Special offer

Move Beyond Promotional Advertising Specialties Products

By
Services for Real Estate Pros with Real Estate Marketing Link

Promotional advertising specialties products are intended to serve as reminders of you and your services.

But do prospects and contacts really want these things?

advertising specialtiesPromotional advertising specialties products are items such as a bags, calendars, baseball caps, pens and similar items that businesses give to prospects, clients and contacts. They carry your name, office and contact information.

Intended to serve as reminders of you and the services that you provide, these items are also known as 'advertising novelties', 'promotional products' or simply 'trinkets & trash'.

You can include these things in mailing to clients such as surveys and newsletters.

Since they add bulkiness to your mailings, recipients will be more likely to open the envelops because they are curious about what's inside.

The best promotional advertising specialties products:

  1. reflect your personal brand and the client service you provide
  2. be consistent with your ideal clients' standards of quality
  3. distinguish you from other agents in your market

Unfortunately most widely available promotional products meet all these criteria.

Many look like they were picked from a clearance bin in the local discount store.

In practice, agents generally purchase similar items from the same or similar catalogs. As a result, the promotional items favored by real estate agents are virtually indistinguishable from each other.

Why spend money on anything that makes you look just like the other agents?

 

To learn more about advertising specialties, see Beyond Promotional Advertising Specialties Products—No Trinkets & Trash

Gabe Sanders
Real Estate of Florida specializing in Martin County Residential Homes, Condos and Land Sales - Stuart, FL
Stuart Florida Real Estate

Larry, so true.  We've always tried to have personalized gifts for our clients.  I try to stay away from the mugs and the refrigerator magnets.

Dec 06, 2009 10:30 PM
Paul Guenther - WFG Title
WFG NATIONAL TITLE INSURANCE COMPANY - Flagstaff, AZ
The Extra Mile Is Part Of My Regular Route!

Larry Great advice " Why purchase anything that makes you look like all the other agents"  My former boss was against the coffee cups she said they all end up at Garage sales! :)

Dec 06, 2009 10:46 PM
Not In Real Estate Any Longer
Autaugaville, AL

I can't help but wonder about the tried and true, though...

Business card magnets, coffee cups, note pads, and pens may be a dime a dozen...but people do use them.

I would think the trick isn't to stop giving out what everyone else is, just give out the tried and true designed for you.

Nothing says you have to order from a product catalogue :)

Dec 07, 2009 02:29 AM
Bob Force (REALTORĀ®)
Weichert Realtors - Aspen Hill - Mount Airy, MD
The FORCE in Maryland Real Estate

Larry:

Business cards I beleive are needed.  The only other think I give out is good pens at time of closing.  Calendars - how many do you get and keep?  Coffee cups - my cabinet is full of ones I do not use.  Letter openner - how may desks do you own?

Dec 07, 2009 09:29 AM
Terry Chenier
Homelife Glenayre Realty - Mission, BC

Timely post Larry. My partner and I were talking about this topic recently. What do you suggest?

Dec 07, 2009 04:38 PM
Larry Easto
Real Estate Marketing Link - Toronto, ON

Terry

Why not the 'platinum rule'? If you don't know what your clients and contacts like...ask them.

Keep it casual and informal and raise the question in a coversation: "we've been thinking about advertising specialities...the giveways with our name on them. What would you enjoy receiving? What do you think other people liek you would enjoy receving?"

Let us know what you find out.

 

 

Dec 07, 2009 08:11 PM
Anonymous
Sid Scheck

Great posting Larry. I have been in the promotional item industry and there are over 700,000 promotional products to choose from. You definately have to be creative. I have put together a creative promotional product for a Real Estate agent and rental office on Marco Island. You can see what I did for them on my website: http://www.saspromotionals.blogspot.com. Then scroll down and on the right side, you will see a section that says Real Estate. If you would like to call me to discuss how I can help you, my phone # is located on my blog site.

Thanks for your time.

Sid

Dec 23, 2009 12:35 PM
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