What Is Direct Mail Marketing

If you are trying to market your real estate business, there are a lot of methods out there for you to try. One of the oldest and most effective methods is direct mail marketing.

We have all opened the mailbox and flipped through various letters and postcards advertising some kind of service. Sometimes you keep a few pieces of mail if it piques your interest, and sometimes you look at them quickly and throw them away. But, believe it or not, this is one of the most effective real estate investment marketing methods.

Direct mail marketing has existed for decades and still holds significant power in specific industries. For example, in real estate investing, it has remained one of the most powerful tools for turning prospects into real estate leads and establishing relationships with homeowners.

What Is It?

Direct mail marketing uses physical letters and marketing postcards to market your product or service. A direct mail marketing campaign usually targets a particular demographic, age, location, gender, or other interests. Marketers then send marketing materials through the mail to their list of leads, hoping to establish a relationship with them somehow. 

Direct mail campaigns can send a one-off mailer with coupons or messages to build brand awareness and a relationship with the recipient. For real estate investing, direct mail marketing campaigns are sent to build awareness and establish communication with people interested in selling their homes in the coming weeks or months. 

Why Is Direct Mail Marketing Effective?

In a world of online advertising, how could something so analog still be so compelling? No app can replace the tactile feeling of going through the physical mail. Direct mail marketing is effective because it is straightforward, tactile, have less competition, and is memorable.

Less Competitive

Many companies and organizations still use direct mail marketing to promote their business, but there are far fewer than the number of groups advertising online. Think about how many emails you receive versus how many pieces of mail you receive. You certainly aren’t getting as much physical mail as you are email. This is a great reason to try direct mail marketing because you have a greater chance of getting noticed than someone in someone’s inbox.

It’s More Memorable

A big part of marketing is making an impression on the recipient. This is another area where direct mail marketing shines! In traditional digital marketing, you only have milliseconds to make an impression before someone scrolls away or deletes an email without opening it. When you send postcards or letters, your message gets much more time in front of the recipient. When someone goes through the physical mail, they read much more of the content than they would assess their email inbox. So even if your postcard ends up in the trash, the recipient absorbs a good portion, and the branding stays in their mind. When you send your next campaign, they will have some brand recognition already.

Greater Response Rate

Many direct mail campaigns enjoy a higher response rate than their digital counterparts. The reason is that more people are seeing and interacting with physical letters and postcards than emails. In addition, the tactile nature of direct mail makes it take longer to discard than an email. To throw a letter or postcard away, you first have to handle and look at it to determine that it is something you want to throw away. That interaction is often much longer than a person will spend looking at a digital ad or reading an email subject line. With more exchange, you stand a much better chance of getting a response, especially if you have created targeted lists to send.

Try It And Stick With It

If you try direct mail marketing, you must invest enough time and money to see results fully. There needs to be more than just sending one mailing to build brand awareness and establish relationships with property owners. To see the best results, design a campaign with messages sent at various intervals to make that connection.

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