We real estate agents love our newsletters, don't we? I wonder how many companies are out there capitalizing on our affection for the newsletter? Encouraging us to "build relationships" via our newsletter... to stay in touch with our friends via our newsletters... to promote ourselves and our wonderfulness via our newsletter?
I, like you, probably see a lot of newsletters coming through the mail or inbox. Some are... well, let's just say that some are better than others. Most are clearly purchased "as is" and distributed at the touch of a button (or click of a mouse). Some display a little bit of customization, such as a spot to write a "personal" note and feature a listing or two. A few appear to be 100% created from scratch.
What are the typical topics covered in a real estate agent's newsletter? Lessee... home improvement tips, gardening ideas, recipes, market stats, Just Listed and Just Sold announcements, mortgage news... sorry... but YAWWWWWWWN. Not only does every real estate newsletter seem to follow the same pattern, but half the time, the information is so boilerplate as to not even apply to the local market! Even the fully customized newsletters, while more relevant to the audience, still tend to look, sound and feel like templates.
So let's step back a bit.
What's the real purpose of your newsletter? Is it to...
• Educate your audience on the average Days on Market or Price per Square Foot in your area?
• Impress the reader by displaying your new listings or bragging about your recent closings?
• Ensure your friends know how important it is to winterize their sprinkler systems?
• Share your gardening expertise, even though the monthly "tip" is clearly from a different climate?
If you answered "yes" to any of the above, I'll encourage you to think about your answer.
Isn't the ultimate goal of a newsletter simply to make your audience like you and remember you?
We can debate all day about what exactly "like" means, but in general, by sending a newsletter, you’re hoping that the person who receives it thinks a little more highly of you than they did before it was sent. Which naturally leads to them being just a little more likely to remember you than they were the day before.
So, what, in a newsletter, might inspire that reaction? Or conversely, what might be the kiss of death?
Inspiring a newsletter recipient to smile is best accomplished not with gardening tips, Just Sold notices or descriptions of your listings, but rather with interesting content that reflects YOU - your voice, your personality. And the best way to do that is to write the content yourself.
Now, don't panic. Writing interesting content YOURSELF is not all that hard, especially if you work under the principle that less is more. As in - don't feel your newsletter has to be formally formatted with a Volume Number, Table of Contents and a three-column layout. Nope. In fact, a simple email-style newsletter may work much better. No sidebars, graphics or sales-pitches required.
Write your newsletters with the goal of inspiring your audience to respond. Responses are good. They open the door to ongoing conversations with your readers and you never know where they'll lead. You're much more likely to get meaningful responses to your newsletters if they're done in a casual voice and format, rather than a formal newsletter voice and format.
Professionally-designed newsletters may be impressive, but, frankly, they’re a dime a dozen these days. Many readers will assume that the fancy newsletter is either boilerplate or sales-pitchy, and, if pressed for time, are likely to hit DELETE without reading it.
Make sure your newsletter goes out from YOU - as in, from Your Name. Not from some professional-sounding company or even your fancy tagline. YOUR NAME. Period. If your readers don’t immediately recognize the sender, again, they’re likely to hit DELETE before investigating further.
Give these suggestions a test-drive the next time you’re in the mood to do a newsletter. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised at your results!
Guest Author Jennifer Allan-Hagadorn has authored five books and multiple courses designed to teach agents her Sell with Soul philosophy that centers on four interrelated principles: Respect, Competence, Confidence and Enthusiasm. The latest release of her book Sell with Soul is available in the VanEd bookstore. You can also visit her online at www.sellwithsoul.com
COMING SOON!"The SWS Listing Analyzer" for CE Credit at VanEd! Stay tuned for details.
Let's just say that some are better than others. Most are clearly purchased "as is" and distributed at the touch of a button (or click of a mouse). Some display a little bit of customization, such as a spot to write a "personal" note and feature a listing or two. A few appear to be 100% created from scratch.
Posted by: rent a houses | September 20, 2011 at 03:24 AM