Do Yellow Letters really NEED to be yellow?

Do Yellow Letters really NEED to be yellow?

Gambrills, MD · Member since 2017 · 9 posts · 1 vote

Hey BP community! I'm Audrick and I would qualify as a newbie as I have not completed any deals yet. I'm in the intensive learning phase and I'm trying to understand as much as possible as quickly as possible so that I can move to the action phase. In regards to generating leads, specifically via direct mailers, I understand there are several ways to go about it (postcards, letters, etc.). I keep hearing about these "Yellow Letters" I have actually received one from an investor in my area and it was literally was yellow. I was wondering...is there some proven science behind using letters printed on yellow paper? Or is this just an industry specific thing that started somewhere back in time and has just been passed down from generations of investors. Is there something about the yellow color which makes more it effective than say a white paper, brown paper or blue (my personal favorite)? I know this is a really specific question. But, I'm trying to think of creative ways to make my mailers a bit more effective than the generic mailers already in the marketplace. So I didn't want to invest resources (time, money, energy) into something that has previously been vetted. 

Thanks for any insight you provide in your response. 

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  • Real Estate Agent · Garden City, NY · Member since 2016 · 3k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    9y

    @Audrick Brown IV

    Yellow letters come from a company called YellowLetters.

    It's supposed to look like someone sent a handwritten letter on a yellow note pad.

    You can always make your own handwritten letters on regular stationary.

  • Rental Property Investor · Ashburn, VA · Member since 2016 · 239 posts · 119 votes
    9y
    I think the yellow paper and red ink make it very easy to match colors from reproduction and print. I would say yes it has to be yellow. The paper is very hard to get in bulk right!
  • Investor / Vendor · San Diego, CA · Member since 2016 · 1k+ posts · 949 votes
    9y

    @Audrick Brown IV

    Yellow is psychologically associated with positive attributes: "yellow is uplifting and illuminating, offering hope, happiness, cheerfulness and fun."

    People use yellow because it has been tested by others to increase response rates. If you don't believe it, you can run a split test yourself with yellow paper versus other types of paper. There are several podcasts that discuss the color, types of material, etc.

    Ultimately though, don't just stick with one thing. Run some split tests to see not only your response rates, but conversion rates. Conversion rate is more important than response rate. Do what makes sense in your area based on numbers, don't just do what everyone else is doing. Over time markets get saturated and response rates drop if you're doing the same thing as everyone else.

  • Bakersfield, CA · Member since 2016 · 543 posts · 281 votes
    9y

    @Audrick Brown IV

    Great question! Yellow letters are the most popular, and as @Christopher Phillips said "It's supposed to look like someone sent a handwritten letter on a yellow note pad." However, as it has been stated since your question, it isn't necessarily the ONLY or BEST option out there. Since you like blue, why not go with a blue letter? Could be a way to stand out in your market. 

    Split testing is a great idea as well. Keep your eye out to see what is being sent in your area, then maybe make a change here or there (paper color, envelope color, font color, font style, etc.) and test to see what will work for you.

    Personally, I have been liking a patriotic themed letter. It's the same idea as a yellow letter with a handwritten font and a short, simple message, but it is printed on a letter that has an american flag and a silhouette of a saluting soldier. It gets a slightly higher response rate than a yellow letter so far, but it's still in the early stages of data collection.

    Keep us posted on what you decide to do! I love hearing success stories.

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