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Direct Mail Tip of the Week

Consider using a postcard as a coupon. Let’s say your direct mail postcard offers a discount of 20% on a purchase. Why not ask your recipient to bring in the postcard in order to receive the discount? In that way you can easily count the postcards to measure your rate of response. It also makes your card more valuable to the receiver. It’s the same as cash.

Direct Mail Tip of the Week

Make it a point to use “outside lists” in addition to your own customer lists. While your own customers are likely to be the most responsive to your mailings, don’t neglect the opportunity to reach new people who are not presently your customers by purchasing mailing lists based on geographics and demographics of your desired market segment. Every business must constantly strive to get more customers and direct mail is an ideal way of accomplishing that.

Ask Jerry-Real Estate Marketing with Direct Mail Postcards

Q.
Dear Jerry,

I live in a fairly affluent area with an overabundance of real estate agents. The net result is most homes receive multiple direct mail pieces weekly and most are fairly elaborate.

Secondly, the market for resale is soft. The place to be today is on the buyer's side.

My questions are two fold:
1. How can I stand out in a crowded direct mail market?
2. How can I build up my business on the buyer's side?

Regards

A.
"Thanks for contacting us.

As you know, direct mail is widely used in the real estate market. I agree that a typical mailbox gets a great amount of realtor mail and I can understand your desire to stand out.

As you compete for attention, color will certainly help you. I also suggest you take a look at Sumo Size® postcards, large sized postcards that will attract attention.

Building up business on the buyer side is more complicated than on the sellers side. Lists of homeowners are readily available and it is easy for a realtor to contact them. Lists of buyers are more difficult.

My suggestion is that you identify the market area in which you are operating and then contact our list people who can be reached at 877-283-7976. They will be able to furnish you residents who reside in that area. According to the DMA, 41% of your direct mail success depends on your list. Check out more information about purchasing mailing lists and growing your list of potential leads.

Once you have a mailing list you can try several different approaches to see what works best for you.

I always stress talking benefits. What can you offer that will cause a prospective buyer to want to talk to you? Consider such things as:

How long have you been working in your market? That gives you experience.

Can you offer any special marketing services or a marketing program that will benefit your prospect?

Are you part of a large realtor network or MLS?

I am sure you can think of other benefits. Having those benefits will help to distinguish you from the pack.

You are looking for referrals. Contact your past customers and ask them to keep you in mind if they know of friends who may be looking for a home.

One successful realtor we know sends out postcards approximately every other month to her customers offering a helpful suggestion on how they can maintain the value of their home. One month she spoke about upgrading your bathrooms with the addition of new faucets and hardware. Another time she spoke about having a nice looking front yard to provide "curb appeal". This will make your mailings useful and your recipients will look forward to receiving them. Of course, always ask for referals in every mailing.

Hope these suggestions are helpful. Don't hesitate to let the people at Avery Print and Mail Center be of assistance. Contact them at 877-Avery PMC or 877-283-7976 or go to www.printandmailcenter.com.

Good luck with your direct mail efforts."

Do you have a direct mail question? Ask Jerry. We can't answer every request, but we'll do our best to help!

real estate marketing postcards

Direct Mail Tip of the Week

Consider using a jumbo postcard on your next mailing. The larger size will give you more room to tell your story while enabling you to command more attention in the mailbox.

Using Large Sized Postcards to Promote Real Estate and Mortgage Lending

Realtors and mortgage lenders are among the largest users of direct mail advertising. If you study your own mailbox you’re likely to receive several mailings per week.

The newspapers tell us, almost daily, about housing sales being slow as well as how changes in the credit markets are affecting sales everywhere. Sub-prime and adjustable rate mortgages have caused many homeowners to be concerned.

These changes in the real estate and mortgage markets offer good reasons to contact your prospects now.

Postcards are a great way to accomplish that contact at an attractive rate.

While the cards we receive come in all sizes, we notice the large ones first. They command attention among the various pieces of mail in our mailbox. Avery Print and Mail Center Sumo Size® postscards are particularly suited to a realtor or mortgage lender.

Sumo sized cards, 6” x 11”, have some great advantages.

They are the largest sized card that can be mailed at the same rate as a first class letter

They offer a very large space to get your message across

They command attention in your mailbox

Want to make your postcard as effective as possible? Here are some ideas.

Many of the cards we receive from realtors can be made much more effective by paying attention to copy.

Ever notice that realtor’s cards often show a picture of a home, a picture of the realtor and a comment such as “Just sold” or “in Escrow”? While that may make the realtor feel proud, it does little to impress the recipient. Why? There is no benefit offered to the recipient of the mailing. It’s just an announcement.

How about adding some copy that would make the realtor stand out such as:

Just sold in 10 days for full asking price

We had 5 offers on this home and sold it in less than a month…we can do the same for you.

Call and get the full details on our unique marketing plan that can achieve similar results for you.

For the mortgage lender, statements such as:

Afraid of that adjustable rate mortgage? Let us show you how you can convert to an attractive fixed rate loan and have the same payment for the life of your mortgage.

Want to make your monthly payment more manageable? Let us show you how.

As in all mailings, list selection is critical. You must get your mailing into the hands of someone who is likely to be a prospect. For the mortgage lender interested in promoting re-financing, the appropriate audience would obviously be homeowners. Lists are available for almost any geographic area by type of dwelling unit. Avery’s list experts can assist you in finding them.

Similarly, the realtor looking to acquire new listings would also want to contact homeowners, particularly those who have lived in their home for several years. Lists can be selected on the basis of how long someone has resided at his address. The realtor might also want to contact apartment dwellers who could be ready to move up to a home. Young families with children might be appropriate and those lists are also readily available.

Keep your card simple. Look at it like a billboard. An eye catching headline, a few points about your offer, an attractive picture or two directly related to your product or service and, most important, asking people to take an action and telling them how to do it, will help you to make your mailing effective.

Don’t forget to keep track of the results. In the field of real estate and mortgage lending where the dollar amounts are high, you don’t have to make too many sales to have direct mail pay off handsomely.

Avery Print and Mail Center can give you full details on Sumo cards as well as assisting you with an attractive layout and complete mailing services. You can reach them at 877-AVERY-PMC or 877-283-7976.

real estate marketing postcards

Direct Mail Tip of the Week

People tend to see color before they see black and white. It costs very little more to use color in your postcards. Using it will attract more attention and improve your results.