Best "Call To Action" for postcards, ideas??

[Maui]

Reading through this thread, I think Borino's example and details are extremely helpful. I will test it out.

[GregPDX]

Hey Mitch, are you starting to get any response from the first blast?

We are doing full size 81/2 folded high gloss pieces. The price range is $200-$300 which is about $100k more than our average house price but lower than the high end. We are picking a price range that if priced right, the homes will sell within 60 days or so.

The only thing we know for sure is that they will open the piece the first time. My guess, as long as I keep the message fresh, which I'm working on now, I can get them to open the mailer each time. We are also adding a 2 for 1 restaurant piece to the piece to hopefully get them to keep it.

The rest is going to be timing. If someone isn't interested in selling their home, then it doesn't matter. I've done a ton of direct mail in the past when I owned a dating service. We received a 2%-3% return on it. I haven't really spent much time doing direct mail on a consistent basis for Real Estate, but I think between that and the radio campaign, it should give us a decent return. Our message is strong. Our stats as far as selling homes and as far traffic to our site and leads is higher than anyone in our area. Add to that our database of 56,000 buyers between our two offices combined, it should be interesting. Right now we get pretty much every listing we want, but we still turn down more than we accept.

I'll keep you posted!

[Mitch]

First group of 250 just hit on Saturday. No calls as of yet, but I wasn't really expecting any until the 3rd or 4th mailer.

We have also launched a radio campaign that started last Monday and we have received 5 phone calls so far. That was 5 calls more than I thought we would get.

My guess is that after a month or so of this marketing, we should start seeing some results. I'll be running a three month campaign and will let you know of the results once I get them.

[jkproperties]

any good news on your efforts?

[mbirchell]

There's a great postcard website: http://splash.bluewaterdirect.com

it lets you use templates already provided, or upload and design your own cards. They even generate mailing lists, print and send your cards for you...one stop shop! Heard about it from a colleague, and it works great!

[Jonathan Long Brea]

It seems like coming up with that cute little message is what everyone tries to do on their marketing. I guess If you can make something stick in someones head they will remember you when they think of real estate.

[simoncampbell]

I think you need to get out of the box with direct mailings these days, some of the "Free Consultation" and "No Obligation" lines are just tired, at least for slogans. People have seen so much of them. Not that they don't have a place in more detail-oriented copy, but in terms of a slogan to bring people in, I don't find them effective.

I do think that your idea of "Neighbor Sold, Call for Price" is an effective one, because it reaches out to the potential customer personally, and causes them to think about what selling their home might really mean, whereas those other phrases just seem run of the mill.

Another thing I've found that works well are questions, even if you're just turning the old, tired marketing language into question format. "Do you know how much your home is worth?" or "Did you know you could lower you monthly mortgage payment by X%?"

Getting people to think and react to your marketing has more to do with provoking their intellect than offering things for free and trying to lure them in like fish.

Simon Campbell
http://www.bankforeclosuressale.com

[gregharaksin]

I like Simon's idea: "Neighbor Sold, Call for Price"

[WATTS17]

@greg - think this is one of the "old ideas" that Goknights (person who started the thread) was trying to find new ideas for (definitely not a bad way for a call of action however).

It is really going to depend on the type of marketing we are doing over all, but the best calls to action, in my opinion, are short to the point.