Facebook Has Changed, Again

While Facebook Groups for apartments have been around for some time, many still do not have one. In fact, most apartment communities still have a Facebook page, or no Facebook presence at all. Due to recent changes to Facebook’s newsfeed, that needs to change. According to Mark Hull, Facebook users will now see more content from friends and family than businesses and publishers. This quick video summarizes the changes:

News Feed FYI: Bringing People Closer Together

Posted by Facebook on Thursday, January 11, 2018

 

Facebook Use Remains High

Contrary to many media reports, Facebook use is still incredibly high in the United States. In fact, over two thirds of U.S. adults are on Facebook, with approximately 80% of adults ages 25 to 49 using the service. This is especially relevant to apartment communities, where the median renter age is 40 years old.

Regardless of a property’s size, location, or resident demographics, it is safe to assume a high percentage of residents are using Facebook. As a result, apartment managers need a Facebook strategy for their property. Given the changes that are being made, a Facebook Group can be a key part of that strategy.

Benefits of Facebook Groups for Apartments

 

High Newsfeed Visibility

This is the top reason apartment community Facebook Groups are necessary. Posts in Facebook Groups are getting higher visibility in News Feed than Pages. Simply put, Facebook Page posts will stop reaching as many residents, while Group Posts will reach more residents. It takes the same amount of time to post community news in either place. Why not post it where it will get the most visibility?

Controlling the Conversation

While any Facebook user can find and engage with your community’s page, Facebook Groups are moderated. This provides Group administrators significant control over the Group. Want to remove an old resident or employee who left on bad terms? It only takes a couple of clicks and they are gone.

Here are the ways property managers can moderate a Facebook Group:

  • Ability to invite and remove members
  • Control who can make posts in the group
  • Approve or reject posts by group members
  • Delete inappropriate posts or comments

While it does create two areas of Facebook to manage, Facebook Groups are worth the time investment.

Creating an Online Community

In addition to the visibility and control Groups offer, they are also a great way to foster a sense of community. Residents can post about items for sale, sublets, or simply ask other residents for local restaurant suggestions. This works in tandem with the higher visibility Groups provide. More residents see the posts, so more residents engage with them.

Easy Group Invitations

While users might not feel inclined to follow your property’s Facebook Page, they can be easily encouraged to join the group. Facebook makes this even easier, as they offer a way to easily embed a Group invitation into an email. This makes it very easy to ask current and future residents to join your property’s Group.

Creating Facebook Groups for Apartments

It is incredibly easy to create Facebook Groups for apartments, and even easier to join one. It can actually be easier to create and manage a Facebook Group, than a Facebook Page. With the majority of Facebook’s major changes already implemented, now is the time to launch a Facebook Group for your multifamily property.

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