Social media is an excellent way to keep up with what's happening in the world and stay connected with friends and family. From Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to YouTube and TikTok, there are a variety of social media platforms to stay connected on.
There is no doubt social media helps businesses to connect with potential customers, but that does not mean that old-fashioned marketing is dead, especially for the real estate industry. Since real estate is such a personal industry, sending quality crafted direct mail can be a great method for connecting with your community. In combination these campaigns can be extremely effective as long as you are consistent and trust the strategy.
Read on to learn how social media differs from direct mail, and why both methods has a place in an effective marketing strategy. We will also provide insights on how you can leverage both of these styles of marketing in combination with your online presence.
Direct mail marketing and social media marketing are both effective tools used to promote a company's products and services. However, there is a significant difference between the two. Direct mail marketing relies on traditional methods of delivering printed materials, whereas social media marketing uses the internet for promotion.
Before we discuss combining the two channels, let’s first look at the types of direct mailers you can send via mail. The chances are the mailers you have seen before are either very good, or very bad. Since direct mail is usually more expensive than social media marketing you want to make sure you give it your best to prevent it from getting it tossed in the trash.
First off, it’s very important to ensure that your mailer is adding value for the recipient. This will increase the chance of them remembering you, keeping your mailer, to use at a later time, or at the very least it can leave a positive impression of company as you continue to build your reputation. Some examples of high-value content are:
A great market analysis will target a neighborhood by recapping recent sales and the prices at which those homes sold. Going one step further, you can provide brief commentary on general market conditions and how interest rates would impact a purchase or sale.
A good market analysis of your neighborhood can be done by looking at recent sales and prices. You could also provide an insight into general trends, mortgage rates, etc.
This type of mailer or newsletter style piece can not only establish you as an expert in your field, but also provide valuable information to your prospects, like tips on home values and current market trends.
Pro Tip: If you sign up for a free Authorized Digital Business Card we will teach you how you can add your Authorized QR code on all your print marketing, so you can bridge the print to digital gap by linking them to your Authorized profile.
To increase your success rate, take the time to learn about the events going on in your target market. This naturally provides value to the recipient, and immediately shows that you are familiar with the area.
Pro Tip: If you do a great job you might even have people call just to get the newsletter! People who are active in the community tend to lookout for great sources so long as they have good suggestions. The information you include on your print marketing, can easily be repurposed and shared online. So save time working smarter not harder.
Pro Tip: Find out whats locally grown in your area to include in your recipe. This shows that you care about supporting your community.
Once you’ve chosen a mailer(s) for your real estate direct marketing, you'll need to get it printed. To make the process easier, we've included our favorite printer who specializes in real estate direct mail marketing:
Think about this, if you do a good job of researching and curating valuable content, people will naturally find it valuable. Who doesn’t want to know whats going on in their community? The research you compile can not only be used on print but also online for your social media posts. If one of your prospects missed your social post, maybe they noticed your newsletter in their mailbox.
That brings up one of the downsides of social media, is the fact that a lot of people overshare. If you share too much or don’t take the time to share valuable information, you are at risk for being muted because it can get annoying. Its okay to post about your services and industry, but everything in moderation is a wise strategy to take.
Another important point to bring up is that you should keep your personal and professional profiles separate. A lot of real estate agents and investors make this mistake. Sure it can be annoying to run two accounts, but it can come off sloppy and might make some people question your professionalism. Lastly, since business profiles and tend to get lost in the shuffle behind other accounts, business posts rarely get noticed unless you are paying for ads.
Thats why we suggest finding a monthly theme to send a well thought out community newsletter that you know brings value. In turn, you can also repurpose the same content and market on multi channels like email, community pages, social media, direct mail, and if you are an Authorized user, you can combine all of these using our complete marketing system.
Direct mail is a powerful marketing tactic that is still being used today. It is one of the top methods for businesses to get their message across to their customers. However, in order for direct mail to be effective it needs to be combined with social media marketing with a well crafted and clear message.
In this article, we have discussed the importance of combining both direct mail and social media marketing together in order to create a more effective campaign. We have also discussed how these two methods can be combined and why they are both important when it comes to creating an effective campaign. If you want to learn more tips & tricks go ahead and check out this article.