Creating Your Direct Mail Materials

Because of its affordability and its ability to target an exact location, Direct Mail is the marketing option for many small businesses. It offers the choices of enticing prospects with whatever you want to send them in the mailer. All of the printed information about your company or service can be included in the package and when opened, it can create excitement and a desire for your offerings in the recipient. From the envelope to the letter to the mail back card, all of the elements work together to create a product that allows the recipient to understand your purpose and to positively respond.
Each piece works independently as a part of the whole. The following is an explanation on how the entire Direct Mailing packaging works.

The envelope is the outer wrapping of the mailing. It is the first thing that the recipient sees with the address label and a stamp on it. Real stamps and a hand written type font can be used in order to make it look personal. A colored envelope will help it stand out from the rest of the mail in the mailbox. A one line statement can bring excitement to the announcement on what is inside such as “Look inside”, “Announcement”, “Important Information” are enticements to go further and open the envelope.

The Sales Letter is the guts of the direct-mail sales effort. This letter may be the only thing sent out and it needs to be the entire punch. A well written letter can give you the chance to explain your offer to the prospect.

There are a few key points that need to be included in all Sales Letters. First, the letter needs to be written on a personal level. This is your chance to engage just like you are standing in front of the prospect. You have just that first flash to catch the attention of the viewer. Keep it simple , precise and thorough. Write as if you were explaining the benefits of your product to a friend. Use short sentences. Write the way you talk.

The next point is the beginning of your letter needs to be the attention grabber. This is a well known rule for newspapers and magazines and sales letters. The strongest points you are trying to make in your sales letter, need to be that first paragraph. State the problem you are addressing and then the solution.This will highlight the benefit and emphasize the importance of your product or service.
Keep you letter short (one page), use text boxes, bullets points and bold type. Break up any large chunks of copy with headings and indents.You want the message to get across even with a quick scan.
Sales Letters are just that...you are selling. In the first paragraph, put the reason you are sending the letter. You would like them to sign up for… You have a special deal for.... You want them to attend… These are all the enticements designed to push the prospect over the edge and get them to respond.
Responding to your mailing is the essential reason for sending mail. Give them a reason to reply right away. Add a deadline for a response. Add an offer with a deadline. Giveaway something in a limited amount.

If the letter is not enough, there are other Direct Mail items that you can add.
You can add a flier to the letter as support.This is a condensed brochure with a little more information than what is found in just the letter. The flier gives you the chance to expand on more points and ideas. You can add photography, charts and graphs.Testimonials work well in fliers as recommendations for your business. Fliers should stand on their own in telling your complete business story.
Reply cards can also be inserted in the mailing package. You want the prospect to fill out a card and ask you for more information. Their name, address and phone should be filled out and sent back for free. Make sure your reply card has room and spaces for the respondent to include all the information you need.

Self-mailers are an exclusive type of direct mail marketing material. They are like postcards, where the mail piece is mailed without the need for an envelope or other type of wrapper.
It can incorporate all of the elements of a full direct-mail package on a single folded sheet of paper.The simplicity of a self-mailer also makes it easy to produce quickly, enabling you to introduce a new product, announce a sale or make contact with customers in short order. In a three-panel piece, one panel can have bullet points, another a personal sales letter and another the response device or order form.

The postcard is perhaps the most basic of mailing formats.With a postcard, all the recipient needs is a flip of the wrist to read everything you have to say. Inexpensive postcards give you the opportunity to consider a mailing campaign, enabling you to send out a number of cards at regular intervals to remind the recipient of your business. You can also create oversized postcards that give you more space on which to display your sales materials and information. If the card is designed in a way that has originality and selling power, you could have yourself an inexpensive business builder.
A company newsletter is another popular item to send out to prospects and to clients. They are easy to produce and should be laid out so that they can be easily scanned with a two- or three-column format. Use photos or illustrations to clarify your articles. Keep your typeface large enough for all your customers to read the articles without straining. You can provide your customers and prospects news on your company, announcements about your key employees, market overviews and so on.Their size can deliver more complex information. You can put together a series of articles, conduct lengthy interviews, show new information about your field and all of this can be written within a comfortable space allotment. Keep the bulk of your newsletter as short pieces, so they are very scannable. You want lots of different items in the hope of providing something interesting to every reader. A newsletter lets you show off your knowledge and market savvy. You should plan your newsletter at least six months in advance. Profile some of your largest customers in your newsletter to show other customers the quality of your product. You can use your newsletter to prospect for new customers.

Direct Mail Marketing is one of the best advertising strategies you or your business could utilize to reach customers and prospective clients. Everest Direct Mail and Marketing will help you by using highly-target mailing lists, coupled with unique letters and envelopes. Direct mail campaigns ensure your potential customers heed your message by putting your advertisements directly into their hands. We help build quality lead pipelines through consistent marketing and client relationship management. We will help you customize and send marketing materials that are written and designed to connect with today’s consumer.

Custom Size Postcard Printing

Postcards give a marketing advantage because they allow room for brief, targeted content; they’re an easy read, meaning less of a chance a client will get bored reading it, and no need to worry about open rates. 

Capture prospects’ attention through the visibility of a customized, colorful postcard in their mailbox and watch your response rates soar!

Postcards are a great eye-catching, tangible marketing tool, formatted to your specific preferences and needs, with endless customization in a multitude of sizes – regular, oversized, and custom cut.

We can create colorful, attention-grabbing designs with your images, logo, and any content you’d like to include – using your own design or one created uniquely for you by our talented and experienced designers. 

Yellow Letters

The most economical direct mail option for reaching your potential sellers are with Handwritten Yellow Letters.

Handwritten Yellow Letters are produced with no computers, font, or printing processes. Personally written just for the client and mailed in hand addressed envelopes, your letter looks like it came from a friend, not a faceless company. That is where the power comes from, the personal touch! Yellow Letters are created using yellow, pink or white tablet style lined paper, legal pad size, with real handwriting and your message can be read in red, blue, or black ink or a combination of multiple colors. We will work with you to create the right marketing letter for your business goal, one that gets results.

Yellow-Letter marketing has been proven over the years as one of the most effective marketing methods available.  When sending a personalized, handwritten, hand-addressed yellow letter; it is not uncommon for marketers to experience response rates as high as 15%. .  A 15% response rate can inundate you with calls so be sure to be prepared!

The most economical direct mail option for reaching your potential sellers are with Handwritten Yellow Letters.  Handwritten Yellow Letters are produced with no computers, font, or printing processes. Personally written just for the client and mailed in hand addressed envelopes, your letter looks like it came from a friend, not a faceless company. That is where the power comes from, the personal touch! Yellow Letters are created using yellow, pink or white tablet style lined paper, legal pad size, with real handwriting and your message can be read in red, blue, or black ink or a combination of multiple colors. We will work with you to create the right marketing letter for your business goal, one that gets results.

Yellow-Letter marketing has been proven over the years as one of the most effective marketing methods available.  When sending a personalized, handwritten, hand-addressed yellow letter; it is not uncommon for marketers to experience response rates as high as 15%. A 15% response rate can inundate you with calls so be sure to be prepared! It actually works so well that many of the known big timers are using it as well! These are people like Ron LeGrand, Than Merrill, Hunter Paschall and others! Yellow letters truly are one of the most efficient and fastest marketing tools around!

Furthermore, running analytics on your yellow letters campaign is a fantastic idea and should be deeply considered by anyone running this type of Direct Mail campaigns. Tracking and analyzing a stagnant campaign can help shed light on the hold ups, identify the issue and allow you to adjust your yellow letter campaign as needed. Questions to consider when analyzing your campaign include: How many letters are you sending out? How often you send them How long have you been consistently mailing letters How many phone calls are you receiving?How many people are you actually talking to? What are you saying people when you pick up the phone? How many appointments are you running? How many deals are you making?

You will want to send out at least 20 letters per day, 4-5 days a week and for a minimum of at least 3 months. Again, this is where you will want to budget wisely and accordingly to your company’s details. Results will vary from month to month, which is why a minimum of at least 3 months is recommended. Doing it for a full year will give you a much better picture of what your true response rate actually is.

Another crucial notion to mention is this: Answer the phone! Maybe even consider making a commitment to always answering the phone for the first 90 days of your yellow letter campaign. Building rapport and delivering your message are the next important steps to consider once you’re actually on the phone with a potential client. Also consider why they’re selling, what the seller wants from you, and how fast they will sell if you can give them what they want. This will hopefully allow you to start booking multiple appointments. If not, you to need examine what it is you are saying when booking the appointments. Whatever you do and say, make sure it is all in the direction of making them want to book an appointment! Analyzation of your campaign is absolutely key once the wheels are in motion!

Handwritten Yellow Letters

The most economical direct mail option for reaching your potential sellers are with Handwritten Yellow Letters.

Handwritten Yellow Letters are produced with no computers, font, or printing processes. Personally written just for the client and mailed in hand addressed envelopes, your letter looks like it came from a friend, not a faceless company. That is where the power comes from, the personal touch! Yellow Letters are created using yellow, pink or white tablet style lined paper, legal pad size, with real handwriting and your message can be read in red, blue, or black ink or a combination of multiple colors. We will work with you to create the right marketing letter for your business goal, one that gets results.

Yellow-Letter marketing has been proven over the years as one of the most effective marketing methods available.  When sending a personalized, handwritten, hand-addressed yellow letter; it is not uncommon for marketers to experience response rates as high as 15%. .  A 15% response rate can inundate you with calls so be sure to be prepared!

The most economical direct mail option for reaching your potential sellers are with Handwritten Yellow Letters.  Handwritten Yellow Letters are produced with no computers, font, or printing processes. Personally written just for the client and mailed in hand addressed envelopes, your letter looks like it came from a friend, not a faceless company. That is where the power comes from, the personal touch! Yellow Letters are created using yellow, pink or white tablet style lined paper, legal pad size, with real handwriting and your message can be read in red, blue, or black ink or a combination of multiple colors. We will work with you to create the right marketing letter for your business goal, one that gets results.

Yellow-Letter marketing has been proven over the years as one of the most effective marketing methods available.  When sending a personalized, handwritten, hand-addressed yellow letter; it is not uncommon for marketers to experience response rates as high as 15%. A 15% response rate can inundate you with calls so be sure to be prepared! It actually works so well that many of the known big timers are using it as well! These are people like Ron LeGrand, Than Merrill, Hunter Paschall and others! Yellow letters truly are one of the most efficient and fastest marketing tools around!

Furthermore, running analytics on your yellow letters campaign is a fantastic idea and should be deeply considered by anyone running this type of Direct Mail campaigns. Tracking and analyzing a stagnant campaign can help shed light on the hold ups, identify the issue and allow you to adjust your yellow letter campaign as needed. Questions to consider when analyzing your campaign include: How many letters are you sending out? How often you send them How long have you been consistently mailing letters How many phone calls are you receiving?How many people are you actually talking to? What are you saying people when you pick up the phone? How many appointments are you running? How many deals are you making?

You will want to send out at least 20 letters per day, 4-5 days a week and for a minimum of at least 3 months. Again, this is where you will want to budget wisely and accordingly to your company’s details. Results will vary from month to month, which is why a minimum of at least 3 months is recommended. Doing it for a full year will give you a much better picture of what your true response rate actually is.

Another crucial notion to mention is this: Answer the phone! Maybe even consider making a commitment to always answering the phone for the first 90 days of your yellow letter campaign. Building rapport and delivering your message are the next important steps to consider once you’re actually on the phone with a potential client. Also consider why they’re selling, what the seller wants from you, and how fast they will sell if you can give them what they want. This will hopefully allow you to start booking multiple appointments. If not, you to need examine what it is you are saying when booking the appointments. Whatever you do and say, make sure it is all in the direction of making them want to book an appointment! Analyzation of your campaign is absolutely key once the wheels are in motion!

Real Estate Investor Marketing

What Marketing tools should a Real Estate Investor (REI) use?

When it comes to marketing for your real estate investment business there are a lot of options out there that can provide success, and result in you closing more deals. One of the benefits of developing a marketing plan and sticking to it, is that your results become consistent and repeatable, allowing you to focus on the other aspects of the business that require your attention.

You are probably somewhat familiar with a lot of marketing channels already. Some of the popular channels for REI’s are:

• Outdoor marketing
• Bandit signs 
• Billboards
• Vehicle wraps (personal vehicles and on public-transit vehicles)
• Direct Marketing
• Print Marketing
• Direct Mail Marketing

There are many many types of mail-pieces and that work well for Real Estate Investors marketing. However, there are many that DO NOT so it’s definitely worth your time to speak with one of our experts on what works!

Want to see some of our mail pieces? Contact us! We can mail you physical samples or email you digital samples

Stay up to date on other direct mail marketing advice and special offers by subscribing to our email newsletter. You will get special deals & savings, as well as learn how to master your business’s marketing!

Don’t forget, we have some great videos on our website that might help you.

Direct Mail Marketing is one of the more reliable options for getting new deals in real estate investment, because it reaches people that are likely to be in need of your help, sometimes directly at the property you want to buy!

I’ll continue this marketing discussion in my next post you will learn about other important aspects of your marketing such as:

• Tracking your results (ROI)
• Creating & maintaining marketing synergy

And we will discuss some other marketing tools & techniques that you can use!

Have a question? Want to see a sample mail piece?

Give us a call at 866-811-1553

-Casey

Real Estate Investor Direct Mail

Occasionally we will write about Yellow Letters, the big direct mail product that 10's of thousands of real-estate investors and home flippers use to attract sellers. There are debates all around the web on when and how to use them, why do they work and are they worth the investment and how can you guarantee it to work for you?

For a Direct Mail Marketing company such as us, we nestle ourselves between the internet world and the direct mail world, it's a unique area for us, because real estate investors, our biggest client base, must use deep property based demographics to identify potential home sellers, where-as Google Ad-Words doesn't have those metrics. But the true question is why do Yellow Letters work for some home flippers and not for others? We might have some answers...

First, not every square mile in the United States is the same. So you can imagine there would be a lot of variables depending on your region. For instance, home investors find certain cities or regions nearly impossible to get any calls from their direct mail campaigns, where-as other regions are ripe for the picking. Smart home investors will deeply research neighborhoods as their primary filter, we recommend neighborhoodscout.com (we have no affiliation), this way you can start plucking out entire zip codes that you don't want to target, or better yet, pluck out zip 4's for even smarter targeting.

Second, the only thing that matters in your mail-piece is the envelope, once they open the envelope, the message takes 3 seconds to receive, they either are interested... or they are not. This is why we print our envelopes using 2400 DPI text, we also recommend real-stamps and other factors to beef up open rates. Also, we highly recommend inserting a business card to make it as easy as possible for someone to call you, after they throw out the letter inside.

Third, focus on your mailing list. Spend 40 hours of analysis on a mailing list with 5,000 names, hand scrub the mailing list yourself. Maybe even have us append your mailing list with life data (income demographics, magazine subscriptions) and other factors that might tell you, "this person will not sell or they will sell".

I am personally making some videos on this subject coming up and will post those here and on YouTube. Give Nataliya or Casey a call for more info on these subjects if you want to know more sooner.

- Maddison

Postcard Marketing

Postcard Marketing and Direct Mail Services with Everest is one of the most cost-effective and personalized advertising your business can conduct.

Postcards are a fantastic way to quickly intrigue your potential customers without them having to even open an envelope! We create professional-looking postcards, complete with your own logo. We feature high-value content to get the best reach possible for prospective clients.

Our postcards are fully customizable and allow you to connect with your community. This customization makes our mailers even more informative and effective. The possibilities are endless! Postcards can advertise new products and services, provide coupons or announce community events! Postcard marketing is a powerful way to build and maintain your client base!


Everestdmm.com serves small, medium and large businesses with direct mail marketing, postcard printing and mailing as well as thousands of other services such as producing handwritten yellow letters for real estate investors.

Everest Mail uses ESC approved recycled paper and we practice green direct mailer recycling standards. Postcards give a marketing advantage because they allow room for brief, targeted content; they’re an easy read, meaning less of a chance a client will get bored reading it, and no need to worry about open rates. Capture prospects’ attention through the visibility of a customized, colorful postcard in their mailbox and watch your response rates soar!

Postcards are a great eye-catching, tangible marketing tool, formatted to your specific preferences and needs, with endless customization in a multitude of sizes – regular, oversized, and custom cut. We can create colorful, attention-grabbing designs with your images, logo, and any content you’d like to include – using your own design or one created uniquely for you by our talented and experienced designers.