Direct mail is still an effective tool in real estate marketing
There is a very common misconception that direct mail is no longer effective in real estate marketing. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Sending direct mail to prospective clients works and can reap huge benefits.
Many people believe that since we are in the digital age the internet/social media is the only place you should invest in marketing. The fact is, direct mail has seen a resurgence in recent years and is proving to be very effective.
This presents a huge opportunity for real estate agents. If done correctly, direct mail campaigns can bring in huge commissions. Content marketing is something we at yourelitewriter.com built a business on but the truth is direct mail is making a comeback in a huge way.
Modern direct mail campaigns are a combination of direct mail and digital marketing. They consist of cards that have images with incredible resolution, professionally written sales copy, and crisp calls to action. Online marketing is great, but its offline alternative has been proven to produce better results.
It’s easier for customers
Direct mail is more effective is because it’s easier to understand. According to a recent study it takes 21% less brain power to process information obtained from direct mail, meaning your potential clients don’t have to invest brainpower and may instinctively act upon your mailer. Marketing campaigns depend on how they resonate with the audience. If it is difficult to understand then all the effort is lost. To be effective, the potential customer must see the point in the message.
Direct mail is hard to forget
With the massive amount of information coming to us at our fingertips, thanks to the internet and smartphones, information received on-line faces a lot of competition. In my business, this creates a conundrum that is not easily solved. 99% of my business is internet blogs or web-copy. It is incredibly difficult to create content that meets the marketing expectation of my clients, which is often to rank on the first page for keywords in a Google search.
Direct mail on the other hand, is becoming unique, it’s what is standing out. It shows that the Realtor® is willing to take the extra time and investment to send something in the mail, something that has your name on it. If the sales copy is written effectively, it is difficult to forget.
For many in today’s world, opening mail brings a strong emotional response. It becomes personal, which is very effective, especially when marketing to millennials.
Direct mail has a better response rate
A study reported by the Direct Mail Association states that, contrary to widely a widely accepted belief in the marketing industry that direct is less effective than digital products, direct mail has a 4.4% response rate, this compared to email’s average of a 0.12% response rate.
This means direct mail’s response rate is 10 to 30 times that of email, and even higher when referring to online display, such as blogs. These numbers are scary for content marketers such as me.
Millennials are having a huge effect on today’s housing market. They are now the largest generation, and, surprisingly, are very responsive to direct mail even though they grew up in the era of e-mail.
According to a Gallup poll, 36% of people under the age of 30 look forward to checking their mailboxes and 95% of 18-to-29-year-olds have a positive response to receiving personal cards and letters.
So, as the housing market continues its strong performance and you refine your real estate marketing strategy to stand out in a competitive industry, consider direct mail’s effectiveness in bringing in those leads.