The Benefits of Using Postcards for Marketing to Absentee Owners

One of my most-read posts on the blog is called, “Creating Absentee Owner Letters that Get a Great Response”, and I will put a link to that blog post in the show notes. Both letters and postcards work for marketing to absentee owners, and I used letters for many years. However, today I want to look at the benefits of using postcards when you’re marketing to these folks. Not only are there financial benefits to using postcards rather than letters, but there’s another big reason you might want to choose postcards when marketing to absentee owners. They get read!

Here Are Some Statistics

According to the company, “The Address”, they have a 100% open rate. That’s pretty obvious since there’s nothing to open. They go on to say this:

54% of postcards are read by the recipients – they are the most read type of DM
56% of consumers say they have tried a new business after receiving direct mail
70% of consumers have renewed a previous business relationship after receiving direct mail
90% of Americans prefer the personal aspects of direct mail over email

The direct mail marketing association found that postcard marketing leads have the cheapest cost per lead compared to any other marketing method. That’s pretty impressive.

According to Hub Spot, although direct mail’s response rate has dropped over time, it’s still a valuable tool for marketers and salespeople. The Direct Marketing Association found direct mail’s response rate is 4.4% — compared to 0.12% for email. In my experience, it’s a little lower than that for real estate investors; it’s more like 1-2%

What I Found in My Business

When I tested postcards against my direct mail letter specifically for absentee owners, I found that postcards performed just as well if not better in some instances than letters.

When Should You NOT Use Postcards?

This answer is simple. For probates. People that have lost a loved one find it insensitive to receive a “we buy houses” postcard in the mail. In fact, they probably will never do business with you if you use postcards. Marketing, in general, is different for probates.

If you want to learn about probates and how to market to this very lucrative niche, check out my course Probate Investing Simplified.

Show Notes

Out of state absentee owners have always been a group of sellers that I have had good luck with. I like to call these deals “marketing money”. I always knew I wasn’t going to be a millionaire from just this one niche, but it was lucrative enough to pay for all my marketing for the year.

What is the best size postcard to use?
Which design is better?
What should the focus of your message be?
Getting your list
Which days of the week are best for sellers to receive your mail?
One of the major benefits of using a small postcard
The two main reason postcards out-perform letters in many
One of the major reasons you may not be getting good results
Fatal flaws in direct mail campaigns

Final Thoughts

If you get these 4 things right, you’ll be on the road to success:

Your list
The perfect mail piece for this group of people
Your message. Remember, “Don’t try to sell steaks to a vegetarian.”
Consistence in your mailings

Quick Question…

Do you have better results with letters or postcards when mailing to absentee owners? Let me know!

Resources Mentioned in the Show

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