For real estate marketing campaigns, using direct mail advertising campaigns are an underrated practice. It may seem like it is too simple to be useful, but in fact, it can be one of the most powerful marketing tools for real estate agents if it is done right.
Direct mail campaigns not only let investors generate motivated leads, but it also plays a crucial role in helping these leads be converted into new customers. Using this approach may not only cultivate a newfound interest in your company by your targeted buyers and sellers but also allows you to establish a direct connection with them which is beneficial for you in the long term. After all, the real estate business is getting more competitive, and you need to try to reach out to your clients and prospects more strongly.
Direct mail is one of the most common ways to target potential sellers in the real estate space and market yourself to them. It has a much better response rate than any other form of digital marketing. The best part of this approach is that there are many different types of direct mail campaigns that you can choose from according to the market you hope to target.
Types of Direct Mail Marketing
From letters to catalogues, you have several types of direct mail which you can choose from to receive more engagement and better response rates from your target audience.
Postcards
The simplest and most cost-effective direct mail type are postcards. Any business can use them for any purpose, such as promoting your agency, raising your brand awareness, showcasing properties, or highlighting special offers and services. Postcards deliver your message directly as they do not have to be opened, unlike a letter. This means there is a higher probability that your message gets read. The only problem is that it has limited space, so you need to write a bold and concise message that grabs attention.
Make sure that your postcard has an eye-catching design and engaging content to take full advantage of this technique.
Letters
The traditional letters are formal and a personal type of direct mail which performs especially well when trying to reach investment clients, encourage conversions or generate new leads of investors. They are plain and a good way to communicate personalized messages and information. They can even be text-heavy so you can get into details as well.
Letters are also more confidential and will only be received and read by your targeted addressee. You can also include reply cards or order forms enclosed with it to get your potential clients to act.
Catalogues
Catalogues are an ideal type of direct mail that allows you to showcase your agency’s services and show pictures of the type of properties that you want to sell. Including a complete portfolio of your past sales and purchases can help keep your clients up to date and inform them of any investment opportunity that they may be interested in.
Although they can be a bit more expensive and time-consuming to create, they have the highest engagement rate and can encourage potential clients to become interested in your agency.
Self-Mailers
Self-mailers are comprised of one huge piece of paper which is folded down into multiple sizes like a brochure, a leaflet or even a small booklet. There is no envelope, and it is placed in an adhesive tab. This means it keeps the mailing cost low. These self-mailers can be remarkably effective in helping you market your business and attract new clients. They offer much more space than a postcard which means you can write a bigger message and emphasize the benefits you offer your customer. This can help you build a stronger brand image and get the reader interested in you. The more creative you make it, the better chances of you getting a response. Self-mailers can stand out if they are adequately designed.
Dimensional Mailers
Dimensional mailers are upgraded versions of self-mailers of standard leaflets that you see around. They are 3-D mailings, which let you get more creative. They are much more interactive and engaging for the reader, which means greater engagement from them. Dimensional mailers provide a creative way to showcase your services innovatively. They also stand out and are much more memorable. It is a great way to differentiate yourself from your competitors.
You can get dimensional mailers that slide out, unfold or pop up. Make sure you pick a relevant design that goes with your message. However, they can be a bit more costly than flat mail.
All-in-One Packages
For those who have a bigger budget, sending all-in-one mailing packages can be an effective campaign. You can include multiple items in it such as letters, postcards, catalogues, or brochures etc.
They let you offer your clients and prospects variety and different methods of communication. For example, you can use the postcard to highlight your company, the letter to address the reader and a catalogue to show all the houses you have sold previously etc.
You need to ensure that all the items in the package are relevant and send a strong and cohesive message which is consistent throughout. Each component of the package should be able to stand out on its own as well. This type of direct mail allows you to use multiple techniques at the same time.
6 Reasons Why Direct Mail Marketing is So Effective for Real Estate Marketers
Direct mail marketing campaigns are well suited to the real estate industry due to the following reasons:
1. It Establishes Local Connections with Potential Clients
One of the critical considerations of real estate is location. Property buyers and sellers want people who know the ins and outs of the local market. People understand that the street, town, or zip code of a property can influence how valuable the property is. Thus, whether you are a real estate marketer, agent, or investor, you can make use of hyper-targeted direct mail to show that you are an expert on the locality who knows the market.
Buyers want agents who know the market so they can hone in on better neighborhoods and get a better deal. Similarly, home sellers also look for agents who know the area and can get a reasonable price for their house.
Direct mail campaigns ensure that you can target and connect within the market that you know and serve. It also gives you better chances of attracting new clients within the locality you are based in.
2. You Can Automate It
Another upside of a direct mail marketing campaign is that you can easily automate them. This means you need to spend less time and energy on printing, building, and mailing resources yourself. You will get more free time to focus on the growth of your business and thinking of ways to develop closer relationships with your clients and prospects.
3. Helps Build Long-term Relationships
The real estate business is all about building connections. But what is more important is that you ensure that these relationships you have with your clients are long term so that you can be the go-to provider for your clients whenever they decide to move.
Direct mail can be the perfect medium to build these relationships. It is a unique and tangible method that promotes one on one communication with your clients and prospects. You can send them useful resources to keep the relationship alive and ask them for feedback through this channel.
4. You Can Target Specific Groups
Direct mail marketing campaigns can be designed to target specific groups in your customer base. A mailing list can be created that can be used to deliver cards and letters to those clients who have expressed an interest in specific property types like commercial condos or beach homes etc. Since mails only reach those who already have shown an interest, you are more likely to get your prospects to respond to your call of action. Direct mail campaigns also let you send personalized messages which directly address the customer’s specific needs.
5. Your Message Reaches The Target Audience’s Hands
The best part about a direct mail marketing campaign is that it directly puts your call to action in your targeted customer’s hands. This means that if your message contains the right personalized message, your audience will feel like you are talking to them directly. Direct mail is also the perfect way to send any coupons or special offers that your clients might like. You can also make any quick adjustments to your marketing campaign based on the response you get from them.
6. You Get Multiple Options
With direct mail campaigns, you get many different options regarding the type of marketing material you send out. The mail can be a catalogue, a brochure, a letter or even a postcard. It solely depends on you, your budget, and the information that you want to convey to people. The process is not very expensive, either. You can easily keep your mailing costs low by only sending stuff to a specific group. This group should be of people who are the most likely to respond.
7 Ways to Increase Responses to Your Direct Mail Campaigns
Direct mail marketing has many advantages over other marketing channels. For example, some people think that online marketing strategies are more intrusive than direct mail. Many clients have actually said that their decisions were directly influenced by direct mail at one point or another. While the list of the benefits of real estate marketing through direct mail can go on, there are certain conditions attached to it as well.
Every real estate marketer wants to improve the responses to their advertising campaigns and make a more significant impact on their target audience. You want to know how to get your targeted clients to call you, buy from you or give you any favorable response. The following tips can help you make your campaign stand out to your clients and help you make it much more effective:
1. Segment Your Mailing List
Most people realize how important it is to segment their mailing lists. Sending the same message to everyone will not be as effective as sending it to targeted prospects. Mass mailings rarely catch people’s attention. You must divide your mailing list and send personalized messages or offers to these defined sub-groups. For example, for any prospects that live in apartments, send a “home prices have never been lower” piece.
For people who already own a home, you can mail a postcard which tells them how to get the best price for your home in a slow market. Send thank-you notes to your clients who send you referrals. Just keep in mind that the smaller your mailing list is segmented, and the more personalized message you send them, the better your outcome will be.
2. Make Strong Call To Actions
You can set your direct mail pieces apart by including a strong call to action. Every piece of mail you send out must have a strong and assertive call to action. Avoid any generic statements like “we hope to hear from you soon” or “call us if you have questions”. These are not profound and don’t give the necessary push your clients may need to contact you.
Strengthen your call to action statements. For example, timing is everything in real estate. Please do not waste any more time and call me for a quick consultation.
3. Include special offers or gifts
Most people like feeling special and any time you offer them something extra, they will be more likely to give you a response in return. Make your clients feel special by offering them a one-on-one consultation, an entry to a drawing, first access to property listings or even a glass of wine at an open house.
Brainstorm and get creative with gifts and special offers that are likely to entice them. They will feel like they are getting special treatment and be more satisfied with you.
4. Focus On The Important Parts
Sending direct mail does not mean that you start sending long-winded or all-encompassing letters to your targeted prospects. Nobody has the time to read through them, and they are more likely to end up in the dust bin.
Make sure you write content that captures the attention of your potential clients in a limited amount of space. Your message needs to be bold and unique that sticks with them. Do not include any unnecessary information. Only focus on one key point and state it concisely.
You can immediately grab the reader’s attention by asking a question, stating a fact, or quoting a statistic. Then, quickly make your most compelling point and focus on its benefits for your customer. Restate the main message to emphasize it and end the message with a strong call to action.
5. Emphasize the Benefits and Try To Be Different
It is no secret that the real estate market has become highly competitive. Thus, you must tell your target audience of the different benefits they will receive if they were to reach out to you. These benefits could be your quick response times, or even the healthy snacks you provide at your open houses.
Whatever you feel differentiates you from your competitors must be conveyed and highlighted. Try to show your customers how beneficial your professional relationship could be for both parties. It would help if you also emphasized how your services are different from others to make yourself stand out6. Make Use Of Interesting Facts, Diagrams, Or Statistics
Anyone can make a bold claim about their business to attract attention. However, you must back up those claims with hard facts, numbers, or figures to show your potential clients what you can do. They are more likely to respond to you if they are impressed by you.
Therefore, backing your claims with facts and figures and highlighting your tangible achievements in the business is a sure shot way to do that. Make sure you include them in your direct mail items.
7. Keep Testing New Ideas And Approaches
Perhaps the most important tip is to be flexible in your direct mail campaigns. If you want your response rate to improve, it is crucial to understand that it may take a while before you figure out what works the best. You should not expect to get where you want in just one postcard mailing.
Many businesses tend to stick with one strategy until it runs out of steam which can be harmful. You need to think outside the box and try out new ideas and mail methods. Get creative with your messages and offers. Direct mail is a cost-effective method, but it has a short lifespan.
This means that you need to keep changing your strategies and find the right combination that gets you the results you want.
