Flyer distribution

[ScottZavoda 0]

I started a flyer campaign this month. I'm going to distribute about 1000 flyers a month to specific neighborhoods where I want to lease option. I'm a little nervous as I hate throwing money I don't really have at marketing but I guess sometimes you have to do a test and then evaluate. I've read some older posts but I'm wondering if anyone has had recent success with it. What kinds of results can I expect?

 

I'm doing everything I can to get the phone to ring. Plenty of Craigslist, trying to do about 25 emails a week to FRBO's and FSBO's. Maybe some calls too but I hate those!!

 

My flyer gives people some info and has them call a 24 hour voice recording with my voice explaining a little more about the opportunity. They can press 0 during it to go right to my cell phone. What do you all think?

 

Here's my flyer.... any feedback would be a greatly appreciated!!

 

[MichaelC 160]

Your flyer looks great! Nice layout, and the key points are in your face. I like it. The key, of course, is to get enough out so they fall into the hands of your intended market. Like all marketing, you don't know until you try. Be consistent. Putting out some flyers this week, receiving a limited response, and then reaching the decision that "flyers don't work" only undermines your chances for success. Be persistent and give your plan time to work.

You hate calls? So do I. Don't waste your time.

As for emails, 25 per week isn't much, to be honest. You can readily do more. How much time does it take to do, say, ten per day? You just tripled your output by week's end.

[ScottZavoda 0]

Your flyer looks great! Nice layout, and the key points are in your face. I like it. The key, of course, is to get enough out so they fall into the hands of your intended market. Like all marketing, you don't know until you try. Be consistent. Putting out some flyers this week, receiving a limited response, and then reaching the decision that "flyers don't work" only undermines your chances for success. Be persistent and give your plan time to work.

You hate calls? So do I. Don't waste your time.

As for emails, 25 per week isn't much, to be honest. You can readily do more. How much time does it take to do, say, ten per day? You just tripled your output by week's end.

 

Thanks as always! Yeah, your're right, I can do more emails!! They are free and I can rip out about 15 - 20 in about 15 minutes. I will try the flyers for a couple of months i think. It was kind of a toss up though between blanketing a neighborhood with flyers or doing Direct Mail to more of a target market like Expired listings, or non owner occupied properties. Just a matter of budget is all....

 

With the flyers though, I am planning on hitting new neigborhoods with each batch. Is that the best way to do it or would you repeat neighborhoods?

[Doug Pretorius (ON) 9]

I've never done fliers but I did do a lot of research into them. There's a realtor marketing trainer who claims to have farming with fliers down to a science, here's what he recommends:

 

1. Pick a median priced neighborhood with a high turn over of properties.

2. Blanket every home that you want to list (buy) in the target area.

3. Every week for 8 weeks in a row.

4. Then switch to every 3 weeks for the rest of your life.

 

Doing it every week for 8 weeks establishes you as THE go-to expert in the area. By the end of that period people will think that you have been doing business in the neighborhood for years, and everyone will know who you are. Then you simply maintain that status in their minds with the every-3-weeks program.

[MichaelC 160]

Sensible and effective plan, Doug. Your Realtor bud makes a good point. I've been told by several marketing/psychology types that most of us require repeated advertising, (flyers, in this case), to remember the product and to ultimately try it.

[ScottZavoda 0]

Right on! I have also read about that too. I guess here is the ? though. With limited advertising dollars I'm not sure it's feasable to hit the intended market that many times. Right now I've got this down to about $.14 per flyer and that includes print and delivery. So that's $140 per 1000 homes for just one time. If I did that every week to hit each home 8 times that would be nearly $560 per month in flyers which for me is a lot steep right now.

 

Would it make more sense to maybe get a list of FSBO's or FRBO's and hit that smaller more targeted group with that consistent approach and then just blanket different neighborhoods each month with the random flyers?

 

I guess to narrow down my overall question.... where is my dollar spent the most effective in everyone's experience? Down the road I can definately see doing everything you have said and then some but for the New Guy with little funds I just want to realize if doing 1000 flyers a month is worth it vs picking lets say 100 homes that are currently FSBO's and FRBO's and hitting them 8 or more times in a month or so?

[<Steve> 82]

I think that is what Jonathan Rexford does with his direct mail marketing. He can explain better but he does a "Geographic" (more over all) and then a "Demographic" (more targeted area); his farm area with a more consistant approach.

[Jonathan RexfordFL 8]

I love geographic marketing, Signs, Direct Mail, Flyers. With direct mail don't even start it unless you can do it at least 5-7 times. Flyers are the same. Signs on the other hand are a different matter. You can get 100 signs and if you have a tight area your signs can last about 3-4 months depending on your area.

 

I did read your flyer. I would dump the recording. Try to answer the phone. The sooner you can speak to people the faster you can get the deal going.

[Doug Pretorius (ON) 9]

Would it make more sense to maybe get a list of FSBO's or FRBO's and hit that smaller more targeted group with that consistent approach and then just blanket different neighborhoods each month with the random flyers?

You might as well just call (as unpleasant as it is) the FSBO/FRBOs, you'll have a better response and it won't cost you anything but some time.

[ScottZavoda 0]

Thanks for all the input. My recording does however allow the caller to press 0 and it routes directly to my cell phone. I've just seen in so many other courses the importance of conveying your message in a non threatening way and removing the barriers (ie. sellers talking to a potential investor on the phone) so I thought the recording might be a good idea; not to mention it ads a little professionalism to the whole thing.

 

I get the point though about direct mail and flyers with consistency. What do you put on the signs?

 

Scott buys houses houses.

We want Rent To Own.

Families looking for Rent to Own Call....

 

I've also tried mailing yellow letters in the past and was actually surprised by the response rate.

 

Here is my monthly game plan once I can get it all organized.

 

2000 - 3000 flyers per month.

100 - 200 Direct mails per month (yellow letters)

50 - 75 signs per month.

100 emails per month.

Business cards handed out..

[MichaelC 160]

Here is my monthly game plan once I can get it all organized.

 

2000 - 3000 flyers per month.

100 - 200 Direct mails per month (yellow letters)

50 - 75 signs per month.

100 emails per month.

Business cards handed out..

That's a diversified and fairly aggressive marketing plan. If you stick to it you should see some good results. But you can do better than 100 emails monthly. They're free and they're fast.

[ScottZavoda 0]

What about 100 emails per week? I'm sure I'll have some overlap on who I'm sending to with that kind of number.... but you're right its Free!!

 

There just comes a point where my own time available becomes the issue so I want to make it worth it's while.

[MichaelC 160]

100 emails per week is excellent. That's an average of about 15 emails daily. That won't take but a few minutes. 5 with your morning coffee, 5 with your lunchtime martini, and 5 with your dinner wine.