Posted by BRnBA on April 04, 1999 at 20:54:40:
Hi Joe, about First American and Metroscan, are you using the C D or Online Service?
Marketing with Direct Mail - Posted by breeves
Posted by breeves on April 03, 1999 at 09:53:34:
Has anyone had expericence with direct mail and using different types of mail pieces. I’m currently doing a mailing to out of towners targeting L/O with a one page letter that gives brief summary of L/O and the advantages, etc. I end the letter saying other options of purchase are available as well. My letter is very plain in terms of formatting, no business letter head or logo’s and in black and white only. Today I’m adding a logo and letterhead for further mailouts. Has anyone tried to create a more professional image with color,logo’s, preprinted envelopes with company name, etc. Obviously the cost is substantial when you add color. My current piece costs about .45 cents, that would at least double with color. I have a mailing list of over 100,000 thousand so there is room to experiment. I know LeGrand states a two page out sells a one page and a three page out sells a two, etc. Also I’m wondering how often to repeat the mailing to the same addresses, every two or three months? Any substantially different result with a postcard versus a letter? Any advice or experiences would be appreciated.
Re: Marketing with Direct Mail - Posted by rayrick
Posted by rayrick on April 03, 1999 at 21:21:23:
I’m finding this thread most encouraging, since I just made 500 postcards today. Just did a master on my computer, 4 cards to a 8.5x11 sheet, with my return address on the back side. Went to kinko’s and xeroxed them onto sunburst yellow card stock for $.16 a double sided sheet (I did 'em myself) and then had them cut them into quarters. Total time at the copy shop, a little over 1/2 an hour. Total expense, just over $.04/card. I call that pretty darn cheap! Now I just slap a mailing label on 'em and a stamp and out they go. I’m sending mine to FSBO’s and expired listings, since out of towners would have to be assembled by hand at the assessors office in my state.
-Ray
Re: Marketing with Direct Mail - Posted by Tim Jensen
Posted by Tim Jensen on April 03, 1999 at 16:38:53:
Bruce,
I agree with Joe. Postcards work great. I use them a lot, but what I do that Joe may not do is use bright colored 4x6 indexed cards unlined. They really stick out.
Nothing gets their attention better than a hot Pink postcard!
Tim Jensen
Re: Marketing with Direct Mail - Posted by JoeKaiser
Posted by JoeKaiser on April 03, 1999 at 11:33:56:
Bruce,
I’ve seen 3 page letters, as well as 8 page “reports” and all that other jazz . . . and I don’t think much of them.
My personal favorite is a simple postcard, period. A one page letter, with big print, is good as well.
I’m certain that few readers make it to the end of a multipage letter, and most won’t even think about starting once they see the effort it would take to get through it.
Plus, I like reducing my expenses to a minimum and $.20 stamps on 4x6 index cards is about as cheap as it gets, to say nothing of the effort required to post cards vs. stuff letters. I’ll bet it takes 5 times the time and energy to stuff, seal, and stamp an envelope than it does to stick a stamp on a card.
I had to pause here because the phone rang with a call from a fellow from San Jose who wants me to take a look see at his house in my area. Responding to my postcard . . . so there you go.
I mailed 1,000 postcards on 3/31 and am posting the results on a day to day basis on my website. You can follow along if you’d like.
Joe
Re: Marketing with Direct Mail - Posted by JohnK(CA)
Posted by JohnK(CA) on April 04, 1999 at 21:00:07:
Ray,
Have you checked with your local title co? I just requested and received a list of almost 300 out of state property owners from my title co. customer service dept. It was done as a courtesy,(although I did give them a dozen donuts as a thank you)
Ask…
JohnK(CA)
Re: Marketing with Direct Mail - Posted by Bob-MD
Posted by Bob-MD on April 03, 1999 at 20:59:48:
Joe:
What is your web site address?
Bob
What Program? - Posted by JRook
Posted by JRook on April 03, 1999 at 11:50:25:
Hello Joe, What program do you use to print out the cards…
Re: Marketing with Direct Mail - Posted by JoeKaiser
Posted by JoeKaiser on April 03, 1999 at 22:20:31:
Pushing the Envelopes . . . - Posted by Joe Kaiser
Posted by Joe Kaiser on April 03, 1999 at 13:35:39:
It’s my own creation and it’s designed to print both letters and postcards from information gleened from tax assessor type sources. I use First American’s (formerly Experian) and MetroScan, so if you’ve got either of those or your own (it’s set up to allow you to import from your own source if you’re cabable of exporting) you can put it to work.
It takes the info, imports it, names the particular import so you can later import an entirely different set of records and know which are which, marks the apparent repos (they get a different set of mail pieces), filters out the VA stuff (they won’t be call you back, trust me on this one) and then does this amazing thing where it elimates the duplicate owners (formerly a huge problem). It’s 100 percent automatic and I just sit there (grinning from ear to ear, I might add) and watch as it goes through its routines.
You end up with a very tidy mailing database with letters or postcards or both all cued up.
I’m working out the kinks now (again, you can follow along on my site to see the results of the latest campaign) and hope to make it available sometime this Spring.
Joe