Communication Tools to Inform & Engage Your Residents

Communication is essential to a community’s success.?It enables boards and managers to improve their community's operations and increase resident satisfaction. However, in an ever-changing world, boards and managers often struggle with keeping residents informed about the latest happenings in the community.?From text messaging to social media, there are so many ways to communicate with your residents. Which communication tools will meet your residents' expectations and solve your community's unique communication challenges? In this article, we review the most common tools you can use to inform your residents about important information and keep them engaged.

1) 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 HOA email communications:

• Notices?– Send notices about important things happening in the community.
• Reminders?– upcoming events, maintenance alerts, or payments due.
• Events?– Invitations to board meetings or other social in-person or virtual events.
• Customer service?– Updates on resident support requests, maintenance, violations, or architectural change requests.
• Newsletters?– Digital newsletter showcasing the community’s culture, achievements, upcoming events, and more.

When to avoid email communications in your HOA:

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

How Pilera’s email platform can improve your communications:

• Rich text editor?– You can create professional-looking newsletters with images to send to their community.
• Documents?– Attach files that you need to include in an announcement.?
• Unlimited emails?– Many email providers set a limit on how many emails you can send in a 24-hour period.?Since Pilera doesn’t place a limit on the number of emails, you can send an email to a single community or even your entire portfolio in just minutes.

2) Phone Calls/Voice Messages

An automated phone calling system translates your text into an audio message to place hundreds of calls in just minutes.?It’s a great method to incorporate in your communications strategy 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.?Automating phone calls in your community can reduce costs significantly over traditional methods such as placing individual phone calls to your residents.

Use cases for automating phone calls in your HOA:

• Emergencies where timing is very important.
• Reminders.
• Maintenance alerts.

When to avoid automated email phone calls:

• 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 than a phone call to let a resident know their work order is completed, especially if it isn't urgent.

Automated phone calls through Pilera:

Managers can easily send out automated phone calls through Pilera.?Since Pilera is a web-based application, there’s no hardware or software to install.?Simply type in your content and Pilera will automatically translate it into a phone call in English or Spanish for your residents.?Real-time analytics in the app shows if the call was picked up by a person or a voicemail was left so you know the phone call was made.?

3) 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.?

Use cases for HOA text messaging:

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

When to avoid using text messaging in your HOA:

• 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.

Text messaging through Pilera:

Pilera’s communication platform enables you to send text messages in the resident’s preferred language.?You can then view analytics in real-time to see who received the text message.????

4) 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 as an HOA communication tool:

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

When a 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.

Pilera’s resident portal

Many HOA software platforms include a resident portal as part of their product offerings.?Pilera’s resident portal?enables residents to manage their communications preferences and view a history of communications and updates to their work order, support, ACR requests, and more in one place. Residents can also get instant answers to their questions on things like guest or pet policies through a knowledge base.

5) Collaborative HOA/Property Management Software

Communication between board members and their management team?is vital so that they can make decisions that are in the community’s best interests.?An HOA Software helps to improve communication and collaboration between the board and managers.

Use cases for an HOA software as a communication tool:

• Keep track of important community action items?– Board members can create and assign tasks to managers (and vice versa) during a board meeting for further research and completion.?
• Better understand community operations?– Boards want to know if tasks are being completed in a timely manner.?Managers can share reports with board members detailing how many maintenance, ACRs, violations, and support tickets are open or have been completed.
• Process architectural change requests?– Board members can comment and approve/reject architectural requests.??
• Share important documents?– Managers can share documents with board members only.??

Pilera’s Collaborative HOA Software

Managers and board members can collaborate on a wide range of projects through Pilera’s HOA Software and more specifically, the Board+.??Board+?helps managers and board members to improve accountability and compliance through task management, architectural request management, and violations tracking. Email notifications are automatically sent out to boards and managers when work is assigned to them. They can also post comments and updates as each item on their task list progresses, so everyone is on the same page.???

6) Social Media

Use cases for social media in your HOA:

• 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.?Check out Cedar Management’s detailed post about how to manage social media interactions in your community.??

Disadvantages of social media in your HOA:

• 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.

7) Virtual Meeting Solutions

Many communities have transitioned to virtual meetings and social events in the past two years.?The convenience of being able to join a meeting or event from any location has led to communities seeing an increase in attendance at their monthly or annual board meetings.??

Use cases for a virtual meeting solution in your HOA:

• Host Monthly Board Meetings?– Discuss current agenda items, resolutions, and next steps in your monthly board meetings.?Invite residents to join the virtual meeting and dedicate some time for residents to voice their opinions or ask questions.
• Social events?– Host fun social events virtually such as trivia or other events.??
• Emergency meetings?– If a board needs to call an emergency meeting, it is simple to set up and invite attendees. Board members can attend the meeting from any location.

Virtual meetings are likely to continue in the future due as it offers a convenient and safe way to build a sense of community.?The availability of many meeting software solutions such as Zoom, GoToMeeting, and others make it easy to conduct organized meetings.?Check out our recent blog post on?how to improve your board meeting, including tips on how to run successful virtual meetings.??

8) 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 in your HOA:

• 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 informed decisions.?
• 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.??
• Private web pages?for board members and residents where you can post documents and other information that is specific to each user role.??

Situations when a website is not the most ideal form of communication:

• 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.

Pilera’s HOA website feature

From popular?content management systems to HOA-specific platforms, there are many website options available.?Through Pilera’s HOA-specific website, you can build a professional-looking website without needing technical experience.?Here are some ways in which Pilera’s websites can take your online presence to the next level:

• Mobile-friendly site?– Your residents can view community information on their own time on any device or location.?
• Optimized for SEO?– This makes it easy for current and prospective residents to find the community on search engines.
• Custom content?– Websites are easy to build and manage without any technical experience.??
• Secured content?– Create private pages for your residents and board members only.??
• Integrated with other Pilera features?such as calendars, documents, marketplace, and payments.?

HOA Website Examples

Our clients have created beautiful, professional, and informative websites for their communities.?Here are a few examples to inspire a community website of your own:??

• Longboat Harbor in Florida –?https://longboathoafl.pilera.com/?
• Old Town Villages –?https://oldtownvillagesfl.pilera.com/
• Equinox on the Battenkill –?https://equinoxbcavt.pilera.com/?

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.?
• Community websites and resident portals?provide a one-stop shop for residents to access all community information.?
• Social media and virtual meeting solutions?take 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 important 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.

About Pilera

Pilera Software is the premier property management software that has helped thousands of community managers and back-office personnel improve communication and customer service.

Check out our full article and resources here: https://www.pilera.com/2022/01/hoa-communication-tools.html