Posted about 4 years ago

7 Ways to Communicate with Your Residents

Communication is vital to a community’s success. It enables boards and managers to operate the community more efficiently and increase transparency with residents. However, in an ever-changing world, boards and managers often struggle with keeping residents informed. Which communication tools can you use to meet your resident’s expectations? How do you choose the tools that are right for your community’s unique needs?

The importance of having many ways to communicate with your residents

It’s important to have multiple communication channels in your community outreach. Let’s first dive into the reasons why this is important.

Increase reach

Your message will get across more effectively when you utilize tools that resonate with your residents. It’s a good idea to give your residents the option to choose how they prefer to hear from you.

Increase resident engagement

Residents will feel included when they are informed in a way that works best for them. They are more likely to tune in to what is going on in the community and become engaged. When you use multiple communication methods to keep your residents engaged, you’re also more likely to reach quorum in your annual board meetings.

Meet different needs

Different needs call for different communication methods. For example, some of your residents might like to receive text message reminders for upcoming board meetings. You may also have different groups of residents who would like to receive newsletters in an email format vs print.

Protect your community

The lack of communication or not using the right channels can increase your community’s risk of getting sued by homeowners. When communicating frequently and with clarity, your community can save thousands of dollars in litigation costs.

7 Ways to Communicate With Your Residents

Email

Email is a quick, convenient, and inexpensive way to communicate with your residents. It’s also one of the best ways to send out mass communications. Its non-intrusive nature and the fact that almost everyone has an email address means you can communicate respectfully with the largest percentage of your community.

Use cases for email communication

Notices - Send notices about important things happening in the community.
Reminders - Upcoming events, maintenance alerts, or payment due.
Events - Invitations to board meetings or other events.
Customer service - Respond to resident maintenance requests.
Newsletters - Digital newsletter showcasing the community's culture, achievements, upcoming events, and more.

When to avoid email communication as the only method of communication:

Urgent communications - Emails often get buried, which means it's not a viable option for emergencies when time is of the essence.

Phone Calls

Phone continues to be an important way to reach your residents. It’s a great method to incorporate in your communications mix because almost every individual in the United States has access to phone lines. It’s also a great option for elder demographics who may not have text or email. When using an automated phone calling system, your text can be translated into a voice message. This can reduce costs in your community and increase staff efficiency over placing individual calls.

Use cases for phone calls:

Emergencies where timing is important.
Reminders.
Maintenance alerts.

When to avoid phone calls as the only method of communication:

Non-urgent communications - Since phone calls are the most intrusive form of communication, it’s important to use them sparingly and respectfully. For example, email is a better form of communication for letting residents know their work order is completed.

Text Message/SMS

Text messages have one of the highest open rates of all communication tools. According to studies, 99% of all text messages are read within just 3 minutes of receiving them. Text message is becoming a preferred way to communicate because it's fast, convenient, and cost-effective when done at scale.

Use cases for texting messaging:

Short and concise messages.
Regular reminders.
Maintenance alerts.
Emergencies.

When to avoid text messaging:

When you need to send out detailed messages. Longer messages can often be seen as intrusive to individuals.
As we mentioned, residents may become frustrated when a company sends them too many text messages. Thus, it’s important to use this form of communication when needed and clearly inform residents on what type of messages they will be receiving text messages for.

Postal Mail

Even with a variety of online communication tools available, traditional methods like postal mail can still be effective. In a study by DMA, 56% of Americans say they like receiving direct mail. Residents can also save letters they receive in the mail for reference whereas texts and emails can get buried rather quickly.

Use cases for postal mailing:

Cater to resident preferences – Send letters to individuals who do are not receiving any electronic form of communication.
Increase engagement with printed newsletters - Create a newsletter to share what is happening in the community, highlight achievements, and promote upcoming events. You can also use newsletters to direct residents to other online channels you use such as social media or a resident portal.
Non-urgent communications - Any correspondence that is not time-sensitive.

When to avoid using postal mailing:

Urgent communications - Postal mail can take days to reach a resident. Even when they receive it, it can take many more days for a resident to read your letter. Thus, it’s not a viable option for urgent communications.
Concerned about high costs - Since postal mail is a more costly form of communication, it’s important to set aside a budget. If your community is more concerned about reducing costs, try using more digital communication options. The cost of a single outgoing postal mailing could equal many months of other digital options.

Resident Portal

You may not think of a resident portal as a form of communication but it can be one of the best ways to bring important community information in one place. It’s also a great way to connect with your most engaged residents. As a self-service tool, residents can update information and request support from managers or board members without having to call the office. The resident portal also gives them a way to receive information from you with very minimal effort and upkeep on your part.

Use cases for a resident portal:

Online payments – Residents can look up their financial information without ever having to reach out to the office.
Customer service – Residents can request services like work orders, support, or approval for architectural requests.
Event invites - Inform residents about upcoming events such as board meetings to improve attendance.
Documents - Post documents to keep residents informed about community policies.

When resident portal may not be an ideal means of communication:

Demographics – If a majority of residents in your community aren’t tech-savvy, it could be a challenge to get them to use a resident portal. In this scenario, traditional methods such as postal mail or other electronic options like a phone call may serve their needs better.

Social Media

Social media is a great tool to keep residents informed and cultivate a sense of community. It’s a fast way to communicate with residents. Social media also reduces your communication costs over other traditional methods because platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are free to use.

Use cases for social media in your community

Event invitations – Invite residents to in-person or virtual social events. The Facebook Events feature enables you to post event details, notify your followers, and view live RSVPs.
Share Event Photos – Bring back the good memories and fun of any events that you’ve hosted by posting photos on platforms such as Facebook or Instagram.
Support the community – Keep your community informed of any local causes and businesses that they can learn about and support.
Educate your community – Share expert tips on different topics like how residents can maintain their properties during each season or ways they can get involved with the community.

As you’ve seen in these examples, there are many ways to connect with residents through social media. However, it’s important to check with your governing documents and local laws on what information can be shared.

Disadvantages of social media in your community:

It’s public – Because of its public nature, many boards and managers are skeptical of using social media. All conversations are out in the open for anyone to see unless using a private group such as Facebook Groups.
Out-of-control conversations – Residents may use social media platforms to share their frustrations about the community and its operations. Conversations among residents and board members may at times spiral out of control. This could lead to friction in the community among boards and residents and even liability.
Loss of privacy – When you’re on a public platform, the community’s information and issues become public, leading to a loss in data privacy.

When done right, social media can be a great way to keep residents connected. If your community wants to utilize social media, it’s essential to monitor the conversations and reduce friction. To do this, be sure to assign someone the responsibility of monitoring conversations and taking discussions offline before things get heated.

Website

A community website is one of the most effective HOA communication tools to keep your current and prospective residents informed. A well-organized website that answers residents’ questions can reduce calls to the office and improve operations. It also improves resident satisfaction because they can now access important information related to the community on their own time.

Use cases for a community website:

Community culture – Talk about the community lifestyle such as what it is like to live in the community. This information will help prospective residents to learn more and make an informed decision.
Amenities & policies – What type of amenities the community has, hours of operation, and rules.
Community Activities – List any activities that your residents can participate in, such as a book club, and when they are occurring.
Events – Share a calendar of upcoming events that your residents can be part of.
Rental properties listing – List properties for rental with descriptions and photos so you can help prospective buyers make a decision.
Dues/Rent Payment – Allow your residents to make payments conveniently online.

Disadvantages of a website:

Requires an internet connection – If internet connection is not available, websites are not viable in an emergency situation.
Requires upkeep of information – If you don’t keep a website fresh with new, relevant information, residents will not find it useful.

Conclusion: Communication Tools to Inform & Engage Your Residents

When boards and managers are able to effectively communicate with residents and with one another, they can improve operations and increase resident satisfaction. Using a variety of communication tools enables you to reach every resident in a way that works best for them. It’s important to clearly inform your residents what you will be using each communication method for.

All of the communication tools we highlighted have their own unique uses:

Email is a diverse tool that is useful for sending updates, reminders, and even more detailed information in the form of an e-newsletter.
Phone calls are essential during emergencies and for resident demographics who do not have text or email.
Text messages, while can be instrumental during emergencies, can also be used for non-intrusive reminders and updates.
Postal mail is useful when a resident doesn’t have electronic means of communication and for non-urgent, transactional communications.
Community websites and resident portals provide a one-stop shop for residents to access all community information.
Social media takes resident engagement a step further when everyone can have productive conversations about the community in real-time.

When there are so many communication tools available, it’s easy to become overwhelmed. However, you don’t need to use every tool out there. It’s more essential to use tools that cater to your residents’ needs and comply with your governing documents and local laws. Try a combination of these tools today and you will surely see an increase in resident satisfaction.

Link to our original article: https://www.pilera.com/2022/01/hoa-communication-tools.html