Training Workshop: Social Media for Apartments
This fun and fast-paced Social Media Workshop presented by BARBARA SAVONA is your go-to guide for leveling up your apartment community’s social game! From setting goals to batching content like a pro, Barbara walks you through everything you need to stay organized and consistent.
You’ll get easy tips for writing scroll-stopping captions, planning out a week of posts, and jumping on trends like Reels and TikToks.
Social Media Workshop
Training Resources & Worksheets
Sample Captions to Get Started
Starting point
Calling all the night owls in __Your Location__!
Did you know __Community Name__ is only 3 minutes away from __Venue__? There will be live music on the patio and $2 draft beers all night this Friday.
One of the perks of living at __Apartment Name__ is that you're always close to the action!
Drop us a 🍻 if you plan on going! 👇🏻
Neighborhood
Look for the bare necessities they say…well at __Apartment Name__ we’ve got that in spades with just our location alone. From your groceries, work, to appointments, and more — the necessities are only a short distance away.
🛒 __Grocery__
🩺 __Primary Care__
🦷 __Dentist__
✂️ __Hair Salon__
💅 __Nail Salon__
🐾 __Vet / Groomer__
#__City_apartments__
Example Creative Holiday Post: Friday, March 10th: Pack Your Lunch Day
It’s #NationalPackYourLunchDay! While you’re prepping at __Apartment Name__, these kitchen essentials are a MUST.
1. Spacious __Material__ Countertops: You need durable counter space to prep!
2. Cabinet Storage: Store all your Tupperware in our __Color/Details__ cabinets.
3. __Brand/Type__ Fridge: Do all your lunch prep in advance and store it easily in your fridge.
What's your favorite meal to prep? Let us know in the comments! 👇
Spring Begins (REWORD FOR ANY SEASON)
It’s the #FirstDayOfSpring AND #InternationalDayOfHappiness so we had to share our #SpringBucketList to start your season off right. All the options you need are just a short distance away.
💐 Pick up some fresh flowers at __Market/Florist__
🪁 Fly a kite at __Park__
🚲 Go on a bike ride on __Trail__
🥕 Shop at the __Name__ Farmers Market
Resident Notices
In the spirit of keeping our apartments fresh for the season, here are a few reminders.
♻️ Don’t forget to recycle __Paper, Select Plastics, and Cardboard__. Recycling is picked up every __Day Of The Week__.
🗑 Please pick up after yourself and your guest while using common areas.
🐾 Pick up after your pets and keep them leashed and off garden landscaping.
Thank you in advance for helping us care for our community!
Your New Home Is Waiting
Three things about __Apartment Name__ that you won’t be able to live without when you become a resident:
1. __Indoor Amenity (Coffee Bar, Clubroom, Fitness Center, Package Receiving, etc)__
2. __Outdoor Amenity (Dog Park, Pool, BBQ, Fire pit, Tree-Lined Neighborhood)__
3. __Location Amenity (Proximity to Parks, Shops, Entertainment, etc.)__
#Location #Apartments #Amenties #__City__
Meet The Team
If you could describe _insert season or holiday_ in a song, what song would you choose? We asked our team the same question, and here are some of the songs they recommended:
🎶 __Team Member__: __Song__ by __Artist__
🎶 __Team Member__: __Song__ by __Artist__
🎶 __Team Member__: __Song__ by __Artist__
Floor Plan Feature
👉 #WouldYouRather have an apartment with a spacious kitchen and __Kitchen Features__ OR have an apartment with a beautiful bathroom and __Bathroom Features__?
You’re in luck…you don’t have to choose with our __Floor Plan Name__ floor plan because you get BOTH!
See it for yourself and give us a call to schedule a tour: __Phone__
Follow Up Friday
Time to stop your search for the perfect apartment because it’s right in front of you! Hear it from a resident. 👇🏻
[Insert testimonial]
Snag your new home at __Apartment Name__ before it’s gone. Give us a call today: __Phone_ or send us a DM for more info.
Hooks for Social Media
Calling all _____
Stop the scroll...
🤫 Let us let you in on a juicy secret.
😬 Unpopular opinion:
9 out 10 renters agree...
Call-to-Action Ideas
Double tap if you...
Drop an emoji below if...
Using 3 emojis, describe...
Tag a friend who...
Have a question? Fire away!
Need the deets? Check out the link in our bio.
Help us decide. (Provide options)
Is this you? Let us know in the comments.
Save this for later.
Share with a friend who needs ___ in their life.
Part 1: Workshop Overview
So the question is. how do you tackle this workshop? Well, you can absolutely do start to finish. Every module is designed to build on itself.
But here's something else. Every module is also designed to stand completely alone. So you can look over the topics and find one that maybe you wanna focus on this next week or this next month.You can use it to kick off a team meeting or training, and then do the exercises that are at the end of the program.
Every module has some action items for you to put into place. One of my favorite quotes, “little by little, a little becomes a lot.” And that's kind of my motto for life. But when it comes to social, it really helps to look at it that way. Don't get overwhelmed. Social media doesn't have to be scary.
Today we're gonna walk you through the steps of how to build your social media strategy and then how to create content that actually engages with your end user. So friends, let's do it!
Part 2: Your Social Objectives
Social media isn’t just for likes—it’s a powerful marketing tool that helps your community stand out, build trust, and inspire action. At Sprout, we call this the Power of Three Framework: attention, trust, and influence. When you schedule our suggested daily captions, you're not just filling a feed—you’re creating meaningful touchpoints that connect with residents, drive leads, and showcase your community’s personality.
Attention
Goal: Stop the scroll and capture interest with bold, engaging content.
Actionable Ideas:
Post a time-lapse of a resident event setup to intrigue your audience.
Use “thumb-stopping” visuals like colorful graphics for Creative Holidays.
Feature an engaging question in your caption: “Which pizza topping reigns supreme?”
Trust:
Goal: Create authentic connections by showing reliability and care.
Actionable Ideas:
Share a post celebrating long-term residents with a heartfelt caption: “Cheers to [Resident Name] for 5 wonderful years in our community!”
Post a candid “day in the life” of your team to humanize your brand.
Highlight recent community improvements, like upgraded amenities or maintenance wins.
Influence:
Goal: Inspire residents and prospects to take action or engage.
Actionable Ideas:
Share your Love. Invite followers to comment on their favorite local spots.
Create a post encouraging residents to share their #HomeAt[CommunityName] moments with a specific hashtag.
Highlight an exclusive resident perk, like early access to an event or a referral incentive.
Why It Matters
When your social media strikes a balance between attention-grabbing visuals, trust-building authenticity, and action-driving influence, it turns followers into engaged community members. Residents feel connected, prospects see your value, and your brand becomes more than just a property—it becomes a lifestyle.
Part 3: Choosing Your Platform
In this video, Barbara is diving into one of the most common questions in social media marketing: Which platform is right for you—Facebook (Meta), Instagram, TikTok, or LinkedIn?
She’ll walk you through a few key factors to consider, starting with the type of content you naturally enjoy creating—whether it’s photos, video, or clever captions. You’ll also explore how each platform favors different styles of content and how matching that with your strengths (or your team’s) can make a big difference.
Finally, Barbara will show you how to do some quick, simple market research to figure out where your residents and prospects are most active—so you can meet them where they are and make your content count.
Part 4: Learning Your Audience
In this video, we’re diving into the heart of effective marketing—truly understanding your audience. You’ll learn how to get into your residents’ mindset by observing what matters to them, from how they spend a free Sunday morning to what their Monday routine looks like. I’ll share a simple but powerful trick I picked up in a marketing class that helps bring these insights to life.
We’ll walk through how to identify the different "avatars" or resident profiles in your community—based on lifestyle, interests, and engagement patterns. By the end, you’ll be ready to build 2 to 4 clear audience profiles, making it easier to create targeted, meaningful content that actually resonates.
Part 5: Creating Your Systems
Part 6: Organizing Your Content
Part 7: The Power of Batching
Download Worksheet HERE
Learn how batching can simplify your social media process and take you from overwhelmed to organized.
Just like meal prepping, batching lets you focus on creating content in one session, making social media management easier and more organized.
We’re outlining some tips and strategies for how batching can work for your schedule without overwhelming you and your team.
Social Media Batching Tip #1:
Schedule Your Batching Sessions
A key part of batching is committing to just sitting down and doing it. Treat these batching sessions like any other important meeting on your calendar. Set aside a certain amount of time weekly or monthly, depending on your posting frequency, to brainstorm and prepare your content. Hold yourself accountable to these batching times… you’re future self will always thank you.
Social Media Batching Tip #2:
Set Your Working Environment Up For Success
Your environment affects your creativity and productivity so make sure you’re paying attention to it. Try playing a specific playlist that helps you focus and enter a creative zone. Get yourself your favorite drink from a coffee shop or a cold Coke Zero in your favorite cup. Light a candle. Open a window. Whatever you need to do to tell your brain that it’s go time and start pumping out the content!
Social Media Batching Tip #3:
Set A Time Limit For Your Batching Session
Ever heard this phrase? Work expands to fill the time allotted. If you give yourself a whole day for a task, it’ll take all day. Instead, give yourself 30 minutes or an hour to focus solely on social media batching and set a timer to keep yourself on track. Focusing on productivity during that set time will help you avoid distractions and get more done.
What Content Should You Batch For Social Media?
Not everything is batch-able. (Yes, we just invented a new word.) There are some things that have to be done in the moment, and that’s okay! You can still use those times to help future you have a great social media presence. We’re breaking down the age-old question: to batch, or not to batch.
To Batch:
Take New Photos And Videos
Schedule a time to take fresh community photos, whether it’s of the amenities, floor plans, or neighborhood. Capture nearby spots like coffee shops, grocery stores, and parks to highlight the local vibe.
>> Pro Tip: Make a list of all the shots you want to get and then map out your trip so you don’t miss any!
To Batch:
Gathering And Organizing The Content You Have
The good news: you probably already have some content that you can use! Create a centralized folder on Google Drive (or wherever works for your team) where team members can upload photos and videos. This will make finding content for future posts easier and save time
To Batch:
Creating Graphics For Social Media
Set aside time to create graphics, maybe using a platform like Canva, that fit your community’s branding and messaging. Design multiple versions of graphics by changing out colors or background photos to create variety without extra effort.
To Batch:
Creating And Writing Captions
Don’t forget you have to say something with those pretty graphics! Take time to craft captions that you can pair with images when you post.
Pro Tip: You can break down batching captions into different categories. Ex.) Write 10 floor plan captions one day, then 5 testimonial captions the next, and then 8 referral-focused captions after that.
To Batch:
Getting Content From Resident Events
While you can’t batch resident events to capture content from multiple events at once, you can make sure that you get TONS of great content when you do have an event. These can then be used to showcase the event itself, or just be the backdrop for a post about your neighborhood or some other content focus. Getting a lot of content at a resident event is a great way to build up a library that you can easily refer back to.
To Batch:
Creating Stories And Instagram Reels
Save trending reels and TikTok ideas for later use. Set aside time to create video content based on popular audio or themes relevant to your apartment community. Ex.) Think of FAQs you frequently get and answer them in quick, fun videos.
Not to Batch:
Resident Event Content
Like we mentioned earlier, events are something that you can’t batch. They only happen when they happen. But when you have one coming up, it’s a great time to make a list of shots you know you and your team want to get so you have a game plan going in. It’s also a great time to build anticipation with content about the set up of the event!
Not to Batch:
Real-Time Inspiration
Sometimes you’re on a roll and when that happens, run with it! If you’re inspired on a particular day, make a quick video or post instead of saving it for later. Authenticity goes a long way.
You Don’t Have To Overhaul Your Social Media Process All At Once
Start small. Commit to batching just one thing this week—whether it’s taking photos, creating graphics, or organizing a content folder. As batching becomes routine, you’ll feel the positive impact on your marketing strategy.
Batching lets property management teams streamline social media efforts, stay consistent, and relieve the stress of last-minute posting. Embrace this strategy to boost your apartment marketing efforts, and soon enough, you’ll find social media a more manageable and enjoyable part of your routine.
As we like to say at Sprout: “Little by little, a little becomes a lot.”
Batching Pro Tip: Encourage team members to help with batching. One person can focus on photos, another on captions, and another on organization. Collaborative effort makes batching manageable and more effective.