Omaha Real Estate     Contributed by David Matney with Alliance Real Estate

In the two previous posts, I discussed several aspects of a deliberate and specific yard marketing campaign.  Anything you do should always be looked at by asking what would I want if I were the consumer?  Many agents look at a directional sign as simply an arrow sign pointing to the direction to the house.  That is just one function of a directional arrow marketing campaign.

First, and foremost is it visible?  at 35 mph?  Are the letters easy to read?  What about the font?  The directional sign is also a web marketing tool at 35 mph.  You want to drive folks to your website and brand your name at the same time.  Nobody will call your number at 30-45 mph hour on a busy street.  I buy the larger directional signs and put the address at the top of the sign.  Sellers love this and it WILL get you additional business.  Potential sellers have called specifically because I spent an additional $5 to add an address rider to the top of the sign. 

Some agents even put two numbers on a sign?  That does not make any sense whatsoever.  Nobody, will call you off a directional - they call off the YARD sign.  How do I know this .. ASK them!  EVERYTHING is research.  At one time I had numbers on a directional.  Those are now what I call throw-away signs that I know will disappear in a day or so. 

Also, the directional sign is also contact with PAST CLIENTS, so it IS very important to brand your name on the sign.  On a busy street it is likely that your friends and family will mention about how they see your signs all over the place.  Not really, everyone else goes cheap and put too much information on the sign and buys the smaller version.  It has to drive people to the web so it important to by your own domain name like DavidMatney.com.  Pay attention to the letters that are capped in order to read your name. 

It has taken me several years to develop a directional sign that I am now somewhat satisfied with.  In that same time period I have seen the same poorly designed signs with no change in design.  Some folks just view it as a arrow sign and simply follow the herd with the "standard" company template without really LOOKING at the sign.  It is unfortunate that agents are not given this information at their company training level, this is training and valuable competitive intelligence.  It might be common sense but it sounds more fun to say competitive intelligence.

Thanks,

DavidMatney.com, CRS,GRI

Alliance Real Estate