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Newsletters...are they working for your direct marketing?

How are newsletters working for you in direct marketing?

Every so often, I open my mailbox to find a newsletter from several different Realtors® who are not known to the area whatsoever. None of them farm on a regular basis, but feel the need to send their blurbs every 3 months or so. Most of them choose the color purple for some reason, and print their newsletter on one piece of 8 ½ X 11 sheet of paper.

Now, I am a big fan of farming and sending out postcards. I think that the average person would pay more attention to these newsletters if the agents had name recognition, or at least farmed on a regular basis before sending out their blurbs.

For those agents, loan officers, etc. here on ActiveRain, how are newsletters working on your direct marketing campaign? Do you get a lot of feedback from your clients, or farming area? Do you do farming in the area before hand, or just send out newsletters quarterly?

As always feel free to give me a telephone call or e-mail anytime.

Stan Basch

Posted by Stanley Barsch, REALTOR® on 07/16/2008 07:54 AM

Comments (7)

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7 Comments on Newsletters...are they working for your direct marketing?

I personally find unsolicited newsletter to be obnoxious. I will send greeting cards or notes to my clients, but ONLY AFTER I HAVE PERMISSION TO SEND THEM THINGS! I know it doesn't seem like a big deal, but simply asking your client if its okay to send them this stuff really makes an impression, and they are more likely to actually pay attention to your materials. Great post.

07/16/2008 07:59 AM

by Ray Nelson (Century 21 Battlefield)

Ray - Thanks for your response. I do agree that if you put it on a personal level, people are more likely to pay attention. Marketing to others however, I am a believer without your name recognition, won't take you that much further.

07/16/2008 08:01 AM

by Stanley Barsch, REALTOR® (Long & Foster Realtors)

I use a monthly newsletter I try to add things that are happening in our area. I don't get a lot of response, but I have only been doing the letter for three months?

07/16/2008 08:05 AM

by Darin Haughie (Esslinger-Wooten-Maxwell, Inc. (EWM))

A newsletter written as a community update in a small area, plus with real estate trends can be helpful. I agree that too many invade a person's time and can work the opposite way intented. How many times do you get phone calls at home that start right out...I'm doing a survey and this will only take a few minutes of your time and the talking head is off to the races with the survey. I find myself asking who told them to call, why do I have to do this survey and what's in it for me to waste personal time as just assumed I will do it? Now if the IRS called, drop everything and by all means do the survey.

07/16/2008 08:07 AM

by Andrew Mooers | Northern Maine Real Estate / Aroostook County Broker (MOOERS REALTY)

I send newsletters only to my past clients, new prospects from my website after communicating with them via email and phone. Many Realtors waste money and resources by sending unsolicited newsletter, magnet calendar(I can't stand it) or football schedule-

07/16/2008 08:08 AM

by Keji Iluyomade (Fairfax Realty, Inc)

Darin - Thanks for your response, and the honest answer. Do you do any other farming to those folks, or just the newsletter? OR Do you send the newsletter to your past clients only?

07/16/2008 08:08 AM

by Stanley Barsch, REALTOR® (Long & Foster Realtors)

Andrew - LOL on the last response about the IRS Survey! I agree with you though, the phone surveys are a pain.

Keji - Great to hear from a local Realtor. I agree with you about the football schedule, etc. I think that the football/baseball schedules to people you don't know are not a good use of marketing dollars. I like your strategy though, thanks for responding.

07/16/2008 08:12 AM

by Stanley Barsch, REALTOR® (Long & Foster Realtors)

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