Imitation Alert - A "New" Real Estate Postcard Book
A sleazy postcard company steals the entire idea of my book, along with actual elements of the book. Here's the story, in all its pathetic detail...
Dear Reader,
I am sad to have to share these facts with you, but I have no choice. The business world is tough, and some people take it to extremes, doing things that blur the lines of ethics. And then some people just step right over those lines.
You see, there is a "new" book about real estate postcard marketing that has come onto the scene, and I would like to share some information about how it came to exist.
This other book looks and sounds a lot like mine (see list of similarities / redundancies below). But it is not mine. It is a knockoff. It was created by Jeff Charlton who owns RealEstatePostcardsOnline.com, a sleazy company run by a sleazy individual with a Machiavellian approach to business. Unless he has removed or altered the book by the time you read this, you can view this strikingly similar book at the home page of www.RealEstatePostcardsOnline.com.
A while back, I partnered with the owner of this real estate postcard company, allowing him to sell my book from his website for a percentage of each sale. After all, I had the "in-the-trenches" experience with actual postcard marketing, and he had a fairly big audience. So it seemed to make sense.
Long story short, I eventually cancelled my reseller program because I did not like the shady techniques some of the affiliates / resellers were using. That's why today Real Estate Postcard Marketing, the original book, is only available on this website.
Not long after I cancelled my reseller program, this "new" book sprouted up on Jeff Charlton's website. I mean they must have hammered this thing out at lightning speed, the way it came onto the scene.
How similar is this come-lately book to my original book on real estate postcard marketing techniques? You be the judge.
Similarities, Redundancies and Blatant Ripoffs
- My original book has a virtual cover on this website. The cover is maroon in color. The similar book on Jeff Charlton's website has a virtual cover that is maroon in color.
- The straightforward title of my book is Real Estate Postcard Marketing. The title of the real estate postcard company's book starts with these same exact four words!
- My original book is 105 pages in length. Their book is 106 pages in length.
- Do I really need to go on? Okay, I will.
- My e-book uses beige-colored boxes to set off key points of information. Their book uses beige-colored boxes to set off key points of information.
- My original book outlines the postcard creation process from goals and objectives to marketing message execution. Their book ... you can fill in the blanks.
- I cover six key points that are important when shopping for a postcard printing company. Their book covers the exact same six points, in the exact same order as mine. Amazing coincidence, or simple-minded knockoff?
- My original book starts with a brief history of real estate postcards in the U.S. Their book starts with a brief history of real estate postcards as well.
- My e-book comes with a couple of bonus items, including a Q&A about real estate postcard marketing. Their book comes with a couple bonus items, one of which is a Q&A on real estate postcards.
- Am I insulting your intelligence? Sorry. Let's continue.
- My download page has an orange "Download book" button graphic that I created myself. Their download page has an orange button ... the same one I created. See the side-by-side "analysis" below.
I could go on (and on, and on, and on) ... but what's the point? You're smart enough to see this for what it is — somebody with a lack of imagination and business ethics trying to profit from the original thinking of somebody else. So let me end with this thought:
Question #1:
Who would you rather get your postcard marketing advice from? Somebody who is unbiased and has nothing to lose by sharing the hard truth about direct marketing? (That's me!) Or a postcard printing company that demonstrates this kind of blatant "borrowing" coupled with an utter lack of creativity? (That's them!)
An easy decision, you say? I thought so too.
Question #2 - And This One's Important!
Brand identity and unique creative design are hugely important elements in postcard marketing. So how "marketing savvy" do you think a company could be if they would so closely duplicate the branding elements of another company? Just plain dumb, if you ask me. Is this who you want to get your marketing advice from?
In closing, Dear Reader, here is an excerpt from my book (the original book on real estate postcards) regarding the over-reliance on postcard companies:
Book Excerpt: Over-reliance on Postcard Companies
Postcard marketing vendors can make your life easier. No doubt about that. I know this for a fact, because I've worked for two of them. But you shouldn't let a vendor run your postcard marketing program. Such vendors are expert at handling the logistics of printing and mailing. But it's unlikely they are experts at positioning your particular product or service. Trust postcard vendors with the logistics—not the strategy.
Also keep in mind that postcard marketing is like any other industry in that you'll find a wide variety of vendors. Some of them will truly care about your success. Others just want you to mail a lot of postcards and spend a lot of money, regardless of your success.
I read a lot of marketing articles written by postcard vendors, and most of them seem to be saying the same thing:
"Send lots and lots of postcards, and don't question the fact that people aren't responding. Just keep doing it."
These vendors will get you all pumped up with the notion of persistence. They'll have you thinking, "Well, that last mailing didn't produce anything. But they're the experts, and they say I should keep repeating the process."
Translation: "Keep spending money with us, regardless of the fact that you're not generating any in return. Keep mailing those postcards. Be patient. Don't ask questions. Just keep mailing ... and spending."
You'll hear the phrase "top of mind awareness" thrown around a lot. The idea is that by sending a constant barrage of postcards, you will be "top of mind" with your potential audience. I don't know about you, but on a given day, I don't have any companies at the top of my mind. Postcard marketing is a response-based medium, not a branding tool. If you're engaging in postcard mailings just to build awareness, you're on a slippery slope that will eventually blow your marketing budget with little to show for it.
In postcard marketing, repetition does help. But it's not a magic cure. The key is to repeat the mailings that work, not just the mailings in general. A failure repeated many times rarely becomes a success—not in my experience.
Focus on building a response-generating postcard before you do anything else. Set your sites on The Pyramid's apex that is taught in this book. When a postcard generates leads, it can then be repeated (and improved upon). But don't repeat a postcard failure just because a vendor tells you to. They stand to gain in such scenarios; you do not.
Now I'm not saying all postcard vendors behave badly. Quite the contrary. I have worked for a direct mail company that cared a lot about their customers' success. They even went so far as recommending improvements in design, copy, strategy, etc.
The point I'm making is simply this. No vendor will care about your marketing success as much as you care about it. Seek their advice, sure, but always remember that they make money from the number of postcards printed, not the number of responses you get.
To your postcard success,
Brandon Cornet
Author of the original book on real estate postcards!