Marketing Facts: A Special Report on
How to Start Marketing

by Laura Culver, Director of Sales Development, InTouchToday.com

Market Where It Makes Sense

Spend your marketing dollars first where it makes the most sense—stay in touch with past clients and your personal sphere. These people know you and/or have done business with you. If you’re not staying in touch with this group, you’re giving business away to competitors.

When marketing to a cold list, the quality of your list often determines your success. The information must be accurate and up to date. To improve your response rate, market to a specific demographic target rather than a geographic target area.

Marketing to Your Warm List

To effectively market to your warm list (past clients and personal sphere), consider doing the following:

1. Mailing - postcard, newsletter
2. Personal note or card
3. Phone call
4. Email
5. Seminar about an aspect of home ownership or
   investing that may interest your warm list

Doing a direct mailing is a great way to get business through the door. To build awareness quickly, send a mailing (postcard or newsletter) and then follow up with a phone call asking if they got your recent mailing. During that conversation invite them to a real estate investing seminar (for example) being held at your office within the next month. Send a follow-up reminder and ask your clients to bring a friend. Invite a loan officer, financial planner or other professional to co-present with you. This opens the door of building relationships with these professionals and obtaining leads from them because they work with people who need to buy or sell a home everyday.

Marketing to Your Cold List

To effectively market to your cold list (demographic or geographic), consider doing the following:

1. Mailing - postcard
2. Choose a demographic that is likely to buy a home within
   the next year (first time homebuyers, investors or newlyweds)
3. Purchase a list that you can use multiple times
4. Seminar

To obtain a reasonable response rate, target one of the following demographic markets: first time homebuyers, investors or newlyweds. Investors will typically purchase 5 homes a year and it’s been shown that most newlyweds purchase a home within the first year of marriage. Whatever demographic you choose, offer a seminar or participate as an exhibitor in a show that caters to them to gain exposure. For example, most cities have a bridal show each year. As an exhibitor, you could show these couples how they can afford a home sooner rather than later.

What You Can Expect

Marketing to your warm list will bring you the best results immediately. Marketing to a cold list will take time, but the rewards can be substantial. Success comes when you have a plan and you stick to it.

Copyright In Touch Today Corporation. All rights reserved. Laura Culver is Director of Sales Development for In Touch Today, 800-433-3755. The company offers an extensive line of prospecting postcards, door hangers, Power Point presentations, magnets, notepads, brochures and wallet cards to meet all your niche marketing needs.