Hosting events in your community it good clean fun. It also helps increase resident retention. With events, residents begin to see you not just as a landlord or apartment manager, but as a community builder as well.

Boost Occupancy and Raise Retention Rates

A talent show event can help improve occupancy rates and retention by:

1. Scheduling a specific time a time and place to gather in your community (like community clubhouses and outdoor spaces). This encourages residents to visit and get to know one another.
2. Allowing residents to get to know the neighbors and feel more comfortable in their community provides an extra sense of safety and security (neighborhood watch).
3. Events help you see your community and interact with them, and be seen as well – this gives you a chance to connect and interact and be taken as an ally. If you are openly physically present at your location, your residents will learn to trust you and feel happier about staying in your community.

What better way to encourage some good clean fun – allowing residents to let their hair down a bit, then with a community talent show.

How to run a talent show

There’s no reason to reinvent the wheel – wikiHow has detailed instructions and tips for running a successful talent show.

Share it to social

If social media is used right it can bring new prospective tenants into your community. By showing the fun and playful side of your community you promote it as a safe space.

Record videos of the event

Video is quickly outpacing static images as the highest converting marketing asset you can put out there to your residents. It offers a humanness that’s not found in other edited and manipulated visual images.

You may even start a new trending fad like highschool senior Mike Senatore did with his viral bottle-flipping video performed at his local high school talent show in 2016. A funny video going viral would be great for business!

Get testimonials

At the conclusion of your talent show (and every event) be sure to ask participants for feedback. These testimonials can be used to craft content for your marketing materials, website, and social pages.

***TIP*** Use a post-event email to ask for feedback from attendees. You’ll certainly have to ask for feedback: not many residents will offer it feely, even if they had a fantastic time.

Be sure craft a simple form that hits the main questions and is not too lengthy. Platforms like SurveyMonkey work well for this. Once the form is completed, send a link to the form in a post-event follow-up email.

Additionally, you can also choose to provide a link to the online comment form via SMS, group messaging, social pages, newsletters, bill comment sections, and distributed fliers.

***TIP*** It’s important to send the email and testimonial request while attendee spirits and excitement are still high. If you wait too long, your resident’s memories will fade and the event may not seem as fun as they first remembered.

Community talent show ROI

Emphasizing your community’s fun events can be an especially powerful marketing tool if you’re located in a not-so-great area with higher than average crime rates or insufficient infrastructures.

Creating an oasis of safety and fun in your community will go a long way towards bringing in, and retaining, occupants. Use a community talent show to help you reach 100% occupancy at all times.