Real Estate Marketing, Do You Use Direct Mail?
by Barrett Niehus
http://www.realtysoftware.org
Prospecting for leads
is by far the most difficult part of being a Realtor or small business
professional. In fact, lead development is by far the most expensive and time
consuming aspect of your job. However, you level of success in lead development
will determine if you succeed or fail as a real estate agent or small business
professional.
So how do you develop leads? Well top selling professionals
realize that they need to touch as many people as possible without spending a
fortune or taking up a lot of their time. They also realize that they must make
some form of contact with a prospect as many as eight times before that contact
will even consider doing business with the professional. Many of these
professionals use direct mail to recruit prospects, and direct mail tools to
close their deals. 
The fundamentals of direct mail are very simple. At is most
basic level you are sending out message with an invitation for a prospect to
contact you. The key is targeting your specific audience, and making your
message stand out against all of the other junk mail that you prospects
receive. In addition, you must expose your prospects to the message enough
times to make them consider taking action.
The first step in creating a
direct mail program is to determine where you are going to focus your message.
What type of client are you specifically looking for? How old are they, what
are their interests, fears, income levels, etc. With this type of very specific
demographic information you can customize your message to invoke them to call
you. Next, determine how many people you are going to send your message to and
what geography you are going to focus on. Keep in mind that a direct mail piece
with more than a 1% response rate is considered exceptional, and that
statistically, post cards get more attention than envelopes in peoples mail
boxes. Essentially this means that if you mail 500 pieces and you get five
phone calls, you are doing exceptionably well.
After you know what your
customer looks like and the area in which they live, create your marketing
message. It should invoke emotion and request a response. The most effective
messages offer something for free such as a free home report, assessment, or
giveaway such as a software program or product. Other useful messages show what
has just been listed and invite prospects to "cash in" on their rising home
values.
Now that you have your message designed contact a local or
internet based direct mailing list seller and rent a list of prospects
addresses. You will be mailing to this list more than once so make sure you get
repeat mailing discounts. All of these list brokers have test addresses in the
lists they sell to make sure you only mail the agreed number of times. Many of
these list sellers will offer mailing services as well, and some will even
provide design and printing services. Companies such as PurePoscards.com and
MailersClub.com are excellent resources to get both mailing lists and design
services.
Use the design services as needed and remember that
statistically, an enclosed letter with blue ink and a first class stamp will
get the best response. Letters and postcards follow with lower responses.
Regardless of the type of mail that you are sending, it is important to realize
that you are hoping for at least a 1% response to your campaign.
Mail
your message to the list and see what happens. Plan on mailing at least two
more times to get your desired response, but feel free to modify the message
and the medium. It is just important to provide your target customer with
repetition so that they become used to your message and will consider doing
business with you. It is through repetition and a message that stands out that
you will get your client's attention and earn a response to your
marketing.
Direct marketing is a very effective tool for realtors to
grow their businesses. It can create a significant number of leads and a
significant addition to your cash flow, However, direct mail must be done with
proper planning and the right expectations for response. Never has a single
one-time direct mailing been successful. Alternatively, real estate
professionals who practice repetition in their direct mail and their marketing
grow wealthy while they leave their competition behind.
Barrett Niehus is a principal for IP Ware Real Estate
Investment Software
http://www.realtysoftware.org and a technical marketing
specialist for Compound Solutions in Escondido, California.
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