Direct Mail Is Still Alive. Send It and Thrive!

Are you currently sending direct mail to generate seller leads?

If no, why not? What is holding you back?

If your answer is that you don’t have the money, then I can completely understand. I have been in your shoes before. But don’t let that stop you.

Direct mail is still one of the top ways to reach your target audience. A well crafted direct mail campaign can make the difference between a thriving real estate investment company and a struggling one.

Do not let lack of money keep you from creating a direct mail campaign. Think outside the box. If you are in this boat, think about who you may be able to partner with. Think about finding a money partner. As long as you can bring value to the table, whether it be time and or knowledge, you should be able to find someone to partner with.

There are many people out there that want to invest in real estate & have money to do so but they just don’t have the time and or knowledge to make it happen.

Maybe you just don’t know where to begin or how to create an effective campaign. Do not let this hold you back either. I’m sure you don’t want to miss out on a steady stream of motivated sellers calling you right? That is what I suspected.

There is a plethora of information on the web about this topic. Dedicate some time to researching the topic and developing a plan. You will be glad you did.

Long before you begin mailing you need to establish a solid plan. An effective campaign takes time to produce results. Studies have shown that the majority of responses from direct mail do not start coming in until your prospects have received 4-7 pieces from you.

Here are 7 aspects of Direct Mailing to concentrate on before you begin mailing:

Budget

How much can you afford to dedicate towards your campaign? How much on a weekly basis? Monthly? Come up with a budget that you can stick to for the long haul.

Quantity

How many pieces will you send out each week? Each month?
The average response rate for direct mail is only 1%. Keep this in mind when determining the quantity of pieces you are going to mail.

Depending on how effective your marketing piece is and how well it is tailored towards your target audience, it is entirely possible to get a much higher response rate. It is better to base your quantity on 1% in the beginning until you have a solid idea on the response rate a certain mailing piece has proven to generate.

Target Audience

Who will you mail to? Who is your target audience? You must narrow this down and get specific.

Mail Piece

What type of mail piece are you going to send out? Are you going to send a Postcard, Typed Letter, Hand Written note?
All of these will give you different response rates. It is good to switch the mail piece up each mailing to see what works best in your area with your specific target audience.
If you have a marketing piece that has generated great results in the past, don’t be afraid to send that same piece again. Timing is everything!

Maybe the first time you sent it out certain owners were not looking to sell but now their circumstances have changed. I suggest to wait 4-6 months before mailing a marketing piece that you have already mailed before.

Marketing Message

What is your marketing message going to be that you put on your mailing piece. It is always wise to have an attention grabbing headline with a bold statement or a question. You can also use bullet points that cover ways you can solve their problem. Most people don’t want to read about how great your company is they just want to know how you can solve their problem. Think about what is in it for them.

Incoming Calls

What is your plan to handle incoming calls? Are you going to answer them live? Are you going to set up a phone service with a 24 hour recorded message that can capture the callers number? Are you going to pay for an answering service company that will answer the calls live for you?

These are all things to consider before mailing. All 3 ways can be very effective. It is a matter of personal preference.

Returned Mailers

What are you going to do with returned mailers? Make sure you have a return address on your mailing pieces so if the owners address is incorrect it will be returned to you. These returned mailers are GOLD!

If you put forth the extra effort to find the owners new address you can get a leg up on the majority of your competition. You can use paid services such as Accurint or TLO to Skip Trace the owner and find their current address and or phone number.

The Most Important Keys to Remember

Remember to be consistent with your mailings over the long haul. Ideally you want to plan to mail for a good 12 months and at the very least 6 months. It does no good to just try it out for a month. Direct mailing is a long term strategy that requires adjustments along the way.

Also, it is very important that you know who you are mailing to. You need to tailor your message to your target audience and explain how you are going to solve their problems.

Direct mailing is key when it comes to a consistent stream of motivated seller leads. Figure out how you can implement a campaign into your current business.

Here's to your success!!