All Forum Posts by: Matthew Crawford

@Matt M. the custom die cut piece was just something I thought of, after visiting our partner printer who does custom die cuts for various companies. Should be easy to do this with a proper paper stock and knowledge to create a cool mail piece. 3D pieces sound awesome, in fact I have been into AR a lot myself, as it is bleeding quickly into marketing and print pieces these days. 

So essentially, along the current market trends and methods, REI direct/EDDM mailing is dominated by Quantity much over quality?

This is a great thread to really help out new, and experienced, investors who are looking to really drive up their ROI. I have done my own research into this and seems that by being creative with the mail campaign (i.e. invitation style envelopes, dropping in a mint/candy, etc.) really helps entice the recipient to open the mailer, which is the hardest part I believe! Not giving up after your first go around definitely seems to be a golden rule, yet I would love more insight from @Claire Trammell on additional ways to implement marketing techniques within these mailing campaigns!

Great thread you all! Looking forward to seeing it progress.

Thanks,

Matthew 

Hello and Happy Tuesday to all here on BP! 

My name is Matthew Crawford and I would love to open up the floor for any thoughts, advice, experiences and success stories within the realm of creative REI marketing.

I currently work in Denver for a small production startup that specializes in digital print production plus multi-media marketing, and the bulk of our clients seem to be gravitating towards direct mail campaigns on top of the general biz cards, posters, signage, etc. Being able to source very specified mailing list, as well as use our creative team to come up with really disruptive and engaging campaigns has helped keep clients happy and remailing month after month. As I have been introduced to more and more direct mailers, I have begun to see trends and also things that catch my eye. For instance using a higher end, die-cut pop up surely would issue a stronger impact than a simple 5"x 7" single sided post card, or perhaps some other creative endeavor to get the recipient to open their mailer and immediately form an emotional bond.

My question here basically is, who out there is using direct mailers in new and creative ways and does going above and beyond a simply 'yellow letter' or postcard really show a better ROI.

Thanks BP community and hopefully we can get some really great stories and brainstorming as well between us all!

Blessings and Success your way,

Matthew Crawford

I would love some insight as well to your question @Devin Beverage. Hopefully we can drive some traffic this way momentarily! 

I love hearing this kind of success stories! It is amazing how much a little hard work and knowledge will get you. Huge congrats to you @Jared Saunders.

thank you @Garry C.! First off the name of your company is awesome, second I truly appreciate your advice in regards to attending these BP meet ups. I live in south Denver, Monaco x Yale, and hope to find the closest meeting soon! Looking forward to shaking your hand in the near future!

Man, I cannot express how much I love you guys. Just reading through these responses evokes a great passion within me. Thank you @Michael Lee for the sage advice on turning fear into a positive asset, who needs fear anyways! Many thanks to @Theresa W. for expanding on my love for Star Wars and I definitely will be attending meetings and beers will be shared!! I look very forward to meeting you. And of course @Ron T. I always love to meet a fellow Tiger, I grew up in McConnells so not too far away from your stomping grounds! Will surely keep in touch and wish you the best back in SC! Thank you all again and so stoked to be apart of this great tribe! Let's rock out this week!!

@Mindy Jensen Thank you for all this great info! Glad to see there are some Tigers in this neck of the woods. A little Orange and Purple looks pretty good on BP! I certainly would love to check out any of the meetups you listed above, and the Erie meetup at The Old Mine might just work wonders! Looks like a really great venue.

I understand Denver is flaming hot, but Gold is only refined by Fire! I'll take up your advice on trying to find a great agent in the area, and hopefully form some solid partnerships which will enable me to learn the market! 

Thanks again Mindy for all the help thus far and will be reaching out to those you tagged in this thread shortly!

Have an awesome Tuesday!

MC

Greetings and Good Morning to all the great individuals here on BP!

My name is Matthew Crawford and call it fate or simple luck, I stumbled upon the BP community a few months back. Ever since then, I have been actively mining the gems that are weaved throughout this amazing platform! Be it the podcast, the ultimate beginners guide or scanning the numerous threads, it seems this tribe has got it going on! And I love it!

Essentially I just graduated from Clemson University with a Graphic Communications/Marketing double major and instead of grabbing that comfy 30k-40k job over in Greenville/Charlotte/Atlanta like all my peers, I packed up my car, took a gamble and drove west. Freelancing paid for gas, but eventually I found a lead for a marketing gig in Denver! It's been around 3 months since I planted roots here in the mile high city and it seems there is some wind in the proverbial sails. 

As I began to pay an arm and a leg for rent here in Denver, the reality of finances and supporting one's self truly set in. Thus I started reading and learning how to diversify my revenue channels and create some passive income. This led me down the road to RE and more notable REI. With my passion for meeting people and creating marketing strategies, this coincidentally seems like a perfect fit!

My questions at this present moment are: 

Which REIA groups would you all recommend for here and around Denver?

What is the best way to learn about direct mail campaigns for wholesaling?

Any glaring mistakes or hiccups that were made in the first year or two, that you would now avoid with your current knowledge? (Basically the 'If I would've known what I know now' dilemma)

Mentors.. The elusive Jedi.. Any recos on how to find and partner with a willing teacher?

I have a million more questions and I am very eager to listen to those who have blazed their trails before me. Please feel free to share any advice or recommendations and I will do my best to eventually return the favor!

Thank you all very much and blessings and success your way!

Matthew Crawford

@D'Andrea Bush 

Welcome to BP, and much like yourself, I too am a young padawan that is eager to learn and grow withing the realm of REI. I find many similarities between your story and my own. Granted my experiences in life are not far beyond yours, I would suggest staying in college and network as much as possible. Being a recent graduate back in December '15, I now realize that my time at university was a great buffer to refine my character, and more specifically how I want to present myself to individuals. There are many things not taught to us in school, but the main cornerstone to understand is that this time is a period to refine your aim, your CV, your language and your foundation. Start talking to a whole host of various individuals simply for practice. Plug the brains of investors, attorneys, RE agents, and any person you think plays a significant role. Thus, you'll be able to better manifest your group of key individuals once you are out of college and ready to put your previous knowledge and skills to work within the realm of Real Estate!

Best of luck and remember, a little hard work and a smile go a long way!

P.S. - Definitely study abroad if you can. Great time to find one's self. Spain is great in the summer:)

Blessings,

Matthew