This one is an age-old debate – direct mail marketing vs email marketing. Which one is better for estate agents? For estate agents, direct mail marketing is one of the fastest and most effective ways to increase brand awareness in their region. While mail marketing might seem like the new trend, tried and tested direct mail marketing is always a good idea. Whatever said and done, direct mail marketing is one of the best estate agent marketing tools in the UK, and this is why.
Direct mail marketing is trackable
Most estate agents will send letters and flyers to potential buyers and sellers in their region. By doing so, estate agents know exactly how many emails have gone out and how many of these direct mails have actually created leads. With email marketing, estate agents end up sending mass emails that are not essentially trackable, hence estate agents cannot measure the progress and effectiveness of these emails.
Direct mail is affordable
When it comes to email marketing, estate agents will probably have to hire a social media marketing company that will then send out mass emails on a weekly basis. On the other hand, with direct mail, the number of mails going out is comparatively limited. Also, estate agents can design their envelopes, flyers, letters and magazines in such a way that it actually catches the eye of the potential seller or buyer that it is sent to. While some may argue that direct mail is more costly than email marketing, when you break down the cost analysis vs return on investment, direct mail marketing usually wins.
Direct mail marketing is targeted
When it comes to direct mail marketing, estate agents and estate agencies have to do their due research before sending out mails. That means, estate agents need to have a fair idea of the local market and be up to date with potential buyers and sellers. Since this method of marketing requires a lot more research, at the end of the day, this method is definitely more targeted than email marketing. Of course, agencies can use online marketing tools such as Google Advertisements and Facebook Advertisements which allow targeted marketing too, but direct mail marketing allows estate agents to specifically target potential leads.
Direct mail stands out
Think about it – you get at least ten marketing emails in your account every single day, which, more often than not, you end up deleting without even opening. On the other hand, direct mail is actually so limited in nature that it ends up standing out. A potential seller or buyer who has been looking at properties online or reaching estate agents online will probably see a hundred advertisements every day regarding the real estate market. Most of these advertisements will go unnoticed. On the other hand, when a potential seller or buyer will get a magazine or flyer in the mail, they might actually sit down and go through it. Direct mail marketing might not be very common, but that very fact is what makes it stand out from the crowd.
Direct mail is more personal
As an estate agent, if you send out letters to potential buyers informing them about your services, it is always a good idea to personally sign every letter at the bottom. More than anything, this form of marketing has a personal touch. When potential clients see a personally signed letter, it gives them a feeling of receiving a letter from a friend or loved one, as opposed to receiving a letter from a business. Basically, signed letters help create a sense of security and a bond between estate agents and potential clients.
Direct mail is tangible
You see hundreds of advertisements and emails every day, out of which maybe two or three actually get your attention. Direct marketing is tangible, and that is what makes it different. When you send a potential client a magazine or a flyer it actually sits around on their coffee table or in the kitchen – when they look at the magazine or flyer, they end up using it. Research has shown that 66 per cent of people have ended up buying something simply because of direct marketing. In essence, direct mail marketing leaves a mark, while email marketing is just words on a screen.
Direct marketing is for all age groups
Be it senior citizens or young adults; direct mail marketing can target everyone. There are so many professionals who do not even have the time to open their Facebook accounts – do you think they’ll have the time to look at advertisements on Facebook? But these very people will always go through their mail in the morning!
