Real Estate Post Cards - 75 Ways to Boost Your Response
by Brandon Cornett, www.RealEstatePostcardBook.com
Real estate agents have used post card marketing for decades. The reasons why are somewhat obvious. A real estate post card campaign can be affordable, manageable and effective — all at the same time!
But before you begin a post card campaign, you should educate yourself on the many ways to improve your response rates. Here are 75 ways to improve your response rates and take your real estate marketing to new levels of success.
Post Card Planning
1. Create an overall post card plan to help you stay on track.
2. If at all possible, outsource the logistics to a real estate post card vendor.
3. Make a list of post card vendors and start comparing them.
4. Determine how you will write, design, print and mail your post card.
5. Talk to colleagues who use post cards. Ask for their lessons learned.
6. Read at least five articles on the best practices of post card marketing.
7. Make a post card marketing budget that allows for at least five mailings.
Real Estate Marketing Objective
8. Clearly define the objective of each mailing you send out.
9. Be as specific as possible with your objective. Don't say, "I want to grow my business." Instead say, "I want to generate [x number] of direct responses from qualified prospects."
10. Make sure your objective is realistic (something a post card can achieve).
11. Make sure your objective is based on some from of recipient response.
The Big Idea
12. Create a reason to mail post cards before you mail them.
13. Come up with a big idea that brings value to your post cards.
14. Find a way to be different from all the other real estate agent post cards.
15. Build value into your message and your offer.
16. Strive to make people say, "Wow, I'm glad I got this."
17. Read the "Super Card" chapter of the book mentioned at the end of this article.
Post Card Mailing List
18. Obtain your mailing list from a reputable source.
19. Find out how often your list provider updates their data.
20. If using your in-house list, check it for accuracy, duplication, etc.
21. Make sure your list matches your message (and your message is relevant to your list).
22. Segment your list to allow for a more targeted message (e.g. buyers vs. sellers).
23. Make sure your list is as current as possible to increase deliverability.
The Audience Statement
24. Create an audience statement that defines the people you're mailing to.
25. Make a list of their wants, needs, fears and concerns.
26. Jot down notes on how you can deliver their needs and allay their fears.
27. Keep your audience statement nearby as you create your post card's message.
Real Estate Post Card Message
28. Start with the message before the design.
29. Refer back to your audience statement and your post card objective.
30. Use the message to bridge the gap between your audience and your objective.
31. Infuse your message with your big idea from earlier.
32. Remember that a big idea is easy to write about, ever if you're not a writer.
33. Make sure your real estate post card message includes "layers" of value.
34. Create a message that solves a problem, presents a solution, and offers value.
The Post Card's Headline
35. Write a headline that identifies your primary audience (directly or indirectly).
36. Offer a benefit with your headline. Suggest the value of what's to come.
37. Write your post card's headline clearly.
38. Avoid the use of jokes, puns, complex language and the like.
39. Write an honest headline. Be able to back it up with the rest of your post card.
40. Make your headline interesting. You can't bore people into contacting you.
41. Use strong, active words that move the reader forward.
42. Use the proven headline formulas in the real estate post card book mentioned below.
43. Use numbers and other specifics when possible. Avoid generalities.
Design With Marketing in Mind
44. Strive for professionalism in your real estate post card design.
45. Hire a designer, if necessary, or start with a professional design template.
46. Ask your real estate post card vendor how they can help you with design.
47. Strive for originality. Create a purple cow, not just another brown cow.
48. Use design to enhance your message. Don't let the design dominate the post card.
49. Use design to improve the readability of your post cards.
50. Make sure your design supports the message you're trying to convey.
51. Create an eye-catching post card that will "burst" out of the mailbox.
The Post Card Offer
52. Create a strong offer to improve your response rates.
53. The free consultation is not an offer. It's expected. Same goes for the CMA.
54. Offer something that's related to your services in some way.
55. Think of a way to create a high-value information report. Offer it through your real estate post cards.
56. Base your report around a hot-button issue in your area (like urban expansion).
57. Think of a way to create a seminar people would love to attend.
58. Think of a way to combine the seminar with the high-value report.
59. Offer up a website that covers every aspect of your local real estate scene.
60. Make sure your offer is relevant, helpful and valuable to the reader.
61. Create a high perceived value of the thing you're offering. Position it.
62. Offer something better than what other agents are offering in your area.
63. Make sure the offer relates back to the post card headline. Make everything cohesive and united.
64. Follow your offer with a strong call-to-action (next item).
The Call-to-Action
65. Write a straightforward call-to-action that moves the reader forward.
66. Tell people how to respond in clear language. ("Visit www.mywebsite.com...")
67. Make your call-to-action stand out from the post card copy around it.
68. Make it easy for people to respond. Use as many response paths as possible.
69. Restate the reason they should respond. Restate the value of the offer.
Tracking Post Card Success
70. Devise a way to track your response rates.
71. Google "measuring post card success" and read a few articles.
72. Consider all the technical details of your tracking program.
73. Learn something from every real estate post card mailing you conduct.
74. Change one element at a time for pure comparison (list, offer, headline, etc.).
Education
75. Read "Real Estate Postcard Marketing" available at http://www.realestatepostcardbook.com.
Related article: A Guide to Using Real Estate Signs