This document summarizes 2015 social media trends according to Erica Campbell Byrum, Director of Social Media. The key trends are: 1) Creating "Youtility" or useful content people would pay for, 2) The explosion of visual marketing using images, videos and infographics, 3) Advocacy through employee and customer generated content, contests and crowdsourcing, 4) Real-time marketing by aligning with trending events and topics, and 5) Adapting to mobile with responsive design, in-app features and wearable tech integration. The takeaways emphasize treating social media as a journalism role and dedicating resources to visuals and stories across all changing platforms.

1. 2015 SOCIAL MEDIATRENDS
ERICA CAMPBELL BYRUM
DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL MEDIA
CO-AUTHOR OF YOUTILITY FOR REAL ESTATE PASSIONATE PEOPLE
INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS
QUALITY RESULTS
@EricaCampbell @AptsForRent

5. used Facebook to
interact with a brand
liked a product
on Facebook
used Facebook to
research products
at least once a week
wrote an online
post about a product
or a brand
wrote a product
review online

6. 2014
9.4% 13.2% 21.4%
2015 2020
SOURCE: DUKE UNIVERSITY CMO SURVEY
CMO’S SPEND ON SOCIAL MEDIA

7. THE ROI OF SOCIAL MEDIA
IS THAT YOUR BUSINESS
WILL STILL EXIST
IN 5 YEARS.
“ “
- ERIK QUALMAN

8. SOCIAL MEDIA
TRENDS
5

9. 5 SOCIAL MEDIA
TRENDS
1. Creating Youtility
2. Visual Marketing Explodes
3. Advocacy
4. Real-Time Marketing
5. Go Mobile Or Go Home

10. 1. CREATING YOUTILITY

11. BEING A GREAT
MARKETER IS
HARDER THAN EVER
Source: Jay Baer

12. 3 REASONS WHY…
Source: Jay Baer

13. 1. CONSUMER
BEHAVIOR CHANGE
Source: Jay Baer

14. Source: Jay Baer

15. 2. REAL-TIME
REPUTATION
Source: Jay Baer

16. Source: Jay Baer

17. Source: Jay Baer

18. 74% TRUST REFERRALS FROM
FRIENDS/CO-WORKERS &
67.7% TRUST REVIEWS.
- SATISFACTS RESEARCH
“ “

19. 3. ENORMOUS
COMPETITION FOR
ATTENTION
Source: Jay Baer

24. YOU ARE COMPETING
AGAINST THE PEOPLE
WE ACTUALLY LOVE
Source: Jay Baer

25. WHAT SHOULD YOU
DO NOW?
Source: Jay Baer

26. STOP TRYING TO BE
AMAZING, AND START
BEING USEFUL
Source: Jay Baer

30. $150,000 IN NEW LEASES

31. THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN
HELP AND HYPE IS JUST
TWO LETTERS, BUT THEY
MAKE ALL THE
DIFFERENCE.”
~ @jaybaer
“

32. @j
YOUTILITY

33. YOUTILITY
SO USEFUL, PEOPLE
WOULD PAY
“
”
IS MARKETING
YOU FOR IT.

34. CREATE YOUTILITY THROUGHOUT
THE FUNNEL
Source: Jay Baer
— @JAYBAER

35. CREATE CONTENT
THAT PEOPLE WILL HAVE AN
INCENTIVE TO SHARE.

36. #1 REAL ESTATE
BOOK ON AMAZON
ONLY $2.99

37. 2. VISUAL MARKETING EXPLODES

40. Not just for selfies & recipes!

43. WHY IS VISUAL
CONTENT IMPORTANT?

44. 90%OF INFORMATION
TRANSMITTED TO THE BRAIN IS
VISUAL, AND VISUALS ARE
PROCESSED 60,000XFASTER IN
THE BRAIN THAN TEXT.
Sources: 3M Corporation and Zabisco

45. 40%OF PEOPLE
WILL RESPOND BETTER TO
VISUAL INFORMATION THAN
PLAIN TEXT.
Source: Zabisco

46. POSTS WITH
ATTRACT 3X MORE
INBOUND LINKS THAN PLAIN TEXT POSTS.
Source: SEOmoz
VIDEOS

47. VISUAL CONTENT IS
SOCIAL MEDIA-READY.
IT’S EASILY SHAREABLE AND
EASILY PALATABLE.
Source: Wishpond.com

48. VISUAL STORIES HELP PEOPLE
IDENTIFY WITH YOUR
ORGANIZATION.

49. 10 INSTAGRAM CONTENT IDEAS
1. Amenities
2. Specials
3. Resident Events
4. Lifestyle
5. Happy Residents
6. Company Culture
7. Behind The Scenes
8. Local
9. Sneak Peeks
10. Meet The Team

50. 10 PINTEREST CONTENT IDEAS
1. Meet The Team
2. Floor Plans
3. Resident Events
4. Customer Reviews
5. Lifestyle Content
6. Local
7. Staging Models
8. Videos
9. Expert Advice
10. Marketing Ideas

52. INFLUENCERS

53. INFLUENCERS

54. INSTAGRAM CONTEST

55. Place Pin: Include a map, address
and phone number.
PINTEREST RICH PINS

56. PINTEREST BUT IT BUTTON

57. INSTAGRAM SHOP NOW BUTTON

59. MICRO VIDEO

60. VINE & HYPERLAPSE
Source: Raj Qsar

61. GOPRO & FACETIME TOURS

62. INSTAGRAM - OREO EXAMPLE

65. LIVE STREAMING VIDEO

66. LIVE STREAMING VIDEO

67. CANVA

68. FREE & LOW COST
EDITING &
DESIGN TOOLS PHONTO
RHONNA DESIGNS
PIC FRAME
FLIPAGRAMPICMONKEY
INFOGR.AMCANVA
PICTOCHART

69. 3. ADVOCACY

70. WHAT IS ONE OF THE
BIGGEST CHALLENGES
WE HAVE TODAY?
?
?
?
? ?
?
? ?? ?
?
?

71. CONTENT

72. CONTENT
IS KING

73. CONTESTS

74. CONTESTS IS
KING

75. WHY SHOULD ANYONE
CARE ABOUT
CONTESTS?
?
?
?
? ?
?
? ?
? ?
?
?

76. CONTESTS CONTENT=

77. EMPLOYEE ACTIVATION
Your employees have a vested interest in your
company’s success. They will be your most
committed and enthusiastic ambassadors. Providing
them the opportunity and support to be visible
spokespeople on behalf of your brand drives
employee engagement, inspires collaboration and
improves customer experiences.
- Susan Emerick, IBM
“
”

78. The Power of Pinterest
2,191
PHOTOS
}
RUN A CONTEST
Crowdsource content
from employees
and residents.

79. DESUMMER
FUN

80. CONTESTSARE THE GIFT THAT
KEEPS ON
GIVING

81. CROWDSOURCED ADS

82. #ForRentLife

84. 4. REAL-TIME MARKETING

85. RIDE THE TRENDS

86. RIDE THE TRENDS

87. ALIGN WITH A TV EVENT

89. ALIGN WITH A TV EVENT

90. ALIGN WITH A TV EVENT

91. MAKE IT PERSONAL

92. HAVE FUN

93. INSTAGRAM TAKEOVERS

94. HOST AN INSTAMEET EVENT

95. 5. GO MOBILE OR GO HOME

97. RESPONSIVE DESIGN

98. IN-APP SEARCH

99. UN-BUNDLING APPS

100. UN-BUNDLING APPS

101. SOCIALIZING WEARABLE TECH

102. TAKEAWAYS

103. TAKEAWAYS
We are all now media companies and need to think like
journalists.
We need to know each channel and what works best.
We need to dedicate resources to creating visuals, micro-videos
and collecting stories.
The shift to mobile has already happened. It’s time to embrace
that shift.
The only constant is change.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

104. ERICA CAMPBELL BYRUM
Director of Social Media
Co-Author of Youtility for Real Estate
Recipient of the 2014 PRNews Social Media MVP Award
@APTSFORRENT
+APTSFORRENT
/APTSFORRENT
/APTSFORRENT
/APTSFORRENT
@EricaCampbell
PASSIONATE PEOPLE
INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS
QUALITY RESULTS

105. PASSIONATE PEOPLE
INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS
QUALITY RESULTS