a community they’re interested in, they use search engines and social media to find out more.
And now that Instagram posts can be indexed by search engines like Google and Bing, your Instagram-based marketing can go even further.
Try these easy tips to optimize your Instagram posts for maximum searchability.
1. Establish an Instagram business account
To ensure your account is visible to search engines, set up your account as a business account. Instagram offers three types of accounts: private, business, and creator.
If your account is currently a personal or creator account, follow these steps to switch it to a business account.
A business account — also known as a professional account — is automatically public. These posts can be indexed by search engines, allowing your property to be more easily discovered.
Creator accounts are also eligible for search indexing, but these accounts are better suited for influencers than for multifamily businesses. Instagram business accounts can do double duty as social media marketing and online business listings.
A business account also gives you access to Instagram’s professional dashboard, which offers greater insights into your channel’s performance and engagement.
2. Include a relevant description in your bio
Your Instagram bio is an important way to introduce your community to prospective residents. Like other content on your channel, your bio is read by search engines and can affect your ranking.
To improve your ranking, include relevant keywords like “apartments” and the name of your city or neighborhood, plus any other details that set your community apart.
3. List your business address
Where is your community located? Add your business address to show prospective residents where to find you. This will also include your community within the Instagram Map, a handy feature that lets users discover new places nearby.
To add your business location, you’ll need to have a Facebook page that’s linked to your Instagram account. Just update the address on Facebook, and your business location will sync to Instagram, including displaying your community on the Instagram Map.
4. Add alt text to your images
Adding alt text to your images is one of the best ways to optimize them for search. This is especially important on Instagram, which relies heavily on images over other types of content.
So, what is alt exactly? Alt text, short for alternative text, is a brief text-based description of an image. This data, which is embedded in the image, can be read by search engines, screen readers, and internet browsers. Not only does it improve searchability, but it also explains the content of your images for blind and low-vision users. Alt text can also help users with unreliable internet connections.
Before you upload that glamorous new photo of your community pool this summer, make sure you’ve added alt text like “Pool at Parkside Apartments.”
5. Use geotags on your posts
Geotags, which identify your physical location, can make it easier for users to find you. They indicate where your photos and reels were posted from, and they make your posts more likely to be seen by users searching nearby, whether they’re searching within Instagram itself or on search engines like Google.
6. Add captioning to your videos
Did you know that most mobile users watch videos with the sound off? To reach more viewers, add captioning to your videos.
Not only are captioned videos and reels more likely to be watched by current and prospective renters but they’re also more likely to be promoted by search engines.
Closed captioning helps search engines understand what your video is about. As a result, they can serve up your posts to the users most likely to be interested in them.
7. Include relevant hashtags
Using branded, trending, and specific hashtags can help search engines understand your content and connect it with a relevant audience.
Use hashtags that include important keywords like “apartments” and reflect the brand identity of your community.
8. Maintain a consistent posting schedule
Posting on a regular basis tells search engines — and prospective residents — that your business is still active and valuable. This can improve your search ranking.
That’s not all. The more content you create, the opportunities you have to connect with prospective residents.
Among multifamily communities with a social media presence, 65 percent update their channels once a week or more, according to the latest Apartments.com survey of multifamily decision-makers.
9. Remove or refresh older posts
What’s past isn’t always past. It’s not just your latest Instagram posts that can be indexed by search engines. All photos and videos posted on or after January 1, 2020, can show up in search.
If you don’t want prospective residents coming across your out-of-date posts, this is the perfect opportunity for a content audit.
Review your channel to make sure all posts are high quality, on-brand, and professional-looking. Remove posts that are no longer relevant — such as long-past events and obsolete policies. Consider refreshing or reposting your best-performing content to maximize long-term visibility.
Get personalized support
If you need help managing your social media channels, Apartments.com is here for you. Check out Apartments.com’s Social Media & Reputation Suite. This service offers a customized and easily scalable approach to managing your social media presence and online reputation.
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