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Direct mail is a lot like blackjack. To win a blackjack you need to be aware of the odds at all times and play so that you are maximizing your chances to win while minimizing your risks. The same is true with direct mail. Direct mail is “played” so that you maximize your chances of winning and reducing your chances of throwing money out the window.

Each right move helps you increase your response rates and your return on investment. Mistakes, on the other hand will cost you responses and cost you money. Here’s a few common mistakes and some proven direct mail and marketing tips that will help you maximize your success.

1. Marketing to too many low probability prospects. The list that you mail to is the number one factor that will determine how successful you are at direct mail. You should spend more time trying to select the right list than any other component of your direct mail campaign. This one component can mean more to your success than any other.

Look for lists that have a logical connection to your product or service. If you are raising funds for a charity you would want to select a list of people who have donated to a similar cause in the past.

2. Failure to differentiate. Have you ever noticed how many companies say the same thing in their marketing and advertisements. Open up a phone book and look at how many companies sound alike. They use phrases like “Quality Work, Affordable Rates, and Prompt Service.”

It’s all meaningless dribble to the people who are reading it. We’ve heard it all before from similar companies. If you say the same thing that everyone else does you say nothing. No one pays attention to the same white noise.

3. Your message is not credible. People make claims but fail to show the reader how they can deliver on those claims. They do not offer supporting evidence that tells the reader why they can do what they say can do.

For example, if I said I can service any retail location in the US in under 24 hours I would need to support that claim. In this case, I would say we can support this claim because we have over 2,400 offices through out the US. This connects the claim to some sort of reason why.

4. Failure to link your product to a benefit. People will only buy your product or service for what it can do for them. You need to provide them with both emotional and logical benefits that build their interest. Make sure that you connect the features of your product to something that provides a benefit to your prospect.

An example of this is, if I was selling a cell phone I would indicate that it has a vibrate function. That way, you can avoid the embarrassing feeling of having your cell phone go off in the middle of church while you are waiting for an important phone call. In this case, and the case of all good marketing, the feature ties to a benefit.

5. Over reliance on graphics. Graphics can be a wonderful way to support your direct mail message but, they need to be used correctly. Ultimately, no matter how well done a picture is, it will not sell for you. Your copy is what will do the selling.

Use graphics to support your copy. For example, if you have a chiropractic clinic your headline might read “Plagued By Back Problems?” and your picture might support this headline by showing someone wincing in pain as they hold their back.

6. Envelopes that won’t get opened. If your envelope broadcasts the fact that what is inside is advertising then you have reduced your chances of that mail being opened. The more you can make your mail look like a personal letter the better your success will be in getting the envelope opened.

One thing you might want to consider is handwriting the address. This can be time consuming but, if the number of pieces you are sending is small this can be a great idea. The other thing you should consider is using a normal white woven envelope as opposed to a high quality paper one with your logo on it. A normal looking white woven envelope will look more personal and have a greater chance of getting opened.

I hope you find these tips useful in putting together a direct mail campaign that produces results. Stick to the basics and remember that your direct mail is a salesperson in print.

Wayne Landt is a marketing consultant and copywriter. He has over 14 years experience improving marketing and sales results in a variety of industries. He is available for a free marketing or advertising assessment. Visit http://www.optimizedmarketingsystems.com or call 773) 588-1381.

Real Estate Post Card Marketing is an underutilized real estate marketing strategy known by many, but used by few. The test? How many agents do you know market real estate with postcards. Not many – that’s what I thought!

Yet, those that do maintain high visibility with their prospects. From useful tips to delicious recipes, customized real estate marketing post cards can leave positive and lasting impressions about you and your services at affordable prices.

I like marketing real estate with post cards for several reasons:

1. They’re inexpensive – you can cast a wide net and reach a lot of people for a little of nothing. And as you know, or will soon learn, repeat contact with prospects is key to identity branding. You want buyers and sellers to think of you when they’re ready to make a real estate transaction; which you can accomplish easier when you have repeated contacts with them. A series of real estate marketing post cards will do that for you.

2. They’re easy to set into motion – it takes little time to reach hundreds to thousands of prospects via real estate post card marketing.

Here’s a great way to use them. Chose a neighborhood to farm; condos, high end homes, country estates, move up homes, or whatever.

Then, mail post cards to the homeowners on a routinely scheduled basis. Perhaps it’s once a month, with special emphasis on holidays. Or maybe it’s every other month.

However frequent it is it your post cards should be interesting enough that your prospects look forward to receiving them, but not so often that they are annoying.

Fortunately, you don’t have to spend time or energy designing and printing your own post cards. There are several companies that produce impressive Real Estate Postcards; ready for addressing and mailing. They’re cute, charming and near deadly effective.

Even if you’re a do it yourself type and like the idea of owning a software program to design your own you can’t go wrong with ready made ones.

As a real estate agent you need to generate leads; buyers for listings and sellers wanting to list their properties. You should also be taking advantage of every opportunity to brand yourself. With real estate post card marketing you can:

use your real estate marketing post cards like an extension of your Business Cards. You could include your real-world address, phone number, and website address if you’re comfortable with that. The key is to include information that makes it easy for someone to get in touch with you.

use your real estate marketing post cards to Announce New Listings. For example, announce your $2 million dollar listing to a $750,000.00 neighborhood. Heck, it doesn’t even have to be your listing, and you can still implement this idea.

Here’s what I mean! Select 4-5 one million dollar homes you’d like to sell, which can be any body’s listings in any agency. Get to know them like they’re your own listings.

Then, select a neighborhood, or neighborhoods, of 200-500 homes where the values are $500,000.00, or so. More or less is okay, but the idea is to seleect homes that are several hundred thousand dollars or more less in value. The idea won’t work if there’s only a $20,000.00 difference.

Select a a series of real estate post cards to send to the owners in the targeted neighborhood(s). A series of letters will work, but you can make a bigger and more lasting impression with postcards. Check out some Real Estate Postcards and you’ll see what I mean. The post cards should appeal to their desire to “move up” into larger and/or more expensive homes.

Send a post card once a month.

Then, get ready for some business. You’ll get potential buyers interested in what you’ve got to sell that will also be prospects for new listings. Can you see getting sales this way? How about listings?

When you use this strategy you’ll begin to create relationships with people that’ll translate to sales and listing, and reap the benefits of your efforts over and over.

A real estate post card marketing campaign will enable you to frequently and inexpensively market Real Estate Postcards to the masses, and as you know the more frequent your contacts with prospects the better your results will be.

Lanard Perry is the author of “Farming Expired Listings…;” a real estate listing system that shows Realtors how to average 1 or more listings a week. Visit his websites at www.farmingexpiredlistings.com and www.real-estate-marketing-talk.com for more business building ideas.

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