Custom branded notecards help you promote your business through personal correspondence.
For some people, the thought of maintaining consistent personal correspondence with their sphere of influence is a daunting task. Perhaps you don’t think you have the time, or you don’t think you’re good at written communication. Despite your fears, personal mail can be a powerful way to build and maintain relationships with clients, promote your business and get referrals. Here are some tips to make personal correspondence easier.
Buy branded stationery. As I mentioned above, the point of personalized email is twofold: build relationships and promote your business. One of the more subtle ways to promote your business is with branded stationery. At One Step Services we design note cards, thank you cards, letterhead and envelopes to match your business brand.
Create a letter writing station. Sending personal mail is easier if you have the materials on hand. Always have a stack of personalized note cards, a variety of birthday cards and some holiday cards ready to send out. And don’t forget stamps and pens! Designate an area where these materials can be easily found anytime you need them.
Send all birthday cards at once. Everybody has those months that are full of birthdays. Instead of having to remember each individual date and trying to get a card to each person on time, write up all your birthday cards at the beginning of the month. You can spread out the mailings if you want, but you’re more likely to get them all out if they’re written at once.
It’s the thought that counts. Personalized correspondence isn’t like formal marketing; people aren’t going to scrutinize every word. Recipients care more about the message being heartfelt than brilliant and they are going to appreciate that you took the time to write a personal note. So take a deep breath, grab a pen, and start writing!
If you need branded stationery made, give us a call at 949-587-5301! We design and print letterhead, note cards, envelopes, holiday cards and notepads.
Don't just shout your message to anyone who will listen.
I am excited to report that One Step Services has had quite a few new business owners come to us in the first two months of 2012, asking about our products and wanting us to create a brand for them. Over the next three days, I’ll be discussing the three basics steps to successful brand creation: determine your demographic, communicate a clear message, and create a unique look. Whether you’re creating a brand new brand, or revamping an old one, you’ll want to go through each step and answer all the questions along the way. Then give us a call and we’ll create a brand that is uniquely you!
Step #1 Determine Your Demographic
In normal conversation, we always tailor our messages to our audience. The way we ask our boss for a raise is much different from the way we ask our roommate for the rent money. One involves a carefully prepared presentation, humility and lots of compliments, while the other involves pleading, threatening and short sheeting the bed (my boss is still mad at me for that one.) Despite the fact that most people understand the importance of creating every day messages for a specific audience, many fail to see the importance of that principal in their marketing.
Most people approach marketing like a soapbox preacher. They think they can create one brand and one message that will appeal to EVERYBODY. They expect to make every single person super excited about their product or service. Get this in your head right now: that is impossible. You cannot create a marketing message, campaign or brand that appeals to everyone. You must pick a target audience and tailor your brand to appeal to that audience.
Identifying your target audience is the most important part of brand creation. To help determine and learn about your target audience, find the answers to these questions:
Where does your target audience live?
What is their age range?
What kind of lifestyle do they live? Are they career driven city dwellers who work 50+hours a week or stay-at-home moms?
What problems do they have that you solve?
What is your target audience interested in and how can you use that to connect with them?
Once you answer these questions, you can create a brand that is targeted to a specific group of people and will be effective in convincing them to do business with you. Come back tomorrow to learn about step 2 of building a brand: message creation. See you then!
P.S. Did you know every single person, even identical twins, have different finger, tongue and eye prints? With so much diversity in the world, how could you expect to appeal to everyone?
There are so many things I love about the iPhone, but my absolute favorite feature is the camera and all the photo editing and photo sharing apps that support the iPhone. It’s so easy to take decent quality photos and share them over every social platform imaginable. Today in 3 Things in 3 Minutes, I’m talking about my top three favorite photo apps.
Today on Three Things in Three Minutes, Brianna talks about three things you can do to make your business card stand out: spot UV coating, rounded edges and customized QR codes. If you want to see any of these done to your business cards, just let our designers know!
Here are examples of QR Codes and business cards we’ve done. Click on the images to see them full size.
This is a great business card for so many reasons. Its uses Spot UV (the green “B” is UV coated), it incorporates a QR code and the photos are stunning.
Great example of rounded corners on a business card
Very modern and minimalist. We love the textured background
Here’s a great example of Spot UV. The logo is shiny because it’s UV coated, but the rest of the card is not.
On this card, we applied Spot UV to inside the wave. So cool!
Here’s an example of a custom QR Code. We added color and the design element in the middle to match the client’s brand
Can you believe its already time to get ready for Valentine’s Day? I haven’t even put away the last of my Christmas decorations yet! But to quote Benjamin Franklin “You may delay, but time will not!”
Since Valentine’s Day is right around the corner, we’ve got some fun mailing pieces for you to send out! These are 8.5×5.5 color postcards. You can have them printed and returned to you at the cost of 32 cents each (100 piece minimum). Or we can print and mail them for you to a farm for 64 cents each and a social/absentee list for 70 cents each (200 bulk minimum). BUT, if you order By February 3rd you’ll receive 10% off printing costs.
Below are the two designs we created this year. We also have generic text you can use, or you can send us your own. Call us at 949-587-5301 or email info@onestepservices.com to place your order.
Despite many changes to the real estate marketing in the past 10 years, one thing that has not changed is the importance of the listing presentation. Yes, prospects will look you up on Facebook, read your blog and check the reviews on your LinkedIn profile. They’ll use these tools to whittle down their choices, but many of them are still going to want to meet with you face to face before making their final decision. So how do you wow them with your listing presentation? Here’s what 20 years in the real estate marketing business have taught us…
Make it personable. Most people put a bio towards the front of their listing presentation, which is a great idea. What’s not a good idea is making that bio a list of awards you’ve won and a dry recount of your work experience. Instead, tell your real estate story. What inspired you to get started in real estate? What has been your favorite moment so far? What is most difficult? Also, don’t be afraid to go beyond professional experience and talk about more personal things. Do you live in the same area that you farm? Great, talk about your favorite things to in that area. Talk about your hobbies, your family, your favorite place to vacation, etc. You don’t need to ramble on about these things, just mention them briefly so people get a more realistic and fuller picture of who you are as a person as well as an agent.
Make it all about them. Every piece of information you put on your listing presentation should benefit your prospects in some way. If you tell them what broker your with, you must also tell them how that broker will help them. If you brag about your tech savviness, make sure you are detailed in your explanation of how that will help sell their house. In the printed presentation, and your verbal presentation, the prospect should know that they are your top priority.
Make it easy to read. Avoid big chunks of text and long unusual words. Avoid fluff and stick to facts, data, numbers, etc. Communicate only what is necessary and then expand on those points in your verbal presentation. If you have a hard time keeping your copy concise, ask a mentor or coworker to look over the text and cut some of it for you. Also, repeat important information, like your contact info, a few times throughout the presentation so that prospects don’t have to hunt for it later.
Make it visually appealing. Use as many images as possible such as charts, graphs, area photos, house photos, team photos, etc. We cannot stress enough the importance of making sure these photos are of the highest quality. This is not the place to display your awesome iPhone camera skills. You need professional photography that has a high enough resolution to show up clearly in print. You want the images to impress people, not make them squint and ask “what’s that?”
Make it techie. Don’t let the word “techie” scare you. There are lots of easy ways that technology can enhance your listing presentation and One Step Services is here to help you bring your presentation into the 21st century. We can put QR Codes on different pages that prospects can scan for more information. We can also convert your printed presentation into an iPad presentation that can be shown on the iPad or projected. Make sure you mention what social media sites and real estate sites you are active on, and in your presentation invite prospects to join your social media communities. Doing these things will show your prospects that you’re able to use modern technology to market their house, communicate with them, and keep everyone up to date on the market and real estate process.
Make it a keeper. Most agents spend hundreds of dollars on a listing presentation and, therefore, don’t leave it with the prospects. That’s understandable, but you need to leave something with them so they don’t forget about you. Consider printing a pamphlet that summarizes your listing presentation and that the prospects can refer back to as they consider your proposal. Just like the full listing presentation, this one should be easy to read, only communicate the most important information, and use lots of pictures. Consider giving these pamphlets to the prospects at the beginning of the presentation so they can take notes.
As always, the graphic designers at One Step Services are here to help you create real estate marketing pieces that build and enhance your business. We design and print custom listing presentations and convert printed presentations to digital formats. We can also give you recommendations for real estate photographers and give you ideas for content. Whether you have the whole thing laid out in your mind or you are clueless as to where to start, we’ll create a presentation that will help you nail your next listing appointment. Call us today at 949-587-5301.
One Step Services is a real estate marketing and small business marketing agency in Orange County. Most of our clients know that we specialize in graphic design, brand identity, printed products and direct mailing campaigns. However, in the past couple years we have added some new services you may not be aware of. We now offer social media management, branded email design and eblast campaign management, and digital listing presentations. Learn more about our services at www.onestepheadlines.com or call us at 949-587-5301
If this is your office, your first step is to upgrade to a computer
Include a picture. A big picture.
Nothing scares people more than a huge chunk of straight text with no pictures. It reminds them of a high school history book and they’ll click away faster than you can say “Revolutionary War.” But if that text is accompanied by, or better yet broken up by, a photo, then people are much more likely to stick around and read.
Make sure the photo is relevant to your content, but also has an element that catches people’s attention. Its best if it creates some sort of immediate emotion, whether is surprise, happiness, outrage or that high pitched “awww” girls make when they see a picture of a baby squeezing a puppy. Also, make sure the picture decently sized so people can see it. A tiny thumbnail won’t have much of an impact.
Craft a better headline.
Writing a good headline is just as important as writing a good blog post, maybe even more so. If people don’t like your headline, they won’t bother to read the article. So take some time to brainstorm multiple ideas and get the feedback of your coworkers. I could, and will, write an entire blog post on this, but here are some quick tips to get you started:
Always include a verb in your headline.
Making your headline into a question is almost always a good idea (just don’t make them all questions)
Be aware of the length of your headline. There are no hard set rules on how long a headline should be, but the general rule is that it should be as short as possible. Make every word count and delete and superfluous ones.
People read blogs that are beneficial to them. Its fine to share a personal story, opinion or thought, and its okay to promote your business, but these should all be secondary to the primary goal of helping your readers out. The best blog content ideas will come from the questions, problems and needs that your customers have.
For example, I had a client email me a few weeks ago asking how he could get more people to read his blog. I sent an email and thought to myself “I bet there are several other people out there with this same question.” Voila! A blog post was born.
Think back to frequently asked questions from your clients, common problems or common needs. Remember how you answered those questions, solved those problem and met those needs, and then blog about it. Your readers will appreciate that you are providing information that is helpful and relevant and they’ll keep coming back for more.
Bonus Tip- Make sure your blog has social share buttons
People should be able to share your post on Facebook, Twitter, Google +, Tumblr, StumbleUpon, LinkedIn, etc. They should also be able to email and print it. Having these buttons readily available on every post encourages people to share articles that they like with their friends, therefore increasing your readership.
I’m not the biggest fan of New Year’s Resolutions. For one thing, they tend to be super vague. “I want to make more money.” Awesome, do you plan on selling more product or just robbing a bank? They are also, often, very unrealistic. Either people set too many at once (do you really think you can loose weight, quit smoking and be a better parent all at once?) or they set goals they aren’t prepared to accomplish. I did this last year when I resolved to write a book. Its a lot harder then it sounds, my friends. So this year I changed my resolution: take a class on how to write a book.
Despite my disdain for New Year’s Resolutions (or NYRs as I like to call them) I do love the hope and excitement that accompany every January. And I’m a firm believer that now is a great time to set some specific and realistic goals for your personal and professional life. To help you out, I created a list of 5 marketing NYRs for 2012. Don’t feel like you have to tackle them all at once. I put them in order of importance so you know where to start. I recommend doing #1 and #2 in January and then doing one a month from that point on. Some of them may appear a little vague, but don’t worry, we’ll be going through them in detail over the next couple of weeks so you know exactly how to accomplish each goal. And as always, if you have questions, write them in the comments below and we’ll discuss!
1) Set a marketing budget that allows you to consistently market throughout the year. The New Year is a time of hope and lots of enthusiasm. As you gear up for a better business year, it will be tempting to dump a bunch of money into your marketing strategy right away. However, it is much better to put a little bit of money towards marketing every month, rather than blow it all in the first quarter and have nothing left for the rest of the year. Take the time now to set a realistic budget that allows you to consistently market, in the same ways and to the same people, throughout the year.
2) Create a marketing schedule. Consistency is one of the most important elements of any marketing strategy. To help you maintain consistency throughout the year, set a marketing schedule now. Determine how often you will send out direct mail pieces, how many times you’ll write a blog or newsletter article, how many times you’ll send an eblast, etc. Don’t just say “I’ll send an eblast every week.” Instead say “I’ll send an eblast every Friday at 10am.” Then schedule each action in your calendar. It’s possible that specific days and times will change, but getting in the habit of consistent marketing early will ensure success throughout the year.
3) Set specific goals and track the effectiveness of your marketing efforts. By setting specific goals, determining which marketing strategies will accomplish those goals, and tracking the effectiveness of those strategies, you can determine which marketing strategies are most effective for your business. Then you can stop some strategies and add others, to ensure every marketing dollar is providing a great return on investment.
4) Create a new brand or refresh your current brand. If you have yet to create a brand for your business, make 2012 the year of the branding. Just having a logo isn’t enough. You need a color palette, specific font type, and on overall distinctive look that sets your company apart. If you have a brand that feels outdated or boring, designate some marketing money to refreshing that brand, or creating a completely new one.
5) Try at least one new social media marketing strategy. We’ve said this so many times but it’s worth repeating: Fish where the fish are, and the fish are swimming in social media. Don’t like Facebook? That’s fine. Check out Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Google+, YouTube, or WordPress. Find something you like and that you’ll be able to use consistently throughout the year.
A place with lots of cows and pigs. HAHA, just kidding. A farm is a specific geographical area where a small business owner has decided to focus his or her marketing efforts. It could be a street, a neighborhood, a tract, a community. The important thing to remember about a farm is that it is composed of houses that are all close together. Think of it this way: a mail carrier has to be able to walk from house to house and drop off a piece of mail at each house, one right after the other. It’s a chain and while the chain can be long, it cannot have any breaks in it. Mailing to a farm is the cheapest way to mail because, like I said earlier, the mail carrier can just drop things off at each house one right after the other. However, in order to get the bulk mail rate, you have to send to at least 200 houses.
Although geographical farms are used most by agents, small business owners can use them as well. If you have a brick and mortar shop, think of that location as the center of a circle and target the homes surrounding you. Even if you don’t have a brick and mortar business, just pick a location you want to specialize in and target those homes.
How do I get farm addresses?
If you’re a real estate agent, you can get address of your farm from your title company. If you work with One Step, you can ask the title company to send the database directly to us. We will keep it on file for you and use it when you set up mailings through us.
If you’re a small business owner, there are several companies that sell mailing lists. Some companies will sell very specific mailing lists with recipients sorted by age, purchasing habits, location, etc. If you have trouble finding such a company, give us a call at 949-587-5301 and we can suggest some to you.
How often should I mail?
If you’re a farming business, your primary goal is to establish yourself as an expert in your farm and to make your brand recognizable to every single resident. In order to do this, you’ll have to mail consistently, about 2-4 times a month. Consistency is more important than quantity. It’s better to mail regularly to small farm than irregularly to a large one.
What should I mail?
SEND BRANDED PIECES! People are not going to remember or recognize you if every mailing piece looks different. Your postcards, fliers, coupons, stickers, signs notepads and stationary should all be branded with your logo, colors and style.
Remember in the last paragraph when I said you needed to establish yourself as an expert? The way to do this is by sending out quality direct mail pieces. Send market updates, just listed and just sold properties. Send tips for buyers, sellers and homeowners. Send information that people will find helpful, don’t just send things that advertise your business.
This seems like a lot of work!
When you try to tackle all of this yourself, then yes, it is a lot of work. But One Step Services specializes in handling all of your direct mail marketing needs. We will design your brand and individual mailing pieces. We will create content to go on your mailing pieces, print those pieces, and then mail them out. We can even put you on our call list to receive weekly, monthly or bi-monthly reminders to mail. We take care of literally everything. If you have further questions or would like to sign up for our direct mail services, call our custom relations specialists at 949-587-5301
