Lease Up: Organizing Your Marketing Assets

Effective organization of marketing assets is not just a best practice; it's essential for the success of any apartment lease-up campaign.

As a new apartment manager, you're tasked with the significant responsibility of marketing a property that's not yet physically present to its future residents. This challenge underscores the importance of having a solid organizational system in place, particularly when it comes to managing digital assets like photographs, brand guidelines, and social media content.

A well-structured Google Drive system enables you to quickly access needed materials, streamline your marketing efforts, and ensure consistency across all platforms. It's about more than just efficiency; it's about creating a foundation that supports the strategic deployment of your marketing campaigns and enhances your ability to connect with your target audience.

This guide will provide you with the steps to set up a Google Drive organization system that is both effective and user-friendly. By adopting this approach, you'll be able to maintain focus on developing and executing a marketing strategy that engages potential residents, communicates the unique value of your property, and ultimately, fills your units ahead of schedule.

Let's dive in and explore how to build this organizational framework to keep your marketing assets well-organized and easily accessible.

Setting Up Your Google Drive Organization System

1. Create a Main Folder

  • Name: Start with a clear, identifiable name for the main folder, such as “[Property Name] Marketing Assets.”

  • Access: Determine who needs access to this folder (e.g., marketing team, social media manager) and set sharing permissions accordingly.

2. Subfolder Structure

Organize content into specific subfolders within the main folder. Here's a suggested structure:

  • Brand Guidelines: Store the brand guidelines book here for easy reference.

  • Social Media: Create a subfolder for all things social media.

    • Content Calendar: For planning posts, campaigns, and engagement strategies.

    • Drafts & Approvals: To keep track of content awaiting approval.

    • Posted Content: Archive of posts that have already gone live.

  • Photography & Visuals: Even without localized content, start this folder for stock images or brand visuals that comply with the guidelines.

    • Property Renderings: If available, include artist renderings of the property.

    • Local Attractions: Collect generic images of the local area, parks, dining, etc., that match the brand's vibe.

  • Templates: For any social media templates like stories, post designs, or banners.

  • Copywriting: Keep copies, captions, hashtags, and content ideas here.

  • Reports & Analytics: Track the performance of social media campaigns and posts.

3. Naming Conventions

  • Use consistent, descriptive names for files and folders (e.g., YYYY-MM-DD_ContentDescription).

  • Include dates in file names for time-sensitive content.

4. Color Coding

  • Apply color coding to folders for quick identification (e.g., blue for social media, green for photography).

5. Regular Cleanup and Review

  • Schedule monthly reviews to archive old content, update folders, and remove unnecessary files.

6. Documentation

  • Create a document within the main folder outlining the organization system for any new team members to understand the structure easily.

7. Leverage Google Drive Features

  • Use the “Starred” feature for quick access to frequently used folders or documents.

  • Take advantage of the “Comments” feature in Google Docs for real-time collaboration on content planning and creation.

Lease UpBarbara Savonagoogle drive, organization, lease up