All Forum Posts by: Shaun Caldwell

@Brandon M., consider a EDDM or Every Door Direct Mail campaign to market your self storage units. Here are a few benefits:

1. Inexpensive way to saturate a localized area and get your marketing messages directly into the hands of consumers

2. Does not require a postage permit

3. You have full control in terms of the drop date

4. No list needed. Records are targeted by geographic region

5. Lots of option in terms of the size of your mailing piece i.e. 6.5×9”, 8.5”x11” and tri-fold 4.25”x14; Larger postcard=more eyeballs/attention

 A few things to consider....

List: make a highly targeted list that only includes records that you most interested in. Once you've built up your cash reserve and have mailed out a few times you'll be able to identify sub groups that you want to add to your current campaign. I would recommend a list size no less than 500 records but preferably 1,000+.

Mailing piece: Yellow Letters and postcards both work well. A combination of both throughout your campaign is a good idea. In terms of content, I've found short form Yellow Letters and image heavy postcards to generate the highest ROI. There are tons of examples of both on here and with most print vendors.

Campaign: You should plan for at least 6 months. Don't expect your phone to ring on the first mailing. Have systems in place to handle calls.

I hope it helps.

@Jason Pachomski, you are not misleading prospects. Here's why Yellow Letters are so effective. 

They stand out - Your prospect can't miss them. When was the last time you received a hand-written letter from a complete stranger? I venture to bet not often. Same rule applies with your prospects. Curiosity gets the envelope opened and message read.

To the point - They are short, direct and to the point! They are built with a "Call to Action"

@Chris Petrillose, here is an example of a Yellow Letter that we use for our clients.

@Shane Woods,

EDDM is a great way for a small business to saturate a particular area. In my experience this works best for retail businesses that want to do a "neighborhood marketing campaign" to announce promos, product launches, etc. One benefit to EDDM is that you do not need to purchase a mailing list which will save you some money. 

Cons

1. Your targeting is limited to an entire carrier route and there is absolutely no personalization on the piece such as name or address. This makes the piece “advertising“ rather than personal direct mail.

2. Although the price is low, it does require some additional work on your part. Depending on who you work with as a print vendor, you may have to take the mail pieces to the post office. Bundling postcards and waiting in typically long lines at the post office can be time consuming.

@Porter Rappleye, @Shane Foster hit on a very important topic which is often times glossed over. That being the word "motivated" in the phrase "motivated sellers." You should be looking for homes on sale NOT for sale. This means there is some inherent pain point i.e. tired landlord, tax issues, divorce, etc. where its more beneficial for them to sell then own. When the motivation level is high typically so are the response rates. Just my two cents...

@Kim Handelman,  I wouldn't be too discouraged. We've (Charlotte Print) had clients to receive calls immediately after their first mailing and others after multiple mailings to pre-foreclosures, absentees, probate, etc. We follow similar guidelines for our mailings as did you. What we've come to a conclusion about is that direct mail marketing is part art, part science. There are certain things that you can control and others that you quite simply cannot. Based on your post, you seem to be off to a good start and have a solid process. I would continue. Something that is out of your control is motivation. It cannot be created/manufactured. If and only when the owner is ready to sell the property will your phone ring. Just my two cents...

@Haitham Abbasi 

1. Driving for dollars

2. Local REIA

3. Form strategic partnerships with other local wholesalers and real estate agents

@Matthew Berry, this does come up. Think about it.... If you were about to have your house foreclosed on how apt would you be to talking to a complete stranger who claims that they can solve your problem? Regardless of if you can or will, its a frightening process. Perhaps you could consider a multi-channel approach for this marketing campaign. One that does require the prospect to call you just not immediately. How about sending them to a video squeeze page where you can explain their options, talk about how you can help, maybe feature some testimonials. From there have prospects to fill out an online questionnaire or call you. Just a thought...

Great feedback certainly lots to consider if/when future opportunities to invest in ghetto areas. Well done everyone! As an update... Upon further investigation, the property that I was considering purchasing when I created this post is simply not a good deal. The numbers did not work.