The process of renting out your property can sometimes be an emotional and strenuous process. Get creative and make use of all the social media platforms to increase your property's visibility and engage and attract your ideal tenant.

In today's modern world, social media is used as a business tool to attract new businesses and help define what your target audience is looking for. It's about telling a story and having an indirect conversation with people.

Your present and potential clients use it as a trusted source for everything. It's where they go for news, entertainment, communication and advice.

In other words, it's a great way to drive up rentals to your property, maximizing your income and reducing costly turnovers. Being on these social media platforms allow you to reach a greater audience, allowing you to connect your properties with the people that want to be in them.

Using social media to help fill rental units allows you to make a much more personal and meaningful connection with people than other forms of marketing. However, a simple tweet about available units won't make the cut - you've got to sweeten the deal and get creative to increase your property's visibility and engage and attract your ideal/potential tenant.

WHY DO I NEED TO ACTIVELY POST ON FACEBOOK AND TWITTER, YOU MIGHT ASK?

Well… You may never know when a potential tenant or a new owner will pick up your posting(s). Social networks like Facebook and Twitter allow you to blast out your post to all your friends and connections, asking them to send you referrals. Twitter, however, is a good platform to ask for help, ideas and feedback.

Sometimes, all we have to do is make our needs known in a tasteful way and people will step in to help us grow our businesses.

There are so many popular platforms being used by renters today, so you might be overwhelmed in trying to decide the best places to connect. Here are some ways to drive rental interest online that you should consider when planning your social media strategy.

1. ‘Pin' apartment photos on Pinterest Use Pinterest to share photos of your stage rentals. If your compound has multiple floors, create a pin for each. Incorporate photos of the best amenities you boast as well and relish in the number of users that happily share the details with subscribers and other casual browsers on the social site.

2. Prowl Twitter for questions Many Twitter users will post geo-targeted questions about apartments in specific cities and states, and you can be there ready with a response. Twitter makes it easy to search for related questions and for your to provide quick answers. Invent #hashtags unique to your rentals and the local area so followers can re-tweet.

3. Be a resourceful blogger Become somewhat of a local news source not only for current residents but for prospective ones. It may also be useful to include nearby conveniences such as schools, hospitals, supermarkets - if any. You may be surprised at a number of hits you'll get from those searching for places to live as well as things to do in the neighbourhood.

4. Linked up with prospects on LinkedIn Create a customised home page for your property to connect with residents and even your primary contractors and service providers. Make personal recommendations for them and collect several recommendations for your property that in return can win over even other competing professionals within your industry and targeted demographic.

5. Time Well Spent on Facebook Tease prospective rental hunters searching online for your property in particular by hosting a renter-exclusive Facebook page. Promote fun in your postings by including current/upcoming events, inside community jokes, and things that will inspire individual postings and discussions by building an online community for residents.

6. Know Your Target Demographic Get yourselves familiar with the local, trendy and favourite social sites. Discover what local forums discuss about; rental properties, issues, concerns, property management perspective and more. The more you're rooted in these niche communities, the more exposure you can gain for your rental properties or community. Make networking work for you.

7. Are you making the most of YouTube? Teens, millennials, seniors, and everyone in-between is drawn to YouTube videos, and if you don't have a few property highlights and units featured there, you're missing out on a major social media opportunity. YouTube is a great place to feature a 360-degree property tour, complete with videos highlighting your available units.

Social media marketing is a relatively inexpensive advertising method, which offers an exciting opportunity to grow quality rentals for your property. Used correctly, it's a brilliant tool that can boost your profile in the community, allow you to stay in contact with current tenants, and help provide top-notch customer service.

You don't have to be a computer whiz to learn how to drive rentals using social media, but you do have to make time for these social media tasks daily, weekly, or even on a monthly basis for maximum results and efficiency.

THERE IS NO REASON WHY YOU SHOULDN'T TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE SOCIAL MEDIA TOOLS AVAILABLE!