Relax With Residents This Labor Day, Thanks to Social Media

Parties, cookouts and kicking back for the start of the college football season are Labor Day Weekend traditions across the U.S., whether at home or away. The long weekend in recent years has marked the end of the summer season, and is cause for celebrations in backyards everywhere.

As residents make plans to entertain family and friends or just chill out, property managers have a great opportunity to connect with their customers and help make the holiday more enjoyable. Using social media to provide helpful safety tips, some dos and don’ts and even a recipe for a tasty snack will help create a greater sense of community and build brand awareness, some say.

“We’ve gotten very social media friendly,” says Martha E. Reuler, who is community manager for Landmark at Lake Village East near Dallas. “A lot of times, it’s our biggest play. We can advertise ourselves, as well as give different tips to residents who will be away on the holiday or even holiday recipes.”

Today’s resident uses social media more and more

Social media continues to become more and more a part of adult lives. A Pew Research Center update in December reveals that some 73 percent of online adults use a social networking site of some kind and that more are diversifying onto other platforms. Facebook is still king with 71 percent of online adults now using Mark Zuckerberg’s baby.

Landmark at Lake Village East often posts on its Facebook page items that will be of interest to its residents, including safety tips and grilling. One can even find a link to 35 crockpot recipes and one for making sweet bacon tater tots.

On a more serious side, management companies can be a good steward and use platforms like Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter and others to remind residents that posting “I’m out of town this weekend” is generally a bad idea and may invite unwanted guests.

It’s no secret that a burglar’s No. 1 choice to break in is when residents aren’t at home, either away on work or on vacation.

While the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s most recent crime report indicates that property crime offenses are declining, the number of reported incidents and arrests is still staggering. In 2012, there were an estimated 8.9 million property crime offenses in the U.S., down about one percent from the previous year. Burglary accounted for 23.4 percent of the crimes and overall losses were estimated at $15.5 billion. Almost 75 percent of burglaries were at residences, most during broad daylight.

Whether it’s offering a little helpful advice can help protect your residents’ belongings or encouraging them to share their favorite moments of Labor Day Weekend, keeping residents engaged is a great way to connect.

“It just makes it more personable,” says Reuler.

Offer your residents helpful tips for Labor Day Weekend

Here are a few things that you might post on social media to make the Labor Day Weekend more enjoyable for your residents.

1. Encourage residents to post their favorite backyard cooking tips and recipes or post pictures.
2. Provide links for safety around the pool or lake. The American Red Cross provides excellent safety tips for enjoying Labor Day Weekend, including hints for safe travel, grilling and swimming.
3. Ask residents to stop newspaper and mail delivery, or arrange to have mail picked up if they are going to be away for the weekend. Newspapers laying in the yard and an overstuffed mailbox are indications that nobody is home.
4. Use timers, lights, radios and televisions to give the impression that someone is home. A great inexpensive gift to show your appreciation to residents and protect your property is a timer to control lighting inside and out on the property.
5. Suggest that residents enjoy Labor Weekend responsibly and not over do it. Chances are, temperatures will be hot across most of the company, and folks should stay hydrated and use sun block to avoid sunburn.

Engaging with your residents through social media during Labor Day Weekend, or any other holiday for that matter, is a great opportunity to create a sense of community.