Four ways to change the perception of a scheme that has constantly failed

When you put a lot of work into something, it can be disheartening to see it fail. A property scheme is not only a huge commercial investment, but it’s something that a developer, contractor or agent can take a huge personal investment in – you want to see your hard work pay off.

If you’re seeking to change the perception of a scheme that has constantly failed to hit the mark in the past, it’s important to choose the right channels to promote positive messages surrounding the development, as well as putting processes in place to manage reputation effectively. By employing a range of tactics, it is possible to change a negative perception of a scheme into a positive one.

This blog aims to enlighten you about how to improve the perception of a property scheme that has been written off as a ‘lost cause’, and demonstrate how marketing activities can be used effectively to manage the reputation of a scheme and promote it positively to the right audience.

Plan events and socials

Hosting a profile-raising event can make people think of a scheme in a different light by showcasing its assets to a crowd of targeted potential customers.

Hopefully, your scheme will have a target audience – it should! If not, you should have a look at our blog about persona development to help create your target audience.

As the name would suggest, you should target this audience and invite them to an event or social that will highlight the unique selling points of your development.

Are you looking for residents for your residential scheme? Partner up with a popular local bar, get them to advertise your event on their social channels – perhaps using a paid for campaign – and create an Eventbrite or Fatsoma page where people can register for the event freely. This will allow you to keep track of the amount of people coming, the bar will have a successful night and you’ll be in a room filled with potential new residents.

Wondering what you should do at the actual event? Contact us at Roland Dransfield and find out.

 Launch a social media advertising campaign

Social media advertising offers you a cost-effective way to engage with your target audience and drive them to a dedicated page or form on your website, or promote specific content guaranteeing that they will be exposed to your brand.

By promoting your scheme’s unique selling points to the right audience, you will receive more brand penetration and can begin to engage with your audience and change perceptions about your brand, and your scheme.

Check out our blog on how to deal with the changing tides of organic posting and best utilise paid for social media.

Begin your media relations campaign

Has your scheme been slated in the local press? Don’t despair, you can recover from the effects of bad press. It’s time to take control of your media exposure and begin a positive press campaign with your target outlets.

Establishing a strong media presence for your scheme is essential to promote your key messages and raise awareness of its selling points. Make sure your scheme is in the headlines for all the right reasons!

There are countless hooks to ensure a journalist will want to pick up your scheme’s story – from the release of new CGIs to news on potential lettings. Keep an eye out for anything newsworthy surrounding your scheme, and get a press release out to the relevant publications.

We’ve consulted six property journalists, who offered their advice on the dos and don’ts of selling in stories. Find out what tips they had to offer here.

Appoint an online reputation manager

Your online reputation is a delicate matter and should be handled by a professional. Many brands make the mistake of allowing an inexperienced person to deal with online complaints or negative comments, which can be amassed across social media, review sites and online news publications.

Employing an online reputation manager ensures all negative comments are handled sensitively and in a professional manner, which significantly improves the on and offline reputation of the scheme from day one.

A staggering 88% of people trust online reviews as much as a personal recommendation, so if people aren’t seeing anything negative about your scheme online, or better yet seeing positive comments which will be built up using our previous points, your scheme will be seen in a much better light.

Read our blog on online reputation management to find out more about why your scheme needs some TLC.

And that’s it!

If you think you need to change the perception of a scheme that has constantly failed and give it a bit of a face lift, or you want some advice, get in touch with us at Roland Dransfield and we’ll give you the help you need.

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