Aug 18th

Niche Communities & Curating the Conversation

mike-whalingI’ve been thinking about these two things a lot recently:

  1. Niche Communities – Humans now live online.  Lots of them.  But most humans are only interested in the content that speaks to their personal and professional interests.  We know that humans, whether they’re our customers or even fellow industry professionals, tend to engage more with conversations that focus on what’s important to them.
  2. Curation – The act of stewarding a collection.  Today, content can be collected, organized and provided as a resource to any given audience.  When done right, humans come back and use the resource often because it adds value.

What’s interesting is that an example of some folks who are currently using these two concepts happens right down the hall from me, at Qwirk Columbus, on an almost weekly basis.

I want you to meet Mike Whaling.  Working in partnership with Lisa Trosien, these two have launched a conversation called Apartment Chat, an online discussion about the apartment industry that takes place on Twitter every Friday at 4 p.m. EST.

Mike can explain it better than I ever will, so here he is:  [The video is about 5 minutes long and full of good ideas.]

What’s your take on this idea?  What questions do you have for Mike?  He’ll be paying attention to the comments…

nateriggs

I advise mid-sized & large organizations on how to adopt and use social media to market through organizational culture and better serve their clients. I'm also a blended family dad who enjoys music, photography and distance racing. When I'm not writing here, you can find me writing over at the Content Marketing Institute. Like what you've read so far? Then why not subscribe HERE?

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Comments (23)
  • http://mikewhaling.com Mike Whaling

    Thanks for taking the time to highlight #AptChat, Nate. It’s been a great way to spark conversations for the apartment industry that have ranged from green property management & revenue management software to blogging & SEO.

    In our view, it’s these conversations, and the inherent opportunities to connect with peers & share ideas on a regular basis, that help move the industry forward. Twitter, Facebook and the blog are simply tools that help facilitate the discussion. It’s been exciting to see a community grow around the hashtag; I know the concept is being applied in other industries like agriculture and tourism, as well. Thanks again for the opportunity — I look forward to seeing other ways your readers are starting conversations like #AptChat.

  • http://www.thetrainingfactor.com/ Jonathan Saar

    The apartment chat is wonderful. Mike and Lisa put a lot of effort to come up with different topics that are relevant to the multifamily industry. Its popularity continues to grow. It has served as a main tool to connect industry members and to share stories, ideas, and mishaps that everyone can learn from. You can see the passion many have for this chat each week by their posts on Twitter and Facebook. I can only see it growing in popularity as more folks join the Twittersphere.

  • http://nateriggs.com nateriggs

    Mike – thanks for sharing the story. You’re dead on. The conversation is what’s important. The tools are simply what allows you to keep it going, growing and visible to more participants. You guys provide a nice example of how other businesses can make this work. Hat tip to you and Lisa!

  • http://nateriggs.com nateriggs

    I agree, Jonathan.

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  • http://www.genyjourney.com Tyler Durbin

    Great video! I love hearing in-sights from go-getters in different niches and industries…keep them coming!

    First, no offense to Mike or the Apartment Industry, but I’m absolutely amazed that something like #AptChat can be and is successful. Property managers, landlords, etc., are the type of people I imagine flocking to twitter and actually engaging in it. That shows the incredible value that Mike and Lisa create week in and week out to build such a successful community. Well done.

    My question: How does #AptChat play into business strategies. Basically, how do you justify the time you put into #aptchat in terms of $$$$?

  • http://nateriggs.com nateriggs

    That’s a great question. Mike has told me that most of the significant time, energy and cost was on the front end, but I’ll let him respond to this…

  • http://mikewhaling.com Mike Whaling

    While #AptChat is still growing, the vast majority of property owners have never heard of it and many don’t participate on Twitter at all. We specifically decided to hold the chats during the business day, because we were concerned about participation if we held it afterhours like most marketing chats. (None of this is exclusive to the apartment industry, either.) We have a long way to go, but we’re getting there slowly with the help of people like Jonathan.

    In terms of business strategy, I see at least four benefits.

    One: Brand Awareness. Even though many people have never participated in the chat, they may have heard about it. And they know that Lisa and I put it together. Again, people like Jonathan are out there sharing it with their audiences and customers, which is all word-of-mouth exposure for me. It has also led to increased exposure offline, such as at events held by industry associations.

    Two: It’s a living case study. When I want to reference ways to use social media beyond marketing, I reference AptChat. Want to see how you can use social media to network with industry peers, grow personally & professionally, and understand the latest issues in your industry? Check out AptChat on Friday. It truly spotlights social media sites as multi-faceted communication channels, rather than just venues to market your goods.

    Three: Data mining. All that conversation gives me a great idea of what’s on people’s minds relative to that week’s given topic. Whether that gets used to benefit SEO (future blog posts) or product development (lots of people asking for a specific service), I have instant feedback from a built-in focus group about what matters most right now.

    Four: An audience others want to reach. Other industry vendors are starting to reach out to us because they want to sponsor chats. Since we’ve extended the reach of the chat with the blog and the Facebook Page, we have a number of different venues where we can start putting those vendors in front of an extremely targeted, engaged audience. We’re still toying with this because we don’t want to sell out our community, but I know there are some extremely valuable things we can do for our participants that also spotlight those industry vendors.

    All told, I probably spend 2-3 hours a week on AptChat, and that includes the hour during the chat. In my mind, it’s been worth every minute.

  • http://mikewhaling.com Mike Whaling

    It wouldn’t be much of a chat without people like you who are there to support us and contribute every week, Jonathan. You’ve done as much as any of us to raise awareness and get more industry involved and engaged. Thank you.

  • http://nateriggs.com nateriggs

    This has potential to be a really effective strategy for a whole set of industries. Totally worth the effort, budget and time…

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  • http://twitter.com/GreenLandlady Kimberly Madrigal

    #AptChat has been an invaluable learning and networking tool for me. Property management issues differ based on a number of different factors and #AptChat has helped me keep abreast of the concerns and opinions of industry professionals throughout the country.

    In addition, Mike and Lisa set a professional yet convivial tone and are very welcoming to newcomers. (In the interest of full disclosure, I have been a guest on #AptChat, a nerve-wracking, fingers flying experience.)

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