I often send out e-mails about my IDX. For example, "did you know that you can save your favorite listings to your own Favorite Folder" type drips. These don't usually get written repsonse, but it keeps them coming back to my website. Sooner or later they find a property that they want more information on.

__________________
Dylan Darling
Your Bend Oregon Real Estate site featuring Bend Real Estate for sale. Search for Bend Oregon homes for sale.

Thats a great idea, and I think you're right one quick easy question gets some dialogue going.

__________________
MARK Z. & Associates

Coldwell Banker Real Estate
Northville, MI 48168
(248)675-6908
Northville Real Estate
West Bloomfield Real Estate
Commerce Township Real Estate

Servicing the entire Metropolitan Detroit Real Estate market. If you know of anyone looking to relocate to Michigan, call me with their name and number. I am willing to pay you up to a 30% referral fee.

salutations like DEAR... yeah, too formal and impersonal. you'll find Hi or Hey work well... depending on the theme of the particular email, i'll even open with just their first name.

as far as subject line goes... this is your ad (or headline) for the email... if your subject isn't compelling, persuasive, makes a promise, or create curiosity then it doesn't matter what your email content is, it won't get read.

i actually wrote an article on how to create compelling subject lines: email marketing article

on the point of length and content of the email itself... i agree on the point that you should keep the content short and include a call to action. now, keep in mind that point isn't to sell in an email but to provide value and build relationships. so, you'll find using a short email that drives folks to your website/blog to have a strong effect. here's why:

when you bring them back to your blog/website you've now taken them from their zone (their email client) to your zone (site or blog). conversion starts with small actions and getting your reader to make a single click to read more info makes it much easier for you to get larger actions from them. you're also conditioning them to respond to your marketing....

anyway, the psychology of web marketing can get pretty deep. but you might just want to start here, with this article

__________________
Mark Eckenrode

* Is Too Much SEO Actually Hurting Your Online Marketing?
* Email Marketing Secrets That Grab Readers By The Eyeballs
* Why You Can’t Sell Real Estate Online

-- HomeStomper.com

Does anyone know of a company that offers a client management back end with a good automatic email drip campaign? Better yet one that I could set a client capture on my website for.

__________________
Ryan Tollefsen
Prudential Jack White Vista Real Estate

Alaska real estate | Anchorage Real Estate | Alaska Market Snapshot

Does anyone know of a company that offers a client management back end with a good automatic email drip campaign? Better yet one that I could set a client capture on my website for.

Now that is the question I search endlessly to answer...a really good system to track, manage and follow up with it all to include a drip

__________________
Susan Zanzonico
Summit NJ Real Estate
Chatham NJ Real Estate
Morristown NJ Real Estate
Weichert, Realtors
Morris, Union and Essex County NJ Real Estate

yup, check out http://www.aweber.com. best hosted solution out there bar none.

the only caveat is that they require your subscribers to double opt-in. meaning, once your visitor enters their name and email, they are then sent an email asking them to "confirm their request." inside this email is a confirmation link. once they confirm, they're in the system and the drip begins.

the double opt-in is beneficial from a few standpoints, first it prevents folks from subscribing using bogus emails which cause a lot of bounces when you email those bogus addresses. also, the folks who double opt-in are more interested in your messages.. they're more qualified. keep in mind, you will get less opt-ins using the double opt-in method but balance that out knowing that these folks took an extra step to say "yes" that they want to hear from you.

now, as far as aweber goes... unlimited number of drip campaigns, excellent client management, you can even split test your emails, email personalization, unlimited broadcast messages, you can schedule your emails, you can even have it automagically email your blog posts to your list... http://www.aweber.com

__________________
Mark Eckenrode

* Is Too Much SEO Actually Hurting Your Online Marketing?
* Email Marketing Secrets That Grab Readers By The Eyeballs
* Why You Can’t Sell Real Estate Online

-- HomeStomper.com