Example Of A Lead Generating Postcard (Pictures Included)

[David Hunter]

I posted this on another forum I frequent, and I wanted to share it here as well. It's one of the first lead generating postcards I created for when I was in real estate working with a top agent.

This postcard was created for our out-of-town buyer who was looking for a house in a specific neighborhood (also used to find potential home sellers... kill two birds with one stone). So, without further ado, here's the front and back (click on the pictures to make them bigger):

768

769

Now, I'll be the first to admit... it's not a pretty postcard. It was a 5.5" x 8.5" postcard sent with real first class stamps (before I learned about EDDM, also I've used bulk mail before but not for this run) printed with our office color printer on cheap 90 lb. Index cardstock.

A few things to point out.

1. Mentioned a specific neighborhood (targeted).
2. Had a deadline and created urgency (Out-of-town buyers were only here those three days).
3. Was specific on what the buyers were looking for. VERY Important.

I've seen these type of postcards before where the agent sends them to different neighborhoods with "I have a buyer looking in your area. Call me." What a bunch of nonsense. You have to be specific!!!

Also, when I got smart and started using EDDM, did a postcard just like this only bigger. Well, one of the listings we got, the seller told us she was never going to call us because she took our postcard to work and her co-workers told her it was a scam that we really didn't have a buyer. But... she liked the fact we were 'specific' and... we showed her neighbor's house who responded to the postcard. So, you must be specific and make it as believable as possible.

Ok, back to THIS specific postcard.

Here's the breakdown:

•573 Postcards Mailed
•$310.59 Investment (for paper, color copying [yes our office charged to use the color printer], and first class postage.
•8 Responses (1.4%)
•1 Listing right out of the gate.

Total commission brought in was $16,900.

A couple more things to point out... one: It goes to show that responses rates are worthless. It's all about the Return-on-Investment! Two: Pretty doesn't equate to money. You can have the ugliest postcard in the world and make lots of money if the copy is right.

Just remember: RIGHT MESSAGE - RIGHT MARKET - RIGHT MEDIA - RIGHT TIME

Oh, and probably the most important thing is... IMPLEMENT. Do something! Don't wait until everything is perfect.

Now feel free to share your thoughts. :-)

[BizAdvisor]

May I suggest you try sending the postcard in a plain white envelope. This way a person isn't exactly sure what the contents are or how important they may be; Curiosity alone makes the solicitation more likely to get passed the pre-sorting of junk mail stage and more likely to make it into a person's home, along with bills, credit card statements, and other mail a person deemed as pertinent. When they open the envelop, they will actually look at its contents... Instead of simply glancing at an unsolicited postcard at the mailbox and adding it to the pile junk mail.

[anilverma]

I liked your last line
Oh, and probably the most important thing is... IMPLEMENT. Do something! Don't wait until everything is perfect.
Too much time is spent on planning these days and in the end results are disastrous. The key is to continuously adapt and learn quickly what is working (and what is not) and then working in that direction

[David Hunter]

Thanks for the thoughts, BizAdvisor. Not sure if the envelope would increase response. We were only targeting people who were thinking about selling their house. If they had zero plans to then would se the heading and throw it away. Same as with the envelope. If they open the envelope and saw the postcard they'd still just glance at it and then toss it in the trash if it wasn't something they had interest in.

Thanks, Anilverma! Yep, '...continuously adapt and learn quickly...' You got it!!

[vangogh]

Thanks David. Interesting to see an example that worked.


RIGHT MESSAGE - RIGHT MARKET - RIGHT MEDIA - RIGHT TIME

I think that's the key and I also think people should be more focused on ROI than other metrics along the way.

One thing I'd disagree with, though I'm admittedly biased, is that design isn't important. I realize you didn't specifically say that, but I think most people mistakenly thing pretty = design and I wanted to point that out. How the information is organized on the card is design. I'd also argue that unless you sent out different cards with different designs you can't really determine whether or not a better design or even a prettier one would have performed better.

That said I do agree you don't need a beautiful card and I think the design of something like this is always secondary to the copy itself. The same is true for websites and flyers and brochures, etc. The content is the most important part. Design can help the content and the aesthetics, the pretty, can also help, but the content is still the most important part by far.

[David Hunter]

One thing I'd disagree with, though I'm admittedly biased, is that design isn't important. I realize you didn't specifically say that, but I think most people mistakenly thing pretty = design and I wanted to point that out. How the information is organized on the card is design. I'd also argue that unless you sent out different cards with different designs you can't really determine whether or not a better design or even a prettier one would have performed better.

That said I do agree you don't need a beautiful card and I think the design of something like this is always secondary to the copy itself. The same is true for websites and flyers and brochures, etc. The content is the most important part. Design can help the content and the aesthetics, the pretty, can also help, but the content is still the most important part by far.


You're right about design. The reason I said it wasn't pretty and on what kind of paper was that you don't need to get a fancy looking postcard to get results. I always printed my own postcards in real estate, so I couldn't tell if having a better quality postcard (with UV coating, sturdy card) would have boosted the results.

I say, if you can, definitely get the postcards all prettied up. Just be sure the copy is there. And, we marketed in expensive areas and got great results... so who knows, we may have gotten better results if we had a professional printer and graphic designer do it all up. :-)

[Harold Mansfield]

I like it. Not so much the look of it, but the fact that it gets out there, and gets to the point. We all like pretty, but things don't always have to be perfect to work.
Some times you have to stop talking and agonizing over every little thing and put something out there, see what floats, what didn't, and keep it moving to improve on what you just learned.