10 Reasons Real Estate Postcards aren't Dead

Everyone will tell you that this is the age of digital marketing. However, there is something to be said for the more traditional approaches to marketing that have kept real estate agents' faces out there for decades. Postcards still provide you with a way to hit people where they live and can be quite an affordable option especially if you hand deliver the postcards yourself.

Here are 10 reasons real estate postcards aren't dead - yet:

1) Postcards are more trusted

Surveys still find that traditional direct mail is one of the most trusted forms of advertising. In a recent survey performed by Marketing Sherpa, 75 per cent of those surveyed said that they trust direct marketing compared to just 25 per cent for online pop ads and 43 per cent for online embedded ads on social media. As well, trust in general is dropping from fake news allegations to fear of downloading a virus or spyware that will steal your identity when clicking on digital ads. A piece of mail is relatively harmless and poses little threat, especially if printed on recycled paper!

2) Postcards are more personal

It has become a nuisance to receive email, even for those who have subscribed to your mailing lists. Although people do expect personalized approaches to marketing and email can do that quite well, nothing is more personal than mail.

3) Postcards are more memorable

When someone receives a piece of mail they can touch it and see it. It provides a "tactile" experience that is missing when viewing ads online or reading email. The tactile experience has also been shown to provide more effective retention, with research indicating that 75 per cent of those surveyed were more likely to remember a direct mail piece than those who viewed a digital ad at just 44 per cent. In general, those receiving a direct mail piece were 70 per cent more likely to recall what they read than those who read a digital ad.

4) Postcards have longer life

A postcard is something people see more than once. They glance at it when they first sort through their mail on their way into the house, and then again when they actually sit down to open and read their mail. An email might be scanned in the inbox, subject line only, and deleted right away whereas a postcard has immediate visual impact and messaging abilities. It is also something that can be saved either for future reference, or to be read again later. If you're really lucky it might get put on the fridge!

5) Postcards have less competition

It just takes one look in your own inbox to get an idea of how much email a person might receive each day. Compare that to the number of mail pieces you receive and you can see that there is a lot less competition for snail mail than there is for email. This means that you will get more bang for your buck because you are more likely to have people see your postcards than you will have people click through on your digital ads.

6) Postcards are more leisurely

Email tends to have an annoying and overly aggressive "look at me now" attitude compared to a postcard which can be put aside to read later. Email also is annoying because there is usually a second step, such as clicking here for more info, or worse having to log on to view information in an account of some kind.

7) Postcards are easily targeted

Unlike trying to get to the right people say on a Facebook ad where you have to go through a series of confusing targets, you know your neighborhood and can easily target the people you want to reach with postcards. In fact, you can choose to hand deliver your postcards to save money, and also even specifically target by the house itself, if your message is trying to find a home for a buyer, or houses you know are in high demand. You know what your current clients want and also have the numbers that might entice someone to sell.

8) Postcards are less intrusive

People really hate receiving spam, but a pretty postcard in your mailbox doesn't get that same angry reaction. People respond differently to mail, combining many of the points above such as it is something people can touch and feel, it is something they can read at their leisure and it is also more trusted.

9) Postcards take less brain power

According to "neuromarketing" experts, it takes less brain power to review and retain a print ad or direct marketing piece than it does to review digital information. It has to do with the tactile factor which helps people recall the brand more easily as well as holding something in your hands that feels real as opposed to email or digital ads that are floating out there from who knows where.

10) Postcards complement your current marketing efforts

Using digital marketing works well to sell your listings, but direct mail is perfect for following up and complementing those efforts. Using postcards to shout out your just solds is always perfect, as again, you are showing people in the area that you work in the neighborhood, have had success and might even surprise people with the current selling prices. You can find affordable options that come free with your listing marketing such as photography orders or eflyers. You can take that B2B investment and use it to work for your B2C efforts as well.

As you can see there are still many valid reasons to continue using direct mail postcards as part of your marketing efforts. Realtour offers a wide selection of print templates in single and double sided flyers, four page brochures and postcards that are free with your photography orders and eflyers.