We tested the impact on the engagement of three types of social media content: Static, Carousel, and Video.

Enhance Your Apartment Marketing Mix

Social media is more than just a fun way to pass the time and avoid responsibilities. When used right, it has the power to make information accessible to everyone. By adopting a targeted approach and devising an appropriate posting strategy, both individuals and businesses can influence the choices of future residents that are searching for an apartment. The content created plays a crucial role and exerts a substantial influence on overall performance.

By adopting proactive strategies and creating the right content, we can organically increase community engagement and brand awareness for your apartment community. To test the impact on performance, we experimented with three content types on Instagram and Facebook for two properties from October 2022 to June 2023. Both properties are luxury apartment communities and one is located in Jacksonville, FL while the other is located in Chicago, IL. The data collected throughout three quarters were thoroughly analyzed.

Types of Social Media Content Evaluated

Static Content

Refers to posts that remain unchanged, such as photos or images, lacking interactivity with the audience it reaches.

Carousel Content

Offers a more dynamic experience by combining videos, photos, and images. Users can engage with the content by swiping or clicking through different posts. Learn more about Carousel Posts.

Video Content

Being dynamic in nature video has the ability to captivate viewers for a longer duration and consequently boost interactions.

Remember: Organic Social is a lot more granular and experimental. Not all content is meant to go viral, ensure diversity among content, keep social media social (not sales-y), and not dwell on follower vanity.

Performance by Social Media Post Type

Main Takeaways for Social Media Content

• Carousel Posts Outperform Static and Video Posts in Engagement Rate

Carousel posts consistently outperformed static and video posts in terms of engagement rate across all three quarters. They generated higher levels of engagement, as evidenced by the higher number of likes, comments, and saves.

1. With engagement rates of 7.45%, 28.33%, and 5.26% in Q4 2022, Q1 2023, and Q2 2023 respectively, carousel posts have proven to be highly effective in capturing and retaining user attention. This indicates that the dynamic and interactive nature of carousel posts resonates well with the audience, leading to more likes, comments, and saves.
   
   

• Reach vs. Engagement: Static Posts Reach Wider Audience, but Carousel Posts Garner Higher Interaction

While static posts gained more reach compared to the carousel and video posts, their engagement rates were relatively lower. This suggests that although static posts reached a larger audience, they may not have been as effective in capturing user attention and interaction.

1. In Q4 2022, static posts reached 33,368 users, but their engagement rate was 3.68%. Similarly, in Q1 2023, static posts reached 38,522 users with an engagement rate of 4.20%. This suggests that although static posts have the potential to reach a broader audience, they may not be as successful in driving meaningful interactions and capturing user interest when compared to carousel posts.
   
   

• Videos Maintain Engagement Rate Amidst Lower Overall Engagement Numbers

Video posts generally maintained a steady level of engagement rate throughout the quarters, although with lower overall engagement numbers. While not as strong as carousel posts, videos still showed potential for capturing audience interest and generating meaningful interactions.

1. With engagement rates of 4.55%, 2.31%, and 4.46% in Q4 2022, Q1 2023, and Q2 2023 respectively, video posts showed stability in their ability to engage viewers. This indicates that video content has the potential to capture the attention of the audience for an extended period, leading to a sustained level of interaction despite lower overall engagement numbers.
2. Here’s an illustration of the possible extent of organic reach and engagement that videos can achieve:

Conclusion: Type of Social Content to Optimize

The content type is crucial and can significantly impact a property’s social media presence. Our test confirmed that the optimal strategy involves a well-rounded blend of static, carousel, and video content. In all three quarters, carousel posts demonstrated superior performance, followed by videos as the second top performer. Despite static posts being more frequently posted and reaching a larger audience, users showed greater interaction with carousel posts and videos due to the dynamic nature of the content.

It’s also important to consider how seasonality in the multifamily industry can also influence performance. For more information on seasonality, check out our blog here.

Need support with your Social Media Strategy or Video? Head to our Organic Media page or drop us a line at [email protected]