How to Have a Weekly Marketing Campaign that Brings in Leads

I know what you are thinking: “I need more leads to make this business work.” Right? I mean, who doesn’t want more leads? Leads truly are the lifeline of any real estate investment business. We need them to thrive and make money – without them there is no pipeline, and without a pipeline you will not have a sustainable business.

The biggest problem most new investors face is that they don’t develop and implement a  plan and even if they do, they don’t stick to it. Sure many new investors may market for a few weeks on and off, or network a time or two, but consistency is key here. You need to market, market more, and then market even more. And when you think you are finished, market again.

The following is the marketing plan that we use every week (yes, EVERY week) to bring in consistent leads day in and day out. It may not be a perfect science for every investor, but with a little tailoring here and there, it will bring in a regular source of leads.

Monday: Direct Mail Day

You may think that snail mail is a thing of the past, but I am here to tell you that it’s not! We absolutely love direct mail and one reason is you can reach a wide market all at once, and it’s less threatening to homeowners than a face-to-face conversation.

The first thing you will want to do to make direct mail most successful is identify your target market. Ask yourself, “What is my niche?” Do I want to purchase foreclosed properties? Am I looking for new owners of probates? Do I want to pursue out of town investors who own their property free and clear? Determine your target market so that you do not spread yourself too thinly.

Once you identify your target market, develop a good list. No matter your niche, lists are available to help you reach these homeowners. We get ours from the court house. Yes, it’s tedious. Yes, it takes some time. But,it’s update to date with accurate information.

Once you have your list, develop some killer content to send out. As with any business, content is key.Nobody is going to take your seriously if your content is lacking. You may choose to write yellow letters or create postcards, but whatever you choose to do, do it well. For us, we like postcards. We’ve had for a lot of success using our postcards as they are eye-catching and get our point across quickly. Keep in mind when making content, that you only have a good couple of seconds to catch their attention before they decide to keep it or throw it away. Make those precious seconds count!

Now the fun part, (disclaimer: fun is dependent on how easily entertained you are), but it has to be done – address, lick, stick and send! Mail those suckers out. There are a ton of companies that can do this for you. If you’re just starting out, doing it yourself will take time but will save you money. You could even make it a fun little family event if you wanted to save time. Again, that all depends on your definition of fun.

Once you send them, the most important part is to track it! Please, for the love of all that’s good in the world, track your mailers. You’ll never know what works and what doesn’t if you don’t track. You really don’t need anything fancy. A Microsoft Excel sheet works quite well. Just track every call and always ask where they got your info from. I know we said before that consistency is key, and it is, but you need to make sure you are consistently using processes that work for you. Never do something just do it. Always have a goal in mind, and track your progress to see if you reach your goal.

Tuesday: Multiple Listing Service (MLS) Day

Are you a REALTOR in addition to an investor? If yes, excellent - you are a step ahead. If not, align yourself with a trustworthy REALTOR as soon as possible – like now. Right now. Stop reading this and go find a REALTOR who can help you find properties on the market. Every minute you wait increases the chance that you miss out on a great deal.

I would like to say we only do this on Tuesday but in reality, we do this every day. It’s necessary to do so. New deals come on the market every day and it would be silly to miss out on that. Get a good agent who can run a search every morning and night and send you any new properties that may fit your criteria. Investors are like sharks, and the properties are the chum. If you are not the first shark there, you will not get fed. You and your agent need to be flexible and nimble and ready to react the minute a new property comes on the market. There is no time to wait in this industry.

Wednesday: Humpday! Also, Flyers Day

This is one most “gurus” don’t talk about. That’s because it requires manual labor. Well, not really. It’s actually a mixture of exercising and meeting your neighbors (let’s be honest, it is less likely meeting you neighbors and more likely meeting owners of distressed properties in run down neighborhoods, but I digress…). Either way, it’s inexpensive and easy to do. We keep it simple with a short message saying something like, “I want to buy your house cash, call 555-5555 today!” We then hand write it on a yellow letter and make about 100 copies. Each month we pick a different target neighborhood that we like to buy in and walk around putting these on mailboxes or on front doors. It’s a good way to learn the neighborhood and you might catch a neighbor or two that you can talk with to let them know what you do. It’s another proven way to get your message in front of the masses which is ultimately the goal.Remember, market, market some more, and then market again.

Thursday: Bandit Signs Day

Everyone has their own opinion on what day is best to do these. We like to display these signs late Thursday nights (sometimes even into the morning hours of Friday). The response rate has been the highest as most people call on Friday evening after work. Plus, you get out in front of the other investors who put them out on Fridays for display over the weekends. You get to pick the best locations before they do, and we have found that most investors will not remove your sign even if they wanted that spot – it’s a bit of an unwritten rule in the trade.

Now, we should warn you that you will (not if, but when) get a phone call from code enforcement asking you to take your signs down. It’s a pain, but do it so that you don’t get fined. They have a job to do too, so don’t take it personally. But also don’t let it discourage you. Get right back at it the following Thursday We put out signs in a different area of town each week as we don’t want to upset any neighbors or make it easy for code enforcement to know where we will be We only hit each of these areas once a month. And we spread them out. Don’t oversaturate one area or be obnoxious with how many you put out. You don’t need one on each direction at a four way light – one or two will do. This is how we get in trouble.

Friday: Online Presence Day

Let’s be honest – you don’t really work on Fridays now, do you?? I kid - sorta. Investors are their own bosses so we have come to see that many take the best days of the week for themselves. Don’t let that be you. Friday is the day of week that most people are on social media instead of working their own jobs (this is a fact, I think). This is the time to promote your business. Add a photo of a renovation you are doing or Snapchat you looking at investment properties. Whatever social media outlet you like best, pick three and post to them on Fridays. I am sure you have heard the adage, “fake it till you make it.” Do this. Really – it works! Present yourself on social media as the investor you wish to be. If you can “fool” you friends and family, you can “fool”the stranger whom you’ve never met but you need to trust you so that they will sell you their home. To them, you are the most successful investor in town. And if they look you up, and they will, your social presence tells the same story.

Personally, we love Facebook, Meet Up, and blogging best but it’s totally up to you. Just make sure the content is engaging and fun.

And last but not least, the weekend: Live Your Brand and Meet New People Days!!

Simply put, be your brand. As a business owner, the most some people will ever know about your company is what they know about you. We love meeting people in our community which is why we had shirts made with our logo and slogan, and ask them to engage us for more information. Our shirts actually facilitate conversation which often lead to unexpected leads.

You’ll be surprised how many people will actually start a conversation just because of your shirt. We wear these to football games or out shopping. We want people to know that we’re normal people also and not at all threatening like some may think. These are very inexpensive to purchase and you can wear them almost anywhere. And always keep business cards handy just in case. As memorable as you may be, no one is going to remember your full name and contact information, and no one wants to take the time to find a place to write it down. Give them a card, a handshake and be prepared to get their contact information. Do not take for granted that they will call you first.

So you see it’s not hard to market your business every day. Most of these things are inexpensive and very easy to do. Once the leads start coming in, and business is booming, you can outsource every single one of these tasks. The main thing is to stay consistent and not give up if you don’t get leads after the first week or two. Most people need to be reached out to 5-6 times before they will even considering talking to you. Don’t get discouraged and stay with it.

Happy deal hunting!