All Forum Posts by: McKinley Crowley

It’s surprising the number of businesses that don’t have a logo for their marketing campaigns. They may use a generic look for ads. Maybe they’re hoping to save money or they just haven’t been inspired to come up with an idea that represents the company.

When it comes to online or offline advertising, you may wonder how important a logo really is to your message. Here are some ideas to help you decide if you want to include a logo in your direct mail, email marketing or other advertising resources.

The Answer is “Yes”

In most cases, the answer to whether you should use a logo is “yes.” It has been proven that people remember images more easily than names. So using a logo on your mailers will ensure that you are remembered when the time comes for them to sell their house. Remember that your company isn’t the only one sending marketing material to your potential audience. All the information starts to run together unless you can make it stand out. One way to accomplish this goal is to add a logo to all of your marketing.

For example, say you want to invest in a six-mailer campaign. You include your logo, which will tie all of your mail pieces together. By the time the person sees your fifth or sixth mailer, they recognize the logo and it sticks in their mind. It also ensures you stand out from other mailers that may not even be a competitor, except for the fact that they are direct mail advertising going to the same address.

When is the Answer “No”?

The only time you may not need a logo is if you’re looking to sell your services as person-to-person rather than under a business name. Normally this occurs when you are investing as a small business or a family owned operation. In this situation, you can use the space for a logo to place a photo of yourself or your family. Let people know you’re a real person even though you’re running a business. Eventually I do recommend getting a logo that still has the authentic feel of your business but adds an image to the name.

While a photo isn’t the same as a logo, it can act in the same way to increase brand recognition. The point is to not leave that part of your campaign design blank.

Cost and Where to get a logo?

“It costs too much money.” There is no additional cost on our end whether you send a mailer with or without a logo. You can go online to Fivvr or Upwork and hire a graphic designer for minimal investment. They can create a simple, straightforward logo which you can include in all of your marketing. There are also websites like 99designs where you can have a number of designers create a logo and you can choose which is the most suited to your brand and company.

Don’t pause your marketing until you have a logo, but begin planning for it now. Once you have one you can tie all of your branding together with a logo, whether it’s online or offline.

If you haven’t been using a logo, it’s never too late to start. Contact us to determine which marketing tools are best for your goals while you work on developing a logo which fits your brand. To learn more about our services and how we can set you up for success contact us at (978) 269-0245 or email at [email protected].

@Aaron P. I would just start by keeping your mailer short, sweet, and to the point. The only way to know what works in your market is to test it. If you want something a little softer go for a handwritten letter or postcard rather than the big bold I BUY HOUSES postcard, and see how that works out. 

@Jim Pylman I photo is a good thing to test but I would stay away from an "About us" aside from possibly a really quick description. People are more interested in what you can do for them rather than who you are. If you add something keep it short and relevant to their situation. 

List scrubbing is an important part of any marketing campaign. If you’ve never considered this service, you may not realize how much money you’re wasting with your direct mail and how much you could save in the future.

This service scrubs lists for the following:

· Vacant Mailing Addresses

· Addresses where the Owner is Deceased

· Apartment Append – missing apartment number at an address

List scrubbing provides light skip tracing services, which is included in forwarded mail.

List Scrubbing is Cost Effective

Scrubbing saves you money if you are sending your mail standard class because you won’t get the returned mail sent back to you. Instead, with list scrubbing you can remove that address before you begin the campaign.

List scrubbing is also extremely cheap. Our service is $15 per 1000 records. Once you’ve removed all the bad addresses, you can batch skip trace to get new leads. If you take the time to track them down, those addresses become valuable leads for you because most people don’t take that extra step to find alternative mailing addresses..

Many businesses send their campaigns through first-class mail, which automatically returns the mail if it isn’t forwardable. This is a valuable option for timing and gathering returned mail but if you are working on a budget standard postage in combination with list scrubbing is a great start. When you combine standard mail with list scrubbing, you get the benefits of first-class mail without footing the additional cost.

List Scrubbing is an Ongoing Process

Even after you begin your campaign with list scrubbing, you’ll want to keep it up. People move to new locations or they pass away, which means your addresses are no longer accurate. You’ll need to scrub your list on a regular basis because your list is the foundation of your direct marketing campaign. You want your list to be crisp and clean and not contain outdated information.

If you’re involved in real estate marketing in a big way with the goal of growing your business exponentially, you want to make every dollar count. List scrubbing is a critical part of any marketing campaign when you don’t want to waste effort and you want to see results.

Contact us today to learn more about how list scrubbing can benefit your business or any of our other services. Reach out at (978) 269-0245 or email us at [email protected].

@Mark Perry I like that you are telling them right off the bat how you can benefit them. That is important. I would probably stay away from being part of a local group of investors because I feel like that can sound intimidating. Instead say "I am a local investor and I am looking to purchase..." As for the style you swung from very playful looking to very professional looking and you need to be in the middle ground. I think taking out the big yellow bar could help. If you want to discuss more strategy feel free to give me a call. 

Cheers!

@Darrick Richardson Layering multiple forms of marketing is a good play. Either way, as @Nicole Heasley Beitenman said consistency is key. So keep that in mind when you are making your decision. Because direct mail tends to be more automated it is typically easier to stay consistent. Cold calling will take more time so staying consistent can be a bit more taxing. Test it out and see what is getting you more responses that is the best way to know.  

When you create a direct mail campaign, one of the decisions you must make is how you will mail it. Will you send it with First Class postage or by Standard Class postage? These two choices vary in pricing and other features, so it’s important to know the difference.

Delivery

First Class is the fastest way to send your direct mailings. It takes about 2 to 3 days within your area and up to 4-6 days around the country. First Class is the best choice if your mail is time sensitive.

Standard mail arrival can vary from less than 5 days to up to 3 weeks (we typically see a 7-10 day bubble on average), depending on where the recipient lives. If it doesn’t matter when the mail arrives, Standard delivery may work for you.

Here is a map outlining a rough timeline on when your standard class mail will hit depending on location. Source: USPS.com

Return and Forwarding

Standard mail won’t automatically return or forward mail if the recipient has moved or if the mailer is undeliverable.

When you send mail First Class, it will be forwarded to the correct address, or if there is no address to forward to it will be returned to you at no cost. You will know which recipients need updated information before a further attempt at mailing. You can also use Certified Mail with First Class, which gives you added security that your mail is being received by the correct person.

Price

When it comes to cost, First Class is more expensive than Standard mail. Our pricing is 0.17$ per mailer more than standard class. Small postcards are automatically sent first class while large postcards automatically goby standard mail.

If you aren’t sure which mailing option is right for your direct mail campaign or if you don’t know what you want included in the mailing, contact Open Letter Marketing today at (978) 269-0245 or [email protected].

Read more OLM Blog Posts Here

@Account Closed How many were you sending. Normally price is dependent on quantity. .80/postcard seems high to me. 

@Christopher Berggren I believe you are thinking of List Source?

@Matt Foster Listen in to this podcast. @Sharon Vornholt is the all knowing master of probate direct mail .

https://louisvillegalsrealestateblog.com/how-you-can-buy-houses-in-probate-if-you-have-the-right-letter/