(#244) FOUNDATIONAL GUIDE: RESIDENT REFERRALS
WHY FOCUS ON REFERRALS?
While outreach marketing can be intimidating, the easiest way to get started is to focus on your home turf…with current residents. They have already bought into your community. So the easiest way to turn one resident into three is with a kick butt referral program.
A lot of times our residents can walk into places that we would never be able to. Think about residents that are in the military or that are part of a larger corporation that maybe we cannot get into.
Peer-to-peer recommendations will always hold more weight than advertisements.
Why don't more residents refer friends, co-workers, and family members to our community? It's because it's not a priority for them. Increasing our occupancy is always a priority for us as the managers, assistant managers, and leasing professionals. But for our residents, it ranks low on their list. So how do we make our priority their priority?
We remind them. Often.
But how can we remind every resident of our referral incentives all the time when we are juggling new move-ins, maintenance issues, owner demands, fires, and figuring out what the weird smell is from apartment #1202?
We automate referral reminders.
CREATE A REFERRAL AUTOMATION STATION FOR LESS THAN $30
Make a little trip to Target or the Dollar Store.
Buy a shadow box frame, sweet treats and a fun jar.
Browse your Sprout Referral Campaigns and pick your favorite referral design.
Stage mini referral stations throughout your community.
Voila! Let the referrals start rolling in:)
Here's one more tip. This is NOT a set it and forget it kind of automation. Keep it fresh and memorable! If you leave this set-up the same January through December, pretty soon your residents are going to glaze on by your little station.
Switch it up each month by selecting a new referral design from your Sprout DAILY DOSE page, grab new treats, and find new decor!
KEY OPPORTUNITIES TO “ASK” FOR REFERRALS
Have a referral automation station at your grab-and-go events. Attach your referral information to all your grab-and-go treats.
Leave your referral flyers next to your coffee station.
Post referral reminders throughout common areas.
Switch up referral bandit signs regularly.
Deliver goodie baskets to individual residents at their place of work. Include referral flyers.
Regularly post about referrals on social media. (Tag a friend that would love… [amenity] at [community name]!”
Virtual Events - BYOBF (Bring Your Own BFF) to a virtual event. When you promote your virtual or micro-events encourage residents to tag their friends in the comments so they can join too. Great for virtual fitness classes, workshops like building a bouquet or organization workshops, etc.
Host a Breakfast-On-The-Go event and add referral flyers or labels to your breakfast goodies.
Host a BYOF (Bring Your Own Friend) Event focused on referrals.
Want more ideas? Check out a fun (and a little silly) video of The Sprout team seizing EVERY opportunity to ask for referrals.
FEATURED REFERRAL DESIGNS
Click here to search the entire Sprout catalog.
Search REFERRALS under DESIGN PURPOSE. You can find instant downloads, social media graphics, and customizable flyers.