Reinventing and Amplifying Your Direct Mail Campaigns

Consider traditional mail outdated? It’s time to reconsider. 

Carefully crafted, expertly curated, and deeply personalized direct mail can create sensory experiences that leave a lasting impression. 

In fact, 80-90% of recipients routinely open direct mail, and 42% actively engage with it.

Just think about the impressions one postcard can leave..

The first occurs when your client initially collects their mail. The second is when they sort through it at home, which opens up the possibility of others seeing it. 

Even if thrown away, your prospective customer will get another look as it goes into the bin.

Better yet? When combined with other channels, like phone calls and text messages, emails, online ads, and door knocking, direct mail can enhance the overall impact of your marketing efforts.

Here at PropertyRadar, we recommend a multi-channel approach, utilizing varied strategies to reach the right people, in the right place, with the right message. 

By doing so, you’ll suddenly be more visible within your core market, showcase your expertise, and reach a broader audience of prospective customers with tailor-made messaging specific to them. 

Wondering how to get it done? Our guide is packed with fundamentals and actionable steps to help you create powerful campaigns, with direct mail in the starring role. 

In this article, we’ll cover: 

• The Power Of Postal Mail For Your Next Campaign

• Boost Your Outbound Strategy with Public Records

• Make Your Messaging More Effective

• Amplify With An Omnichannel Approach

The Power Of Postal Mail For Your Next Campaign

A key advantage of direct mail is its tangible, hands-on appeal that digital communication lacks.

To put it into perspective, email open rates typically range from 20% to 30%, while direct mail enjoys an impressive open rate of up to 90% among recipients.

And response rates? Also higher with direct mail. 

In fact, direct mail typically has a response rate of about 4.9% for new prospects and a 9% response rate for existing customers, according to the Data and Marketing Association. This is much higher than the response rate of less than 1% typically seen with cold emails.

Better yet, a Direct Marketing Association case study found that businesses using direct mail saw a 13-to-1 return on investment.

That’s not the only perk. As digital marketing channels rise in popularity, physical mailboxes offer a clear advantage — less competition than cluttered email inboxes.

This increases the likelihood that your direct mail will stand out and grab the recipient’s attention, something real estate professionals can’t afford to lose in a competitive market where visibility is key to closing deals.

Still skeptical about the impact of direct mail?

Consider this: Direct mail is frequently seen as more reliable and trustworthy than digital advertising.

Why? Because 67% of consumers feel more secure receiving physical mail from trusted companies due to concerns about online privacy. 

And if you’re worried that you may be unable to effectively track direct mail campaigns compared to digital ones, think again.

By leveraging data-driven platforms like PropertyRadar to design, send, and track your direct mail campaigns, you can effectively see the number of direct mail pieces in transit, out for delivery, delivered, forwarded, and returned.

Want to create a specific funnel for your direct mail leads? You got it. Include a QR code or other unique identifier to effectively track where your leads originated. This way, you can better understand the effectiveness of your current campaigns and promptly adjust them for further success.

Boost Your Outbound Strategy with Public Records

Now that you know how effective direct mail marketing can be, let’s talk about next step action items. How do you get your new direct mail campaign off the ground? 

It all starts with public records. 

First, identify your target audience to truly understand who your direct mail will cater to. What types of individuals are you marketing toward? What similarities do they share? What circumstances are they experiencing? What problems are they facing that you can fix? 

Once you have these answers, you can harness the power of public records. These records offer extensive details about individuals and properties within your community, including neighborhood comparables, transaction histories, property ownership details, demographic information, and more. 

Using public records can offer valuable insights into your target audience’s preferences, behaviors, and needs. With more information, there’s more opportunity to personalize your overall messaging and the direct mail that carries it. 

And there’s good news. You can access public records by visiting local government offices or using online databases and resources to simplify the process.

Our suggestion? Cutting-edge lead generation platforms driven by data, such as PropertyRadar.

PropertyRadar taps into a wealth of public record information, covering over 150 million properties, 250 million individuals, and more than 1 billion phone numbers and email addresses. 

This data is stored in a powerful yet user-friendly database, accessible via desktop and mobile apps.

PropertyRadar also has advanced market-leading filtering features that offer the most detailed criteria available in the industry. 

This helps you narrow your audience searches precisely using multiple criteria, filters, and parameters. This allows for hyper-targeted lead lists and the potential to approach targets with intention, selectivity, and hyper-personalized communication.

Once you’ve done that, you can contact these leads using effective outbound marketing methods such as email, phone calls, door knocking, or custom audience creation (we’ll dive into these shortly).

Make Your Messaging More Effective

Have you completed your targeting and created your lead lists? Now, let’s dive into creating personalized messaging that will make your direct mail a hit. 

We recommend leveraging T.O.R.N. (Targeted, Outbound, Relevant, Neighborly), communication fundamentals alongside PropertyRadar’s strategic capabilities. Because even once you have curated lists of prospective leads, you need the right communication to win them over.

The T.O.R.N. approach provides real estate professionals with a powerful messaging strategy to increase engagement and conversions.

Let’s explore how to effectively use Targeted, Outbound, Relevant, and Neighborly messaging to differentiate yourself and encourage prospective clients to commit.

Your messaging needs to be Targeted. This means being precise about who you contact. Generic, one-size-fits-all messages won’t address customers’ specific concerns or how they uniquely require assistance.

Next? Focus on Outbound. While having compelling messaging is crucial, how you deliver it directly impacts your success. 

Outbound strategies involve taking charge and making the first move — precisely what direct mail accomplishes.

By sending a physical message directly to consumers, direct mail puts them in control and encourages client action, such as driving them to reach out, connect with, and engage with your business. 

For instance, 44% of recipients visit a brand’s website after receiving direct mail​.

Make sure you’re Relevant. Being relevant means being personal. Remember, it’s about them, not you. 

Aim for messaging that perfectly fits each recipient. Understand your target audience and identify what matters to them. Leverage your experience and community knowledge to offer the ideal solution.

For example, if your client is looking for a waterfront property, you could write something like: 

“Dear [Recipient’s Name], your dream home matters to us. We have a strong record of helping clients like you find homes in [local area], boasting a success rate of matching 9 out of 10 clients with waterfront properties they love. Let’s connect and start exploring your perfect home together.”

Lastly, be Neighborly. Are you ready to distinguish yourself from the competition and shine as an example of best practices compared to your rivals?

Adopt a humanistic approach in your messaging by embracing kindness and empathy at every opportunity. Be a team player, showing sensitivity and support. Stand apart from those solely focused on profits who rely on aggressive, intrusive tactics.

Consider yourself a good neighbor to those you reach out to and continue to engage with. Always think about how you can go above and beyond, treating each person as you would like to be treated.

Wondering if your messaging meets the mark? Audit it against our Good Neighbor Marketing Checklist. 

Amplify With An Omnichannel Approach

Now that you’ve mastered making your messaging more effective, amplify it with a multi-channel strategy.

Let’s start with the leading star: direct mail.

The PropertyRadar Marketplace is a unique destination where users can browse countless personalized and editable templates tailored for immediate use across various real estate sectors. 

Here’s how it works:

• Start by choosing who you want to reach based on location and property details. For extensive campaigns, use the “Connect Feature” to send bulk mail from your lists in the “My Lists” section. For smaller campaigns targeting single properties, you can access direct mail options directly from property profiles or search results.

• Customizing your mail is key. You can pick pre-made templates in the marketplace. Add personal touches and adjust details to match your brand and message.

• Think about addresses. When addressing, decide whether to send mail to the property owner’s tax address or directly to the property itself. Note: Sending mail to the owner’s tax address ensures it reaches them where they manage official correspondence. This increases the likelihood of them seeing and responding to your message, especially if an absentee owner (who may be utilizing the property as a rental for tenants).

Remember, while direct mail is the main character, other multi-channel strategies are crucial supporting actors that enhance overall marketing effectiveness and reach.

Why? Because coordinating digital and direct mail efforts increases response rate by 63%, website visits by 68%, and leads by 53%.

But how exactly do you go about developing and launching multi-channel campaigns?

Start your multi-channel campaigns with door-knocking as the first step. This approach allows you to test your message in real time, receive instant feedback, and gauge interest.

Adapt your strategy based on these interactions before extending to digital channels such as phone calls, emails, and online ads.

After door-knocking, focus on making phone calls, as they have a high success rate in connecting with your target audience.

Did you know that 69% of potential customers are open to receiving cold calls and emails? 

Phone calls stand apart from other communication channels by providing immediate, personalized interactions that can transform initial interest into meaningful engagement.

Next up: power up your follow-up with direct mail.

With direct mail, one postcard can make several impressions in a household. While digital messages can be easily scrolled past, a well-designed postcard can remain in a home, providing your message with ongoing visibility.

Finally comes email.

Email offers efficient outreach with personalized messages. It’s non-intrusive, can reach many at once, and easily tailored with the right tools for specific needs.

The proof is in the numbers: Emails have an impressive average open rate of 46-50%. Plus, 71% of buyers welcome emails when exploring new solutions.

Once your strategy is dialed in, online ads expand your message to wider audiences.

In upcoming campaigns, make the most of your polished messages by starting with digital channels and working backward through the sequence for the best impact.

Amped up to unlock powerful strategies to capture more opportunities and connect with prospective clients through direct mail?

Discover our complete guide to growing your business through direct mail with expert tips and effective techniques for achieving success.

Ready to hit the ground running and start transforming leads into success? We’ve got you covered. 

Get a free PropertyRadar trial and unlock the power of 150 million properties to find your next leads today.