One of the best ways to build your brand and a local following as a REALTOR is to send out postcards. However, you have to make sure you are doing everything right so your recipient does not treat the postcard as junk mail and toss it aside.
To ensure postcard marketing success, you need to make sure your postcard is designed so it captures the notice of the receiver and that it provides information that relates to them. Therefore, you need to know what to do and what not to do so you don’t run into any glitches that may waste your time.
What You Don’t Want to Do
When marketing a postcard, you don’t want to do the following.
1. Make the Design Too Complex
If a postcard features too many elements or is not easy to read, it will usually end up in the trash. To prevent this from happening, make your design simple. Add a heading and up to two lines for the subheadings. Include a call-to-action (CTA) that is easy to see for a better response, and make sure the print is readable.
Don’t make the print too small or large (so the words like shouting) and avoid adding too many colors (more than three), which can be confusing, if not distracting.
2. Send a Message that Is Too Generic or Not Clear
To ensure you get a reply or generate leads, the postcard’s message should be transparent and direct. Don’t add a generic ad or get too creative. You want to provide information about the real estate market or about current listings or sales.
3. Send Out Postcards without Targeting Your Demographic
To ensure realtor postcard marketing success, you need to target the location where you want to sell locally and narrow down your demographic. If you direct your postcard to a certain niche, such as pet owners, you can experience even greater success. Know who you are targeting before you mail your postcards.
What You Want to Do
The following steps should be taken if you want to realize success for your postcard marketing campaign.
1. Keep Your Postcard Simple to Read and Noticeable
Again, you don’t want to add to many elements in the design, or it will simply be too fuzzy to notice or read. Keep the font basic and readable and make sure the color theme (no more three colors) sparks an interest. People are more likely to see a postcard in a color combination, such as blue and red, versus one that is white and tan.
2. Have Something to Say that Reader Wants to Read
Your postcard’s message should incite reader interest. Therefore, the content should include information that they will find compelling – something that they can use for themselves. For example, postcards may be designed that include the following information:
- New listings
- Dates for open houses
- Home sales
- Community real estate statistics
- Sales under contract
The reader can use the above information to see how much money he or she might receive from a sale of their property. They may also use it to get a better grasp of the market in their local neighborhood. Adding this info along with your contact details increases lead generation versus only including an ad and the contact info.
3. Define Your Demographic and Territory
Use census and MLS information to get a better idea of the location(s) you wish to target and to find out more about your demographic. Taper down your demographic further by appealing to specific interests, such as golf, dog ownership, fishing, or hiking.
In Summary
You can build a following online and offline. Using postcards is a great way to ensure you increase your credibility and expertise as a real estate professional.