Why do realtors use newsletters?
Thanks for your interest in our Newsletter Academy and for wanting to learn more! You’ll soon be getting an email in your inbox outlining what to expect with the Newsletter Academy series that will start in the next 2 days. [Don’t forget to check your ‘Promotions’ tab if you don’t see anything in your inbox…
Your Contact List: Build it or See it Die
Over the years, I’ve gained a lot of experience about what works…and what doesn’t. These lessons don’t just come from my own experiences, they also come from those of members. So I will be sharing some of these experiences with you so that you can learn from them. However, I warn you: I’m going to…
Print newsletters and Canada’s second currency
OK, let me get the wisecracks about the title of this post over with right away – in case I lose my residency in Ontario. No, Canada’s second currency isn’t the US dollar. And it’s not the euro either, as an earnest store associate suggested to a friend last week in upstate New York. “Would…
When 1 + 1 = 3
As someone smart enough to be reading this blog, you know math. So that means you understand that: 1 + 1 = 3 And 1 + 1 + 1 = 9 And 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 = a-heck-of-a-lot This isn’t some kind of wacky math. It’s the power of groups. They work…
30 Days in November, 30 Interesting Messages
Want to take part in an interesting experiment? Want to see me potentially humiliate myself in front of thousands? I’ve been challenged by copywriter John Fancher to hone my email writing skills. He has pledged to create one auto-responder message each day. What is an autoresponder? It’s computer software that automatically sends emails to your…
Why Your ‘Bonus Document’ Is at the Heart of Your Newsletters
Members of my real estate newsletter service know that they get at least one bonus document as part of the program. Don’t take the power of this document too lightly. It’s at the heart of any successful newsletter. Here’s why. The terrible truth is that people don’t want to sign up for your newsletter. They’re…
Will Your Newsletter Pester People?
I had an interesting chat earlier this week with someone who is thinking of joining my newsletter service. He was pondering sending a newsletter only every quarter instead of monthly. Why only every quarter? Because he didn’t want to “pester” his readers. It’s at that point that I said, “Hang on just a minute….” Here’s…
Why Real Estate Agents (and Others) Need to Be Publishers
Once again, Seth Godin is speaking my language. In a post he draws our attention to the difference between renting eyeballs (the old media way, where you buy an ad that is shown to the readers of, for example, a magazine) and actually owning the platform – owning the magazine or other media. He gives…
Real Estate Agents: How to Make 4x as Much Commission
Here’s another of my little charts. This one applies to real estate agents and mortgage brokers in particular – but the general idea applies to any business. It makes a compelling economic case for keeping in touch with clients over the long term. The chart shows the difference in commission earned by a real estate…
Realtor Earns $19,950+ in Commissions with Real Estate Newsletter
If you need proof that real estate newsletters (indeed, any newsletters) work, take a look at these stats. One agent has been a member of my real estate newsletters service for nine months. Within that time, he has earned $19,950 in commissions with up to another $28,000 on its way. All these commissions came from…
How to Increase Email Newsletter Open Rates
Although I believe that email open rates aren’t the most important statistic, it’s still worth investing time in raising the percentage of subscribers who open your email. Here are some things to test: Subject line: Is the subject line really relevant to your reader? Does it indicate that the information inside will help him do…
Do Email Newsletter Open Rates Matter?
Ever invited 100 people to a party and then only 20 show up? Kind of disappointing, isn’t it? You feel like you’re No Friends Simon. But actually… look at the 20 who did show up. Aren’t they your best friends? The people you’re closest too? The ones who really matter? Email newsletters are a lot…
Another Great Example of a Customized Real Estate Newsletter
It makes me smile from ear to ear when one of my clients takes the real estate newsletter I offer and really makes it theirs. Here’s another example (click here for a previous one), this one from Marianne Derjean, who is with broker McGuigan Pepin, in Quebec, Canada. Here’s what I love about it. A…
Newsletter Delivery: Local Newspaper vs. Direct Mail
Here’s an interesting anecdote from one of the members of my real estate newsletter service in Ontario, Canada. This real estate agent uses his newsletter for lead generation (by mass mailing it) and to keep in touch with past clients. For the first seven months he was a member, the newsletter was delivered in the…
How to Use Newsletters to Bring in New Business
I was asked by a member of my insurance newsletters service last week about the best way to use newsletters to bring in new business. Here’s what I will tell him. Of course, this applies to any business – not just insurance. Why Newsletters Work to Bring in New Business Newsletters are most famously used…
An Example of How Targeted Content in Newsletters Pays Off
I’ve said before and – watch out – I shall say many times in future that the number one rule for newsletters is: write for your reader. That’s because if you make the content relevant to your readers’ interests, they are more likely read your newsletter, engage with you and – frankly – buy stuff.…
An Example of a Newsletter with Personality
If you don’t know about HARO (Help a Reporter Out) and you are interested in getting media coverage, then check it out. Basically, it’s a service that connects journalists (who are looking for sources for stories) and PR people/companies with products seeking publicity. It goes out as three emails per day. Very simple. Very effective.…
How to Get Free Articles and Pictures for Your Newsletter Using Creative Commons
As you know, it’s not a good idea to copy articles from the internet and use them in your newsletter. There’s a good chance you’ll be breaking copyright. And anyway, it’s not cool to use other people’s work in your newsletter without asking. There are, however, many authors and photographers who are happy for you…
How to Make Writing Your Newsletter Easier
For many people, writing a newsletter is somewhere down there with going to the dentist, washing the car and clearing out the eves troughs. A right royal pain in the butt. The thing is, you can’t see it like that if you are going to continue with your newsletter for the long term. (And the…
Your Email List Is of Absolutely No Value to Me
One of the questions I get from potential new members of my real estate newsletter program – the email version – is whether their list of clients will be safe if they upload them to my website. They’re afraid I – or someone else – will steal all the email addresses and sell them to…