PHOENIX—Lauren Melby is a marketing account executive for Serendipit Consulting, a public relations, marketing, branding and event-planning firm with a specialization in the student housing market. GlobeSt.com recently caught up with Melby to discuss how grassroots marketing can work for your student housing community.

GlobeSt.com: How often should you be going on campus?

Melby: In order to make sure that your community remains top of mind with students, you must interact with them in their environment as much as possible. While some students may do research on their own and stop by your leasing office, most students expect brands to go directly to them in order to spark their interest. Having a table on campus every day of the week with unique props or items is a great way to encourage students to stop by your table and give contact information. This tactic will continue to drive leasing traffic. If your community is in a market that doesn't allow for on-campus marketing, there are still ways to stay in front of the students. Identify student hotspots and partner with them for co-marketing opportunities. For example, hold a “Wing Wednesday” sponsored by your community. Create consistency and weekly branded events for students to look forward to. Sponsoring on campus events, attending athletic events, etc. are also ways to leverage the campus community without violating any regulations.