9.5 Creative Ideas That Really Work

by Lois Geller

Real estate agents tend to use the same creative quite often. How about testing some new ideas? Take a chance. Do something new…and have some fun!

Here are some tried and test ideas will help you boost response.

1. Know who you are! A unique brand personality makes you stand out, makes people like you, makes them want to do business with you. It is more than your photo, it is your BRAND, like Target is a brand. You want to consider a “look” for all your marketing and advertising pieces, and that same look should also extend to your office.

So that you’ll be memorable. While you’re developing your brand, consider what you’re best at doing. Are you a specialist in waterfront property? If you are, maybe consider using that as your ‘tag-line’ under your company name.

2. Include some kind of letter. Even a fake “on-page” letter in a self-mailer or catalog. Packages with letters outperform letter-less mail 99% of the time. Even a boring, self-serving letter can be better than no letter. A well-written, 1 to 1 letter with some personality in it is better than anything. Get a pro to help you. It’s important.

Lose the postcards. They do not work as well as letters do!

3. Letter layout is almost as important as copy. Make it look inviting, easy to read. Use short sentences, short paragraphs, indents, double space between paragraphs, cross-heads, Johnson boxes, and a signature that looks like a human being wrote it. Not something like this: Marilyn Monroe

4. Make the signature any color you want, as long as it’s blue. Blue makes it look like it was actually signed by a real human being.

5. A lot of people read the P.S. before they get into the letter. It’s a great place for your single best point.

6. Urge them to respond now! Do it several times. Give them a reason why “now” is important. Give them something FREE…like information on buying or selling a property, or a brochure on ways to stage your house for dramatic effect.

7. All that white space in your letter margins is costing money. Use some of it for handwritten margin notes to make compelling points stand out. Looks more human, too.

8. Don’t let headlines just sit there. Pump them up with action words, solid promises, real benefits. Make them tantalizing. Get people curious. Usually we’ll write 20 headlines for every one we actually use.

9. Your OE (outer envelope) has only one job: to get opened by someone in the mood for what you have to say inside. Want to try a blank OE so they might think it’s from a friend? Not a good idea, because as soon as they get inside and realize it’s advertising, they’ll think you tried to fool them. Try having a human voice on the envelope.

1/2. Put your contact information on the letter, the envelope, the lift note. Don’t lose a sale because your customer/prospect lost your number, address or URL.

Plus, use testimonials. Put in a little note in your mailing from some of your satisfied customers. No one speaks better of you than people you’ve helped!

Go forth and prosper!