Who Says You Can't Teach an Old Dog New Tricks?

I have been researching and building up a reference of marketing strategies, ideas and information that target today's (technically savvy) consumers. I am going to be breaking my suggestions down into small posts to avoid information "overload", which in my opinion, makes it difficult to decide on a plan of action.

An old favorite with some new twists... Direct Mail.  Yes, I am actually serious!  If done properly, direct mail can be very effective and the rate of return is measurable.  Return on investment is directly related to the effectiveness of your design and the consistency with which you execute your campaign.

Having an effective design starts with the phrase "less is more".  Keep the entire piece neat, classy and to the point.  Postcard example: have a clean (relevant) graphic on the front and nothing else!  Resist your urge to add text, multiple photos, etc.  It needs to be eye catching and crowding the display with too much will immediately turn the consumer off.  On the reverse, include ONE call to action - this will be your indicator that your marketing is being received.  For example - request that they connect with you on a social networking site (i.e. Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn) for neighborhood information, home values, refinancing tips... whatever the "giveaway" you must have a plan of action to provide it.

In order to execute a campaign with consistency, you must first create a strategy and schedule out your mailings.  I recommend that you get in front of your clients faces with direct mail at least twice a month.  It's important to narrow down who your target audience is, and then to market directly to that audience.  Again, keep your materials concise and uniform.

Make sure that you are responding to any inefficiencies.  If your return is low, then tweak your materials slightly, get other agent's feedback and suggestions, and then monitor your new results closely.  Keep in mind that you cannot measure what is ineffective if you completely redesign the material.