Real Estate Postcard Printing Companies Online
Do you use real estate postcards as part of your overall marketing program? Do you handle the printing yourself? If so, you should know there's an easier way to do it. By outsourcing the logistical legwork to a real estate postcard printing company, you can focus your energy on what matters most -- the concept and strategy behind the postcard.
In my previous career, I worked in the printing industry for a couple different companies. I also did a lot of research into the industry as a whole, and wrote about it on such websites as PostcardSmart.com, PrintingPresence.com and more. Now I would like to share what I've learned through this tutorial on real estate postcard printing and the companies who provide it.
Let's start off by taking a look at some of the big names in postcard printing industry. While these companies cater to a variety of industries, they place a special emphasis on real estate agent postcards (just listed, just sold, farming postcards and the like).
| Company | Description | Offers |
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| I have used VistaPrint for postcards and business cards alike. They are fast and reliable, and they produce high-quality materials. Easy online ordering process too. | Real Estate Marketing Materials - up to 90% off
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| There are many things I like about this online printing company. The quality of their postcard products, their website's ease of use, and competitive pricing all stand out. | 20% Off Your Direct Mail Campaign.
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| Overnight Prints has an online design tool that's very nice. It lets you upload images, add text, etc. You can see a proof online before having your postcards printed. | Order Online, 15pt Card Stock, Full Color, Offset Quality, Free Uploads
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| Real Estate Postcards Online | This website makes the list for bad reasons. My personal advice is to steer clear of them. | N/A |
The Benefits of Online Printing Companies
If you have ever tried to manage a postcard printing program on your own, then you know what a hassle it can be. First of all, you have to design your postcard so it looks halfway decent, and many real estate agents lack the ability to do this. Then you have to purchase card stock thick enough to be used for a postcard mailing (or else send the print job to FedEx Kinko's or somebody similar).
But you're not done yet, not by a long shot. Printing the real estate postcards is only the first step. You have to address and mail them as well. And before you can do this, you need to purchase a mailing list and either (A) write the address by hand or (B) print labels and put them on the postcards. Lastly, you have to take a stack of postcards to the nearest mailbox and send them on their way.
There is an obvious financial cost involved in this real estate postcard printing method. But there are also the "hidden" costs of time and energy. How much time do you spend doing all of the things mentioned above? What else could you have done with that time? How much energy did you spend on the postcard printing and mailing process, when all was said and done? These are serious questions you must ask before taking the do-it-yourself route.
Using an Online Real Estate Postcard Printer
A lot of agents think they are saving tons of money by handling their own postcard printing program. But as we have seen, the DIY approach brings more than just financial costs — it takes time and energy as well. Using an online company that specializes in real estate postcards can save you time, energy, and (in some cases) even money. Don't believe me? Here's a real-life example:
A few years ago, I worked for a well-known real estate postcard company (QuantumMail.com) who would often attend the annual NAR conference. I went to the conference in Orlando one year to represent the company, and I was approached by a lot of people with pricing questions. When I explained how little it cost (on a per-postcard basis) to have a professional printing company handle the process, they were generally shocked. The most common response was: "I can't believe I've been doing it myself all this time ... I should have been outsourcing this!"
Of course, pricing varies from one online real estate postcard printer to the next, but you can expect to pay anywhere from 50¢ to 75¢ per postcard — and that often includes the cost of mailing as well. What shocked many of the do-it-yourself folks was the fact that they could've had a printing company handle the logistics for them, for roughly the same price they were paying to do it on their own. In other words, they were certainly spending more time and energy to print and mail their real estate postcards for themselves, but they weren't really saving much money — if any!
When you consider this financial factor, combined with the convenience of using an online company for your printing program, the message is loud and clear. It makes a lot of sense to use a professional postcard printer for the logistical side of things.
How to Choose a Web-Based Printing Company
In the table at the top of this page, I offered some personal recommendations for online printing companies who have postcard solutions for real estate agents. But you are by no means limited to the printers I've recommended. There are quite a few full-service companies online today who can handle all aspects of your printing and mailing campaign. But you need to be a smart shopper when researching, comparing and choosing a postcard printer. Here are some key considerations to keep in mind:
- Design Options — Are you going to design your real estate postcards on your own, or do you need to have a printing company that offers online design tools? This is an area where online printers vary a great deal. Some of them have a wide variety of tools to help you with the design side of things, while others simply handle the printing part. First, identify what kind of support / services you'll need for your real estate postcard printing. Then find a company that can provide those services.
- List Options — Do you have your mailing list, or do you need to create one online when ordering your postcards? This is another key research point to keep in mind when comparing one online printing service to another. Many companies work with partners like InfoUSA to allow their customers to create mailings lists online when ordering. Other companies will only handle the mailing if you provide your own list. Make sure you understand (A) what you need in this area and (B) what each postcard company offers to support your needs.
- Mailing Options — Do you want to have some of your real estate marketing postcards shipped back to you without addresses, in addition to having some mailed to your audience? The majority of online printing services will offer both options — you can have your postcard printed and shipped back to you, or printed and mailed to your list. Or both. Other companies will only offer one option (or they'll limit you to either shipping or mailing in the online ordering process). This is another area where you must first identify your needs and then make sure the printing company can support them.
- Pricing — Cost is another factor that separates the best real estate postcard printing services from the mediocre ones. The best online printers have found ways to make their operations more efficient, which allows them to cut costs internally and pass the savings along to their customers. When comparing one printing company to another in terms of pricing, you also need to read the fine print. Does the price quoted per postcard have additional costs? Common add-ons may include color versus black-and-white, matte versus glossy, two-sided versus one-sided design, the cost of mailing, etc. Also, make sure the company has a pricing page that offers all the information you need. If they tell you you'll need to determine pricing on a product-by-product or page-by-page basis, then find another printing service. If they can't figure out their own pricing and present it clearly on a single web page, why should you give them the time of day?
You can learn more about choosing a postcard printing company by visiting PostcardSmart.com.
What About Your Marketing Strategy?
In closing, I'd like to talk briefly about your real estate postcard marketing strategy. One of the things you have to keep in mind is that online printing companies typically are not experts in real estate marketing strategies. Sure, they know how to print postcards efficiently, and possibly mail them equally as well. That's their business and their expertise. But they are not experts in the best techniques for agent marketing.
Here's an example of what I mean. Most online printers will offer design templates for real estate postcards. It's a pre-designed "shell" into which you can insert your name, photo, web address, etc. In terms of simplicity, these templates are great. They make the design process much easier and faster. But in terms of originality and effectiveness, real estate postcard templates leave a lot to be desired. Think about it — what chance do you have of standing out with a fresh design and a powerful message if you're using the same postcard layout as hundreds of other agents?
Of course, the online printing companies sing the praises of their templates. But as a marketing expert, I can tell you that it's much better to create your own postcard strategy and then design a card to support that strategy. Templates serve their purposes, in terms of simplicity. But they are not always the best option from a promotional standpoint. This is what I mean when I say you should outsource the postcard printing logistics, but not the strategy.
And, if you're serious about the marketing side of things, you should download a copy of my book on the subject.
Beware of imitators, though. There's a knock-off version offered by a guy named Jeff Charlton. He essentially reworded my own book and now sells his imitation through his own postcard printing website, which proves my point — online printers know very little about agent marketing strategies. That's why this guy had to knock off my book. He couldn't come up with one on his own!
If you'd like to download a copy of the world's only unbiased book on real estate postcard marketing, you can do so by clicking the orange button below. It's only available here on this website!
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