Although real estate postcards might not currently garner as much buzz as the latest social media platform, they’re one of the most reliable ways to generate leads, sales and clients for your real estate business.
Real estate direct mail marketing is both a science and an art that requires equal doses of data-driven marketing insight and great design. With the right combination of art, copy and targeting, a postcard campaign can fuel your real estate business’s growth.
Are you considering a postcard campaign for your real estate business? Read on to discover six rules of direct mail postcard marketing for agents looking to bring in new leads, appointments and sales.
1. Clearly define your campaign’s goal
What is the goal of your direct mail campaign? Focusing on one goal at a time lets you tailor your direct mail postcard campaign’s message and hone in on the biggest way you can help people.
Is the goal of your campaign to sell homes? To generate seller leads? To bring in new listings for your business? Clearly define your goal ahead of time, and you’ll be able to track your campaign’s results effortlessly.
2. Measure short- and long-term results
Postcard marketing produces both short-term and long-term results, unlike other marketing channels such as email or display. This means that you should measure your campaign in both the short- and long-term to accurately track its results.
Don’t write off your campaign as unsuccessful if it doesn’t generate profits straight away. Remember that people will often keep your postcard until they need it and that your direct mail postcards could produce leads months into the future.
3. Target with your sphere of influence first
The best way to start your postcard campaign is by mailing to an audience with a high value. Your sphere of influence, including clients you’ve worked with in the past, is almost always the best initial target.
The only exception to this is if you’re running a just-sold campaign. Because just-sold campaigns are designed to strengthen your brand with a specific audience, they’re most effective when frequently mailed to the same target audience over time.
4. Design with action and results in mind
Great real estate postcards are designed for action and results. Include your name and picture prominently in your postcards alongside images of properties you’ve recently sold to build familiarity and trust with your audience.
Your postcard’s copy should speak directly to the market you’re targeting, clearly explaining how you can help them. Include a clear call-to-action that tells recipients exactly how to reach you and claim your offer to make taking action simple.
5. Don’t just mail once — be consistent
It takes time to build your brand as an agent. If you mail a target market once a year, the likelihood of you being remembered when someone needs to sell their home is extremely low.
Keep your personal brand in the front of your market’s mind by sending your direct mail postcards frequently. A good rule is to mail to your most valuable market — in this case, your sphere of influence — 10 to 12 times per year.
6. Put yourself in your ideal customer’s shoes
Does your postcard touch on the interests and concerns of your target market? The key to a successful direct mail campaign is to connect with your target audience and provide answers to frequently asked questions.
Put yourself in your target customer’s shoes, and think about the types of questions they’re likely to ask. Tailor your copy to address their questions specifically, and you’ll create a powerful connection.
Obey these six rules, and you’ll have successful postcard marketing campaigns.
Eric Cosway is the EVP and CMO of QuantumDigital. Follow him on Twitter.
