Yup! You can have both.
I create email newsletters for agents and recommend that they then sell some 'vendor' spots. Call up your mortgage rep, local contractor, insurance rep, home inspector, etc and ask them if they would consider advertising on your newsletter.
You don't have to charge alot to cover your costs. Under $200 for the intial design and then under $40/month for updating. That's only $680/year for a newsletter that GETS RESULTS! You could charge 4 vendors, $20/month and make $280/year - for nothing.
Now, you may ask, "Why pay that much for a newsletter? I can get some for free!" Well, that's fine. You can do that. My experience is though, and this is what Realtors who have hired me to do their newsletters for them tell me, their standard, free, templated newsletter gets little results. Very few opens let alone click throughs.
PLUS, I use a free email program (500 contacts, 3,000 emails/month) that allows you to post all your newsletters on Facebook, Twitter, My Space, StubleUpon, etc. Very useful!
They key to a good newsletter is GOOD CONTENT. Make them want to open it, and they will be waiting for it to come every month!
If you have great design & content, this will correlate directly with your open and click through rates. The higher those rates get, the more you can charge for newsletter advertising.
TC Business Management, LLC - www.TCMandD.com - is a full service marketing firm that specializes in real estate. Search our blog for great marketing tips or feel free to call or email!
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Monday, December 14, 2009
What's Wrong with my Postcards?
Have you sent a lot of postcards to your database or farm and not gotten any response? Well, there could be a couple reasons why. The number one rule to marketing is consistency. If you send postcards for 2 months then stop for 6 and send for another month and stop again, you're wasting your time. Some say something is better than nothing, but in the previous case, it's not. Don't waste your money.
Now, if you have the consistency, but no results than you're doing something wrong. Poor content, bad design, no call to action...People don't like what your sending them and it's not making them think of you as a Real Estate Expert that they would call.
Let's start with content. Send people information that they are going to be interested in and that will also make your look like a neighborhood expert. Market statistics, recent sales, neighborhood news, home maintenance tips, local vendors, real estate news, your real estate buying/selling statistics, etc., that is what people want from their realtor. Make yourself look like an expert. Don't send recipe cards - you're not a chef!
Bad design is another issue. Use a great headline and a lot of white space. You want this card to be easy to read and understand. Don't make it too boring though. A little bit of design sense is worth the modest cost. Just don't let an artist put their vision on your design. Try to work with someone who understands design AND marketing.
Always include a call to action. Make sure to ask for referrals or direct them to visit your website for more valuable information. If you don't ask them to do anything, they won't!
TC Business Management, LLC, www.TCMandD.com, is a firm specializing in marketing. Your time should be spent with clients, not designing and maintaining marketing systems. TC believes in result driven marketing. We want to grow your business as much as you do!
Now, if you have the consistency, but no results than you're doing something wrong. Poor content, bad design, no call to action...People don't like what your sending them and it's not making them think of you as a Real Estate Expert that they would call.
Let's start with content. Send people information that they are going to be interested in and that will also make your look like a neighborhood expert. Market statistics, recent sales, neighborhood news, home maintenance tips, local vendors, real estate news, your real estate buying/selling statistics, etc., that is what people want from their realtor. Make yourself look like an expert. Don't send recipe cards - you're not a chef!
Bad design is another issue. Use a great headline and a lot of white space. You want this card to be easy to read and understand. Don't make it too boring though. A little bit of design sense is worth the modest cost. Just don't let an artist put their vision on your design. Try to work with someone who understands design AND marketing.
Always include a call to action. Make sure to ask for referrals or direct them to visit your website for more valuable information. If you don't ask them to do anything, they won't!
TC Business Management, LLC, www.TCMandD.com, is a firm specializing in marketing. Your time should be spent with clients, not designing and maintaining marketing systems. TC believes in result driven marketing. We want to grow your business as much as you do!
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
6 Basic Website Necessities
Creating a basic website potential clients will want to use isn't as hard as you may think. Why do people come to your website? Search for homes, find area information, find real estate information, find financing information, etc., etc. Build off that...
1- Search for Homes - make sure your search engine is very prominent and easy to use. Create a large link of the home page directing people to that page. You can also setup pre-designed searches that may target your niche - say, homes in a certain area, for a certain price, or foreclosure/short sale listings, golf course communities, 55+ communities, etc. Be creative with it.
2- Real Estate Information - the most important topic you can have on your site today through June of 2010 is related to the tax credit. Make sure you have a prominent link on your site that directs visitors to all the details. Also, sellers like to see market data. Have a page that you update bi-weekly or monthly for your areas sales and listing data.
3- Virtual Tours - Buyers love Virtual Tours! Create one for each of your listings and market it. Under your featured property section, be sure to include links to each listings virtual tour.
4- Open Houses - Potential buyers go to open houses. Especially if they aren't working with an agent yet. Make it easy/motivational for them to contact you and get a list of open houses directly from the MLS.
5- Blog - create a blog and post to it often. It will generate leads for your site and encourage people to come back often. Loyalty is important. You don't want your leads going and finding another site.
6- Finally - offer value. What makes you better than every other agent? Buyers and Sellers don't care about awards. They care about results (even though they run hand and hand). Don't say that you are a Multi-Million Dollar Producer, say that your listings sell for 97% of list price. That's what they want to hear. They need to feel like they are getting something more from you than another agent.
You may have come up with other great ideas for content to include, but just don't have the time to create or implement them. That is what TC Business Management, LLC - www.TCMandD.com - is for! We are a firm that specializes marketing. Your time should be spent with clients, not designing marketing materials. TC believes in result driven marketing. We want to grow your business as much as you do!
1- Search for Homes - make sure your search engine is very prominent and easy to use. Create a large link of the home page directing people to that page. You can also setup pre-designed searches that may target your niche - say, homes in a certain area, for a certain price, or foreclosure/short sale listings, golf course communities, 55+ communities, etc. Be creative with it.
2- Real Estate Information - the most important topic you can have on your site today through June of 2010 is related to the tax credit. Make sure you have a prominent link on your site that directs visitors to all the details. Also, sellers like to see market data. Have a page that you update bi-weekly or monthly for your areas sales and listing data.
3- Virtual Tours - Buyers love Virtual Tours! Create one for each of your listings and market it. Under your featured property section, be sure to include links to each listings virtual tour.
4- Open Houses - Potential buyers go to open houses. Especially if they aren't working with an agent yet. Make it easy/motivational for them to contact you and get a list of open houses directly from the MLS.
5- Blog - create a blog and post to it often. It will generate leads for your site and encourage people to come back often. Loyalty is important. You don't want your leads going and finding another site.
6- Finally - offer value. What makes you better than every other agent? Buyers and Sellers don't care about awards. They care about results (even though they run hand and hand). Don't say that you are a Multi-Million Dollar Producer, say that your listings sell for 97% of list price. That's what they want to hear. They need to feel like they are getting something more from you than another agent.
You may have come up with other great ideas for content to include, but just don't have the time to create or implement them. That is what TC Business Management, LLC - www.TCMandD.com - is for! We are a firm that specializes marketing. Your time should be spent with clients, not designing marketing materials. TC believes in result driven marketing. We want to grow your business as much as you do!
The New Marketing Plan for 2010
Times change fast! What you did this year, let alone 2 years ago, may not be the most effective or cost efficient means for reaching your sphere and farm anymore.
Here's a marketing plan I think your will love for 2010.
Sphere:
•· Monthly Email Newsletters
•· Quarterly Newsletters
•· Phone calls - yes, call them!
•· Become Facebook Friends
•· Birthday/Holiday Cards or Letters
•· Client Appreciation Party
Farm:
•· Monthly Postcards with the right content
•· Door Knocking w/ Market Stats
•· Send them your listings (quarterly) with some of your own agent statistics.
Listing Marketing:
•· Get online!
•· Online Listing Syndication
•· Virtual Tours
•· High Quality Photos
•· Individual Property Websites
•· 800 Numbers - Get more leads!
•· No more FREE CMA's! How about a home staging consultation or home enhancement consultation from a contractor?
•· Website Hit/Lead Reports to sellers - communication is key!
•· Print advertisements are still relevant, but make them worth it. Make buyers or sellers want to call you.
General Marketing:
•· Update/New Website
•· SEO for your website - your website should be generating you leads...
•· Pay-per-click
•· Blog Posts/Article Writing
•· Facebook is a huge marketing asset. Use it!
•· Seminars - Buyer, Seller, Short Sale
•· Don't forget about FSBO's & Expireds
Test Your Marketing:
•· Track your results!
•· Where are the calls coming and not coming from?
•· Edit plan as needed to get the best results
This marketing plan is extremely simple, yet most agents don't even get this far. It's hard to manage clients AND handle all the aspects of being a business owner, but just a little effort will go a long way towards increasing your sales.
TC Business Management, LLC - www.TCMandD.com - can provide you with the help you need at a very modest cost. We are a firm that specializes marketing. Your time should be spent with clients, not designing marketing materials. TC believes in result driven marketing. If it doesn't work, we will correct it until it does!*
*See website for details on our marketing results guarantee.
Here's a marketing plan I think your will love for 2010.
Sphere:
•· Monthly Email Newsletters
•· Quarterly Newsletters
•· Phone calls - yes, call them!
•· Become Facebook Friends
•· Birthday/Holiday Cards or Letters
•· Client Appreciation Party
Farm:
•· Monthly Postcards with the right content
•· Door Knocking w/ Market Stats
•· Send them your listings (quarterly) with some of your own agent statistics.
Listing Marketing:
•· Get online!
•· Online Listing Syndication
•· Virtual Tours
•· High Quality Photos
•· Individual Property Websites
•· 800 Numbers - Get more leads!
•· No more FREE CMA's! How about a home staging consultation or home enhancement consultation from a contractor?
•· Website Hit/Lead Reports to sellers - communication is key!
•· Print advertisements are still relevant, but make them worth it. Make buyers or sellers want to call you.
General Marketing:
•· Update/New Website
•· SEO for your website - your website should be generating you leads...
•· Pay-per-click
•· Blog Posts/Article Writing
•· Facebook is a huge marketing asset. Use it!
•· Seminars - Buyer, Seller, Short Sale
•· Don't forget about FSBO's & Expireds
Test Your Marketing:
•· Track your results!
•· Where are the calls coming and not coming from?
•· Edit plan as needed to get the best results
This marketing plan is extremely simple, yet most agents don't even get this far. It's hard to manage clients AND handle all the aspects of being a business owner, but just a little effort will go a long way towards increasing your sales.
TC Business Management, LLC - www.TCMandD.com - can provide you with the help you need at a very modest cost. We are a firm that specializes marketing. Your time should be spent with clients, not designing marketing materials. TC believes in result driven marketing. If it doesn't work, we will correct it until it does!*
*See website for details on our marketing results guarantee.
Cost Effective Listing Marketing That Works!
Having done a lot of different listing marketing combinations for a lot of different realtors, I've learned a think or two about what works. Here's what I would recommend...
1- BUYERS LOVE VIRTUAL TOURS! The clicks you will get via internet marketing b/c of these tours is something you will love to share with your sellers.
2- THE QUALITY & QUANTITY OF YOUR LISTING PHOTOS - This is huge! Make sure you have great pictures (staging the home comes into play here) and a lot of them. Buyers love to look at pictures. This is truely their first impression of the home.
3- FREE RECORDED INFO 800 #'S - Don't waste that listing! Buyers will call these numbers and become possible new clients. They are worth it.
4- 'SOFT SELL' ON NETWORKING SITES - I hate when realtors just post their new listings, price reductions, etc on facebook. Boring... A spin on this idea is to upload your listings great photos to your album and your sellers album (if they have one) and then comment back and forth. The exposure doubles and people are more interested with interior photos then exterior and what you have to say about them of course.
5- CRAIGSLIST & OTHER SITES - They work! I track the clicks and buyers are definitely using Craigslist to search for homes. Make sure you use an html version with a lot of great photos. OpenHouse.com is great for open houses too :)
6- INTRO LETTER OUTLINING MARKETING STRATEGY - Tell your sellers what they are going to receive. Don't let them tell you what works - you're the expert. Have it in writing before hand so they know what to expect.
7- SINGLE PROPERTY WEBSITE - I've mentioned this site before, EPropertySites.com. It's great. Tons of useful, lead generating tools with click reports to show that it's working! Only $10/listing too!
8- HEADLINE & DESCRIPTION - Very important! When I started in real estate I thought those 'picture painting' descriptions were pointless - I've learned. They really do work. Make the buyers WANT to live in the home and they just may buy it!
9- LOCAL REAL ESTATE BOOK - I don't write these completely off. Pick one and advertise consistently just to cover your bases. Not everyone is online :) I know offices that use to pay for every real estate magazine in the area all while getting little to no results. They switched to this plan and have been doing very well.
10- FLYER & BUSINESS CARDS - I've seen flyers that have paragraphs of information on them. Ugh. I just turn my head and don't even want to read them. Keep it short and make sure those great photos are on there. Create and print business card labels with your listings info on them, place them on the back of your business card and leave them along with your brochure at the property. Buyers will pick them up!
11- JUST LISTED POSTCARDS TO... - Don't just mail to the development! I know sellers like to see that, but a more important group to mail (or email) to is your database/sphere. They know you, like you and will tell someone they know about the listing (if you market to them consistently and correctly).
12- EMAIL TO AREA AGENTS - Some agents hate these emails, others read them every time. I do think they are useful. The more times your listing is out in front of an agent the more likely they are to remember it when a buyer asks for a home that fits your listings description.
Oh yeah...and a good listing price always helps! Sometimes that can be the hardest to get though...
Just some things I've picked up on...Not all inclusive, but a good start. Let me know if you guys have found any other items that work well.
I, Kim Bartells, am the owner of TC Business Management, LLC - a virtual assistant firm for realtors. If you're interested in highering a virtual assistant feel free to visit my site www.TCMandD.com
1- BUYERS LOVE VIRTUAL TOURS! The clicks you will get via internet marketing b/c of these tours is something you will love to share with your sellers.
2- THE QUALITY & QUANTITY OF YOUR LISTING PHOTOS - This is huge! Make sure you have great pictures (staging the home comes into play here) and a lot of them. Buyers love to look at pictures. This is truely their first impression of the home.
3- FREE RECORDED INFO 800 #'S - Don't waste that listing! Buyers will call these numbers and become possible new clients. They are worth it.
4- 'SOFT SELL' ON NETWORKING SITES - I hate when realtors just post their new listings, price reductions, etc on facebook. Boring... A spin on this idea is to upload your listings great photos to your album and your sellers album (if they have one) and then comment back and forth. The exposure doubles and people are more interested with interior photos then exterior and what you have to say about them of course.
5- CRAIGSLIST & OTHER SITES - They work! I track the clicks and buyers are definitely using Craigslist to search for homes. Make sure you use an html version with a lot of great photos. OpenHouse.com is great for open houses too :)
6- INTRO LETTER OUTLINING MARKETING STRATEGY - Tell your sellers what they are going to receive. Don't let them tell you what works - you're the expert. Have it in writing before hand so they know what to expect.
7- SINGLE PROPERTY WEBSITE - I've mentioned this site before, EPropertySites.com. It's great. Tons of useful, lead generating tools with click reports to show that it's working! Only $10/listing too!
8- HEADLINE & DESCRIPTION - Very important! When I started in real estate I thought those 'picture painting' descriptions were pointless - I've learned. They really do work. Make the buyers WANT to live in the home and they just may buy it!
9- LOCAL REAL ESTATE BOOK - I don't write these completely off. Pick one and advertise consistently just to cover your bases. Not everyone is online :) I know offices that use to pay for every real estate magazine in the area all while getting little to no results. They switched to this plan and have been doing very well.
10- FLYER & BUSINESS CARDS - I've seen flyers that have paragraphs of information on them. Ugh. I just turn my head and don't even want to read them. Keep it short and make sure those great photos are on there. Create and print business card labels with your listings info on them, place them on the back of your business card and leave them along with your brochure at the property. Buyers will pick them up!
11- JUST LISTED POSTCARDS TO... - Don't just mail to the development! I know sellers like to see that, but a more important group to mail (or email) to is your database/sphere. They know you, like you and will tell someone they know about the listing (if you market to them consistently and correctly).
12- EMAIL TO AREA AGENTS - Some agents hate these emails, others read them every time. I do think they are useful. The more times your listing is out in front of an agent the more likely they are to remember it when a buyer asks for a home that fits your listings description.
Oh yeah...and a good listing price always helps! Sometimes that can be the hardest to get though...
Just some things I've picked up on...Not all inclusive, but a good start. Let me know if you guys have found any other items that work well.
I, Kim Bartells, am the owner of TC Business Management, LLC - a virtual assistant firm for realtors. If you're interested in highering a virtual assistant feel free to visit my site www.TCMandD.com
Email Newsletter Marketing
Not Marketing? Bad Idea...
Do you send email newsletters to your database? If not, you're crazy!
The cost savings email marketing can provide is unbelievable in itself, let alone still managing to maintain a fantastic branding and lead generating opportunity. If you don't think you can afford to market in this market - think again.
Initial cost to create the email format - anywhere from $125 - $300 depending on revisions and requests. That's less than sending 300 postcards to your database. Maintenance, updating and sending costs around $50-$100/month. Can you figure out the cost savings??? Say you have a database of 500 contacts, in one year you would spend about $2,700 mailing out a single postcard once a month. Sending out a single email newsletter once a month will only cost you $850!! That's a yearly savings of $1,850.
The savings are all well and good, but I believe in holding ALL marketing accountable. A lot of times graphic designers create beautiful, yet unresponsive marketing pieces. Your message and call for action are EXTREMELY important. That's why I focus on result driven marketing. Nice design that also uses effective copywrite.
Email newsletters (when they are created correctly) put a lot of useful, wanted information at your clients fingertips. It instills in their heads that you are a real estate expert. And it does it all for cheap! What more could you ask for?
**Direct mail should still be a part of your marketing plan, but off setting costs with email newsletters not only appeal to your clients, but it makes you appear more technologically advanced.**
TC Business Management, LLC - www.TCMandD.com - focuses on result driven marketing. We create marketing that not only looks good, but most importantly, generates results!
Do you send email newsletters to your database? If not, you're crazy!
The cost savings email marketing can provide is unbelievable in itself, let alone still managing to maintain a fantastic branding and lead generating opportunity. If you don't think you can afford to market in this market - think again.
Initial cost to create the email format - anywhere from $125 - $300 depending on revisions and requests. That's less than sending 300 postcards to your database. Maintenance, updating and sending costs around $50-$100/month. Can you figure out the cost savings??? Say you have a database of 500 contacts, in one year you would spend about $2,700 mailing out a single postcard once a month. Sending out a single email newsletter once a month will only cost you $850!! That's a yearly savings of $1,850.
The savings are all well and good, but I believe in holding ALL marketing accountable. A lot of times graphic designers create beautiful, yet unresponsive marketing pieces. Your message and call for action are EXTREMELY important. That's why I focus on result driven marketing. Nice design that also uses effective copywrite.
Email newsletters (when they are created correctly) put a lot of useful, wanted information at your clients fingertips. It instills in their heads that you are a real estate expert. And it does it all for cheap! What more could you ask for?
**Direct mail should still be a part of your marketing plan, but off setting costs with email newsletters not only appeal to your clients, but it makes you appear more technologically advanced.**
TC Business Management, LLC - www.TCMandD.com - focuses on result driven marketing. We create marketing that not only looks good, but most importantly, generates results!
Direct Mail Marketing 101
Direct Mail That Works
Follow these simple steps and you are sure to get more results out of your next direct mail campaign.
1.Hit Your Sphere: The most important and beneficial target market is the people whom you already know. They should be your first priority and you should hit them at least 3 times a month (not all direct mail though).
2.More is More: Sending to 150 farming addresses once a month is not going to generate a lot of business. If you want 50 sales out of your farming database expect to send a minimum of 2,500 pieces, once a month for a year. Then wait for results. Don't quit too soon or you just wasted a lot of money. Marketing is a commitment.
3.Mailer Quality: Full Color, Jumbo, Laminated Postcards will generate more branding and remembrance than standard postcards with black and white address sides.
4.Promote Yourself: Not the company, not the house your listing - YOU. The most dominate image on your direct mail piece will be the one your audience remembers.
5.Branding: Mail consistent direct mail pieces. Meaning: create a brand - image set - and stick with it. Change it up every now and then so you don't bore people to death, but do keep it consistent.
6.Offer Something of Interest: Don't harass people with pointless postcards. Make sure you are sending something of value as not get irritate people. Market Trends, DOM, Recent Sales are something that everyone likes to see.
Follow these simple steps and you are sure to get more results out of your next direct mail campaign.
1.Hit Your Sphere: The most important and beneficial target market is the people whom you already know. They should be your first priority and you should hit them at least 3 times a month (not all direct mail though).
2.More is More: Sending to 150 farming addresses once a month is not going to generate a lot of business. If you want 50 sales out of your farming database expect to send a minimum of 2,500 pieces, once a month for a year. Then wait for results. Don't quit too soon or you just wasted a lot of money. Marketing is a commitment.
3.Mailer Quality: Full Color, Jumbo, Laminated Postcards will generate more branding and remembrance than standard postcards with black and white address sides.
4.Promote Yourself: Not the company, not the house your listing - YOU. The most dominate image on your direct mail piece will be the one your audience remembers.
5.Branding: Mail consistent direct mail pieces. Meaning: create a brand - image set - and stick with it. Change it up every now and then so you don't bore people to death, but do keep it consistent.
6.Offer Something of Interest: Don't harass people with pointless postcards. Make sure you are sending something of value as not get irritate people. Market Trends, DOM, Recent Sales are something that everyone likes to see.
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