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With apps, social media and other digital platforms clamouring for our attention, it’s easy to overlook the humble letterbox drop.

Too many businesses neglect it in favour of ‘flashier’ marketing tools, but we think that’s a mistake. Here are a few ways that you can make the good, old-fashioned letterbox drop work for your real estate marketing campaign.

1. Everyone loves a letter

People love getting actual mail. It’s true! Emails, text messages and Facebook invites just don’t compare. A creative, well-designed drop card plays right into this sentiment. It’s something that people will want to pick up and read. 

2. Your competition neglects the letterbox

Like we said earlier – too many businesses overlook the possibilities offered by a letterbox drop. The average Australian household gets less than two unaddressed promotional items every week. If you want to make sure your message gets attention, the letterbox is an ideal opportunity. 

3. Avoid email overload

An email marketing campaign has its strengths – you’re pretty much unlimited in terms of how many potential customers you can reach. But the percentage of people who actually open marketing or promotional materials is notoriously terrible, with most users quick to hit the delete button. It’s easy to ignore an email, but it’s harder to overlook something physical.

4. Right where you want them

How many real estate agents know the email address of every single person in their farm area? We’re guessing … none. What you do know is where they live, which makes letterbox marketing a simple and direct way to reach them. You can be confident that the right people are getting your message. And unlike email, which is easily deleted, potential customers actually need to pick up your card, making it much harder to ignore.

5. Be obvious. Very obvious

Keep your message clear and concise. A drop card doesn’t give you a huge amount of space, so get to the point and get there fast. Simplicity is key: strong visuals, a punchy tagline, a few snappy lines of explanation and your contact details. Now is not the moment for obscure humour or brainteasers. 

6. Pick a brand and stick to it

It goes without saying (but we’ll say it anyway), that every single price of marketing material you put out, print or digital, needs to be on-brand. That means consistent colours, imagery, and language. An effective letterbox campaign will make its point while tying into your business’s overall marketing plan. 

7. Grab attention

Just because people love getting mail doesn’t mean they love getting. Every. Single. Piece. Of mail. There’s a reason those ‘No Junk Mail’ signs have become so ubiquitous. Anything boring or self-consciously salesy is going straight in the bin. A well-designed, eye catching drop card is one that gets read. 

8. Write real good

You don’t have room for a lot of text on a DL card, so there are no excuses for spelling mistakes. Ensure the copy is clean – no spelling errors, repeated words, missing words, or convoluted sentences that need to be read twice to be understood. And check your contact details – the best piece of marketing in the world is useless if the phone number is wrong.

9. Inspire action

An effective letterbox drop makes people do something. It might be calling a number, visiting a website, dropping past the office, or signing up for a special offer. A drop card that isn’t a catalyst for action of some kind is a missed opportunity.

We love letterbox marketing so much that our Events Based Marketing (EMB) program is dedicated entirely to it. EBM is a series of options for letterbox marketing that capitalises on every single real estate event that happens in a particular service area. Agents can use the various components to promote themselves every time a sale, open, or auction happens in the local area, and it talks to consumers when they’re engaged in the market and want to hear from you.

Do you believe in the power of letterbox marketing? Leave a comment below and let us know what you think!