If You Like It Then You Ought to Put a Stamp on It: Real Estate Postcard Marketing Still Works

There are several approaches you can take to real estate marketing — and you have probably considered most of them — but one classic strategy you should still employ is postcard mailings. Despite the numerous technological advancements in communication over the years, some methods stick around for a reason: They work. Postcards are simple to send and can offer an impressive return on your investment if you know how to use them.

Here are 7 rules to make real estate postcard marketing work for you.

1. Commit

Postcard mailing campaigns are a repetitive, long-term strategy, so understand that once you start, you will regularly send postcards month after month — most likely for years — before you reap significant benefits. If you send out one postcard mailing and nothing more after that, you’re probably wasting your time and money.

2. Use updated lists

Whether you use a list that you already have in your CRM or one that you purchased, your mailing will perform only as well as the quality of your data. Scrub your database thoroughly and frequently to make sure it’s accurate and organized so that your postcards hit as many qualified contacts as possible. If you purchase a list, make sure it’s from a reputable service with a proven track record for viable lead generation.

3. Delegate whatever you can

Whether you’re just starting out in real estate or are a seasoned agent, you should spend the bulk of your time prospecting. There can be many tasks to undertake in a postcard campaign, but the good news is that there’s help at nearly every step. Mailing list companies help you build qualified lists for single mailings or campaigns, on-demand printing companies can provide postcard design ideas, templates and printing services, and mailing companies will sort, stamp and deliver your postcards. While these services are not free, the per-postcard cost, not to mention the time investment, is often less than if you did any given task yourself.

Every Door Direct Mail (EDDM) is another cost-effective way to execute a postcard campaign. Select certain postal routes you want to reach, create your postcard, and then go online to pay the postage. Take your mailing to your local post office and they’ll send it to every home on your selected routes. While they’re not specifically targeted, EDDM mailings are an inexpensive and easy way to blanket an area with your postcards.

4. Target your message

Postcards are affordable, and since you’ll be doing your campaigns over months or years, don’t try to save money by making a single mailing work too hard. For example, if you send postcards to a farming area, make sure your message relates to the contacts who live within that region. When you send “Just Sold” postcards, craft your message so that potential sellers understand you’re a successful agent and worthy of their trust.

5. Use visuals to their best advantage

Real estate is a visual industry and your postcards should capitalize on that. Rely mostly on photos and cut back your text to just the essentials. Use professional designs or templates — that means high-resolution pictures taken with a real camera, not a cell phone. Don’t inadvertently steal protected images, like those displayed on an MLS or ones that another agent might have paid top dollar to have done. Some photos might be copyrighted, so consider visiting the home to take your own.

Keep layouts simple and uncluttered so that contacts quickly home in on your message. Be consistent and unique with your design so that recipients know multiple mailings are from you and only you. Avoid cheesy clip art and stock images — recipients want to see the real thing, not cartoons or models — and skip the recipes or sports schedules; that’s not the business you’re in.

6. Always include a call to action (CTA)

When your postcard hits a contact at the moment they’re ready to act, make it very clear what they should to do next with a call to action (CTA). It could be anything from inviting first-time homebuyers to download a free guide from your website to asking sellers to contact you for an in-office consultation. Offer to exchange the postcard for a free latte when they come in to talk.

7. Track, track, track

If a contact mentions receiving your postcard, note it in your CRM along with the CTA for that particular campaign and the amount of time it took the contact to act after you sent it. If a CTA links to a free download from your website, track the page’s activity on a regular basis to measure how that postcard campaign performs — keeping in mind that you might track a single campaign for years.

In a world where digital technology is a tempting alternative to old-school marketing methods, real estate postcard marketing still has a place because it works. It’s a versatile, cost effective and easy way to send your message to several contacts at once. When you start postcard mailing campaigns, you’re in it for the long-haul, but unlike an easily deleted email, a tangible and nicely designed mailing can make a more lasting impression on your contacts.