Emails could easily be one of the most undervalued and underused methods of marketing. When we think “marketing,” we think of trying to reach the masses, where garnering the largest audience is the greatest priority. And while that may be important, a direct approach can be just as effective. So as an agent, it is vital that you learn how to boost your brand awareness through contacting your leads. If you are looking to bring in new business, attract leads to your site and blog, and interact with potential clients in other ways, there are few marketing tactics that are as effective as a well written email.
The most crucial aspect of using emails to rope in leads lies in understanding the different types of emails to send. Depending on you as an individual and your practice, some might be more effective than others.
- Specialized Emails. These emails capitalize on current trends and relevant events. Whether it’s a tie-in to huge sporting events, like the Olympics, a commentary on the latest fad, or a holiday-themed message wishing your leads a happy celebration, there are countless opportunities at any time of year for you to take advantage of timely events. These events may not even be relevant to your practice, but capitalizing on these trends and occurrences reflect on your business, making you out to be more of a friendly figure that they can relate to. If you decide to go with this tactic, be sure to heavily research the topic and to find some way (no matter how small) to relate it to your real estate business.
- Newsletters. Newsletters are a great route to take if you already have content on a blog or website of some sort. This resource is a great opportunity to share not only your opinions and views, but also your business with the rest of the world. A newsletter’s greatest purpose is to educate your audience on recent news and any updates and perspectives you may have on ideas relevant to real estate. Clients are looking for someone educated and on top of their game; staying on top of these blogs are essential. When putting together newsletters, you can draw from any of your latest works—whether it is an article or some informative graphic. In addition, an updated landing page describing your business, its values and your referral program may be advantageous to include.
- Digests. A digest is similar to a newsletter in that you are also promoting more content, but a digest showcases said content in a quicker, less intimidating manner. These digests essentially share the most important and relevant links. Although it goes without saying that you would include your own works in your digest, it could be helpful to your leads to share content from other credible sources that you think your readers would find interest in as well. However, the bottom line of your digest is to encourage readers to click through. To do so, be sure to create a modern, aesthetically pleasing layout that no only catches your readers’ eyes, but is also user-friendly and to the point.
- Promotional Emails. It could be very effective to nurse your leads through a sales perspective, such as with promotional emails. Say you have a housing report that buyers would find helpful in their decisions to buy and sell homes. You could capitalize on your knowledge and offer leads this content through an email. Link your readers to a landing page with a form that allows them to download the content. Again, it is vital that your page is both attractive and user-friendly, ensuring that your readers can acquire the information easily and quickly.
- Thank-You Emails. Your other emails were a success and you now have potential clients clicking through to your content. They have signed up for your newsletter, explored your website, or have personally requested further information on some topic. This is when you send them a thank-you email, otherwise known as a transactional email. Extend your gratitude to your leads, thanking them for their interest, but make the message personal to avoid being viewed as spam. Data collected by Experian indicates that such personalization results in a greater number of clicks and a higher click-through rate compared to more general, mass emails.
But with everyone’s inbox constantly being bombarded with messages, you have high competition to get your email opened. The key to beating this issue is to have interesting and striking subject lines. As a rule of thumb, keep them short. A study by MarketingProfs deduced that subject lines with 6-10 words were opened 21% of the time. With these numbers, it is important to take into account mobile devices. A survey taken in late 2013 showed that 48% of emails were opened on mobile devices, and a mobile device typically shows only 25-30 characters. In addition, do your best to avoid negative terminology. Words like “reminder”, “help”, and “free” have been shown to produce a negative open rate. Phrases with these words may come off too spam-like or promotional, so it is best to stray away. And lastly, with all things regarding a client, personalize!
Acquiring clients in the real estate industry is largely a feat of marketing, so it is important that you take advantage of all avenues and opportunities that come your way. Emailing leads, especially, is a direct and smart method and seems straight forward enough. However, it is crucial that you learn about all the different types of emails to send. Whether, a newsletter, digest, or promotional email, ensure that what you push toward your potential clients is interesting and relevant. And perhaps most importantly, make sure that however you email your leads reflects you and your business.
