Imagine walking down to your mailbox after a long day of work.

You pull out a big stack of mail and sigh knowing that your Publisher’s Clearing House check didn’t come. Instead, you have a big stack of bills and ads to weed through.

Oh, look. Something glossy catches your eyes -

Nope. Straight into the trash.

Direct mail is still an effective form of Real Estate marketing. If you are consistent in sending professional pieces that are informative and engaging, you will get results. There are even several services that will send out local market information on your behalf.

However, you can elevate your marketing by engaging beyond the postcard. 

Here are 3 steps to leveraging your online Real Estate marketing techniques in your print farming efforts:

Step 1: Include local content

Marketing has shifted from blasting information at people, think interruptive TV ads, to providing value to a potential client in the form of content.

Today’s consumer lives in a mobile world with endless options and information at the tip of their finger. Take advantage of this. While other agents aren’t offering ‘more,’ you should.

Consider adding a section to your postcard or creating your entire postcard around a topic that’s relevant to your farm area.

Here’s a post we recently wrote on how the Wekiva Parkway expansion might affect Real Estate in the Mount Dora area. This is information that’s not going to be on your typical Real Estate postcard.

Tip: If you’re an ERA Grizzard agent, feel free to use any of the content that we post on our HomeTalk Blog on your postcards.

Step 2: Have a “Call-to-Action” or CTA

Once people are interested in the information that you’re providing, you can invite them to engage with you more online.

While the ultimate goal is to create a sale, most potential clients aren’t ready to list today or refer you to a friend. You need to capture their information. Add them to your database. Then, start building a relationship with them. In other words - nurture them through the sales cycle.

Begin with a Call-to-Action, CTA, that invites them to learn more online. Here are a 3 online marketing ideas to incorporate on your next postcard:

Create a Facebook Page for that specific neighborhood

• Why? People “like” what interests them, especially when it’s their own neighborhood. This is your opportunity to strategically engage with your farm area in a cost-effective and measurable manner. 
• What you’ll share: Information about the community mixed in with listings and content from your own website. Melissa Cate, our COO and Director of Sales -The Villages, manages Fruitland Park Neighbors. She shares everything from photos of community events to listings in the area. 
• CTA Example: “Be the first to know about news affecting XYZ neighborhood and what’s going on in the community. Like XYZ Neighborhood on Facebook! Visit Facebook.com/XYZNeighborhood.” 

Drive traffic to your blog 

• Why? You’re the neighborhood expert. Demonstrate your knowledge of the area while showing off your innovative Real Estate marketing techniques.
  • Tip: This is most effective when your blog is consistent and contains additional CTAs within each post. Keep in mind, we’re trying to capture their information.
• What you’ll share: Information about the neighborhood, insider tips on the area, market information, featured listings. You might even try a featured resident post or a recent Homebuyer’s Story. 
• CTA Example: “Stay up-to-day with XYZ Neighborhood, and learn more about what’s going on in the community. Visit my blog - XYZNeighborhoodBlog.com. Be sure to subscribe, so you always know what’s new!”

Get subscribers for your newsletter

• Why? Email marketing is still effective and is a fraction of the cost of traditional farming. Our newsletter spikes the visits to our site and generates new lead opportunities - every single month. 
• What you’ll share: The same or similar information as the blog example. In fact, our newsletters at ERA Grizzard feature content from our blogs. 
• CTA Example: “Stay in-the-know about XYZ Neighborhood and learn what’s going on in the community, by subscribing to my newsletter. Visit XYZNeighborhood.com/Newsletter to subscribe.”
  • Tip: Don’t have a landing page where someone can subscribe to your newsletter? Try - “Email {insert email address} with "Subscribe" in the subject line to receive the newsletter”

Step 3: Keep up the momentum  

If you’ve ever sent out a postcard, than you know that it might take awhile before you get any results. Continue to focus on your online marketing efforts. After all, if you’re using a CTA about a blog, there better be new, consistent posts on your blog!

Create a schedule for the content that you’re going to create and when you’re going to share it. If you choose to create a newsletter, don’t wait until the last minute to start working on it (Been there. Don't do that). Set a portion aside of every week to dedicate to your online marketing.

Learn more about setting a Real Estate marketing budget for time and money in 5 Steps to Creating a Dynamite Real Estate Plan.

Don’t let your marketing dollars end up in someone’s trash. Consider trying something unique, and keep in the back of your mind - “Would I find this interesting?" and "How can I generate potential business from this?"  

Like this post? Check out:

• The stress-free formula for creating a Realtor bio or profile
• 5 Steps to Creating a Dynamite Real Estate Marketing Plan
• Winter Garden: Why this "Modern Hometown" is a Real Estate Hot Spot

Have you sent out any direct mail campaigns recently? What have you found that works? Let me know in the comments below!