Written by Breakthrough Broker Staff Writers

Are you struggling to stay in front of your sphere of influence or finding it difficult to drive more buyers and sellers? With social media becoming increasingly noisy and email going directly to spam, direct mail is still a tried and true way to deliver your marketing message. Postcards, strategic letters, and monthly newsletters are effective ways to communicate directly to your sphere.

But does direct mail really work? Since the pandemic, people are checking their mailbox more than ever. For most, receiving mail feels “good.” Direct mail has proven to continue to be a useful marketing technique to expand your reach. Want proof? Here are a few stats:

• 42.2% of direct mail recipients either read or scan the mail they get.
• Direct mail offers a 29% return on investment.
• 73% of American consumers say they prefer being contacted by brands via direct mail because they can read it whenever they want.

Given the set of data above, we want to help you improve your direct mail marketing strategy even further.

It begins with your goal.

Are you winging it and sending direct mail for the sake of sending it? Instead of a mass approach, ask yourself these questions first. What are you hoping to accomplish by sending a direct mail message? Are you trying to stay top of mind? Are you trying to elicit a phone call? Are you working to find a new listing in a low inventory neighborhood? Here are some ideas:

• Open House Invites - Invite the neighborhood to a “VIP” open house one hour before the general public. “Come see what your neighbors are selling their home for.”
• Top of mind recognition - Develop authority in your sphere with just listed/just sold postcards, open house invites, and market updates.
• Additional Sphere ideas - Stay top of mind with a valuable newsletter. Make sure the articles are interesting and informative.
• Proof of production - Send out three or four recent sales with great stories. “Sold in 1 day over asking” or “22 offers in one weekend”.
• Buyers - Target renters who may be ready to buy.

Identify your audience.

You’ve outlined your goal. Don’t make the mistake of asking the wrong audience to fulfill your goal. For example, sending a “thinking about selling” postcard to a predominantly rental neighborhood is a waste. It’s like asking a vegan if they want extra pepperoni on their pizza. Your audience should match your goal. Is there a neighborhood you’ve had your sights on? Do some digging. Find out how to calculate the turnover rate, likely to sell data and other strategic data sets. These can usually be found by asking your title partner. Sending strategic letters or postcards with a specific message to a well-identified audience can result in a higher ROI.

Consistency is key.

If you’re hoping for instant gratification, direct mail may not be for you. When planning a direct mail strategy, consistency is the most important ingredient. Sending postcards or strategic letters multiple times will garner better results.

Provide value.

Make your mail attractive, different, fun, engaging - something the recipient can connect with. Would you read what you are sending if you received it? Take advantage of it being tangible by investing in the quality of the item, from the paper to the message. Ensure your message feels authentic, local, personalized, and again, valuable to the reader.

Timing is everything.

It should come as no surprise that sending a Valentine’s postcard in the middle of the summer is…. untimely. Along the same lines, sending a “just listed” when the home is already under contract is also untimely. It’s important to stay current on market trends and make your mail applicable to the market. This will require some investment of your time to study the market a little beforehand, giving you time to get your mail into production and delivered. While it doesn’t have to be exact, a timely piece of mail has a much better chance of success.

Call to action.

All too often, this critical piece is forgotten. You send a postcard with a home you’ve just sold. What are you asking the recipient to do with this information? Do you want them to wish you congrats, or would you rather them ask you to be their agent? Every piece of direct mail should be actionable. Connect the goal you’re seeking with the action you’re expecting and explicitly state what you need from the recipient. If you leave this up to the recipient’s interpretation, you leave too much room for them not to act how you want them to. Here are some examples:

• “Call me for a personalized home valuation.”
• “Text me if you’re considering selling.”
• “Contact an experienced agent.”
• “Ready to find your home? Email me.”

Breakthrough Broker Resources

Postcards
Automted Postcard Campaigns
Letters
Newsletters

Additional Helpful material

Direct Mail Strategies