Print is dead? Pffh! Not even a little bit!
With the advent of online marketing, there are many real estate agents who shrug at print marketing, thinking that it’s far too expensive and that their dollar would be better spent going entirely digital. Those agents are making a huge mistake.
Print marketing is not only still effective and very affordable, but it can also result in high returns for any real estate agent who properly harnesses it.
Now, keep in mind that we aren’t suggesting that online marketing isn’t incredibly important. It’s an indispensable part of a real estate agent’s marketing arsenal. However, today’s marketing strategy should be a combination of both print and online marketing, with one complimenting the other.
In order for print marketing to be “worth it”, it needs to be reasonably priced and show a great return on investment (ROI). So, you need to know exactly what print products to invest in and how to best leverage them for a maximum ROI.
Why Print Marketing?
To become a successful real estate agent, you need to build your personal brand. Even if you have your license parked at a recognizable real estate company, such as Re/Max or Coldwell Banker, it’s your personal brand that’s going to bring you listings and potential buyers.
When networking to find new clients, a personal connection can show you greater returns than someone simply clicking on your website. 50 people checking out your social media profile can be great for your brand, but having a five minute conversation with an individual can be even better. Both are important, but the personal touch is something that prospective clients don’t forget. If you give them your business card at the end of that interaction, they can check your social media later. And by the way, including your social media information on your business card will certainly help with that natural follow up.
What Makes Up Print Marketing?
Print marketing emcompasses a number of different products and methods, some more effective than others. These can include:
- Business Cards
- Letters, Newsletters, door hangers, and flyers
- Customizable Print Media (Gifts)
- Newspaper and magazine advertisements
Business Cards
Business cards are one of the best investments you can make as a real estate agent. It might seem old-fashioned, but your business card allows you to connect with individuals in a way that most other forms of print and online marketing can’t.
Few things beat the personal and tactile interaction of giving someone your business card. It’s kind of like a great handshake. The person receives something physical from you. Even if the card just ends up in their wallet and is forgotten about for months, they’ll eventually clean out that wallet, see your smiling face on your card, and think, “Oh yeah, I remember that person!”
Business cards instantly project an air of professionalism, especially if they’re polished and in the correct format for real estate agents. When you hand someone a card, they’ll instantly register that you aren’t just an amateur that does real estate on the side: You’re a professional real estate agent who will put their interests first.
Real estate business cards are also extremely affordable, even for a new agent. It’s difficult to think of a marketing method that shows as good a return on investment as business cards. To browse real estate templates for your company, click here.
Letters, Newsletters, Door Hangers, and Flyers
There’s something exciting about getting a personalized letter in the mail. Maybe it’s a holdover from when we were children and would get something delivered to the door. Seeing your name on an envelope just elicits that visceral, happy reaction.
Personalized letters and newsletters are a fantastic way to connect with current, old, and potential clients. The personal touch here is very important. If you can use their first names thanks to the mail merge features of a physical mailing list, even better!
Door hangers and flyers are also great ways to introduce yourself and to provide specific information about real estate in the area. It’s a great way to get your perfected two-minute “elevator” pitch out into the neighborhood, telling potential clients why you should be their real estate agent.
Customizable Print Media (Gifts)
Being able to hand something to a potential client that has some sort of value beyond simple advertising can really show a great return on investment.
Take magnets, for example. A personalized magnet (basically a magnetized version of your business card) can actually have great value to a client. It’s not something that people just discard. Everyone’s fridge is covered in magnets, and they look at them every day whenever they’re feeling peckish. Now just imagine if there was a magnet with your smiling face on their fridge, holding up their kid’s math test! Not only have you provided them with something useful, but they also start to feel familiar with you.
Newspaper and Magazine Ads
The effectiveness and ROI of newspaper advertisements depends a great deal on the size of the population center you’re based in. If you live in a major metropolitan area with multiple newspapers, it can be tremendously expensive to put in an advertisement. Although it does provide a high level of visibility, odds are that it isn’t going to be worth the expense.
If you live in a smaller popular center with a local newspaper, that might be the sweet spot for affordable advertising with a good ROI. Advertising rates will probably be far more reasonable and, although you’ll be reaching a smaller population, they might be more receptive to your ad. This is a good avenue for selective advertisement. If your community has a weekly real estate guide, then that’s something you want to get into ASAP.
If you effectively leverage print media, you can use it to build and expand your real estate business in a way that online media alone can’t. You just need to make sure that you pick a company that will provide you with printed branded collateral (business cards, magnets, envelopes, etc.) for a low price. A satisfaction guaranteed is also something to look out for. At SureFactor, our objective is to support real estate agents by providing you with the tools you need to grow your brand and become even more successful. Check out our product catalogue and see what real estate print marketing materials we can provide to you!