Why Professional Apartment Photography is One of Your Most Important Marketing Assets
How important is professional photography to your multifamily marketing strategy? Right off the bat, most of us would say that it is extremely vital. However, for far too many multifamily communities, obtaining high-quality photos from professional photographers has fallen to the bottom of their to-do list. This may be particularly true right now, as many apartment communities are working with tighter budgets.
However, professional photography is a valuable asset to your multifamily community. Great photos go a long way in adding polish and professionalism to your brand, while also attracting – and more importantly keeping – searching prospects on your website, social media pages , and marketplace listings. In fact, humans are wired to process and respond to visuals much faster than words. Our brain processes visuals 60,000 times faster than text, and when it comes to remembering information, the human brain can retain 65 percent of information with a visual element, as opposed to 10 to 20 percent without any visuals.
Here are a few reasons why your multifamily property should consider obtaining its very own set of professional images.
High-quality photography makes your website more professional and searchable.
You've heard the saying, “a picture is worth a thousand words.” When it comes to sharing information about your property, this couldn’t be more true. Great imagery provides details about your community’s surrounding neighborhood, on-site amenities, and property’s overall look and feel that can be hard to describe any other way but visually. Upload bright, clear, and properly sized images to your apartment website, and you’ll not only make its pages more engaging, but you’ll also make it easier for potential residents to imagine themselves living in the space and taking advantage of all its features and amenities.
Aside from supplying must-know information, professional imagery gives your website a leg-up on the back-end. When placed on your site, quality photos will pull in viewers, encourage them to spend more time browsing, and decrease your bounce rate in the process. Plus, the more images you include on your website, the more opportunities you’ll have to include SEO-boosting ALT image tags, which feed into search engine algorithms. Believe it or not, one in five Google searches happen within Google Images, so it’s clear to see how professional, fully optimized photos can help users stumble upon your website.
Great images showcase your multifamily property’s number one asset: floor plans.
Aside from amenities, aesthetics, and geographical area, floor plans are one of the primary selling points potential residents take into consideration when shopping for a future apartment home. Since most residents want to know the exact lifestyle they can expect after moving into your community, it’s important that your apartment photography accurately represents your greatest asset: your property’s floor plans. Most professionals recommend four to five exterior shots, eight to ten interior shots, two to three scenic or panoramic images, and stand-alone shots of all unit and community amenities. A few creative shots peppered throughout your site is a great addition, as well.
Many properties begin building their digital footprint from the construction stage of development, so if you’re unable to acquire photographs now, the best way to provide clear information about your apartment homes is through 3D-rendered floor plans . These computer-generated images are designed to resemble the exact unit that your prospect is interested in. With realistic additions, like furniture, appliances, and lighting fixtures, your future resident can fully picture themselves enjoying their ideal lifestyle in your simulated space. 3D floor plans also increase lead rates by as much as 25 percent, all while lowering website bounce rates.
Professional photos better resonate with your audience and boost your brand image.
Aside from improving your website traffic and showcasing your product, quality images reflect well on your community’s brand. This is because most consumers equate low-quality photos with inferior service offerings. Great photography, on the other hand, will instill confidence in your brand. Considering that 83 percent of users deem images “very” or “extremely” influential in purchasing decisions, you can bet that including plenty of first-rate imagery across your marketing platforms will encourage searching renters to take the next step.
Additionally, professional photography allows users to get to know your brand, which is key to transforming leads to leases. While stock images can look polished across your social media platforms and web pages, they do little to reveal the personality of your community, and in some cases, they can even be misleading. Authentic, high-quality photos of your community are far more effective in connecting with your audience.
There is much to be gained from upgrading your photography assets on your property’s website. From amplifying your site’s position in search engine results and better showcasing your products to fostering a sense of connection with your end-user, there are multiple reasons why your multifamily community will benefit from investing in professional photography.
