1. Add value to your message

The more value you build into your offer, the more likely prospects will be to respond to it. Give your prospects a reason to call you. Offer a buyer's or seller's information kit.

Know an interior decorator? Partner with them to offer free design consultations with to new clients. Use your imagination ... but offer something.

2. Be professional

Real estate is a detail-oriented business. One paperwork slip can put the entire transaction off track. Your prospects know this, so don't ever show a mailer that's less than perfect. It only takes one sloppy design or misspelled word to blow it.

3. Write an irresistible headline

Many of the first-draft farming pieces I see have weak headlines, or no headline at all. I've never understood this. A direct mail piece has less than five seconds to make an impression. That's what headlines are for!

A good headline can capture readers and pull them into the body copy. A weak headline -- or a lack of one altogether -- gives the reader a good reason to throw your mailer away.

4. Make your offer noticeable

Making a strong offer is critical in any kind of marketing. And making that offer stand out is just as important. After all, what good is a knockout offer if it's set in the same font color and size as the rest of the copy? It's likely to be missed entirely.

Use callout boxes, starbursts, bold font ... whatever it takes. Just make sure your offer stands out.

5. Make your offer clear

Now that your offer stands out on your farming piece, you need to make sure the reader understands it. This is not the time to show off your vocabulary or use clever language and puns. Make your offer clear, simple to understand, and loaded with value: "18-page survey of local schools -- yours free! Call today."

6. Be unique If your farming piece looks and sounds like every other farming piece your prospect gets in the mail, what's to make them notice you? You can be unique in a number of ways. You can make a stronger offer, design a more professional mailer, use more specific information, personalize your message, brand yourself in some memorable way, etc.

7. Leverage your website

Use your postcards in tandem with your website. For example, offer the headline or intro from an article on home buying: "15 Home-Buying Secrets You Must Know -- Available at www.FakeRealtorSite.com."

Like most things in marketing, your imagination is your only limit here. Unleash some ideas of your own.

Happy farming!



About the author:

Brandon Cornett has worked as a writer and advertising manager within the direct mail industry. He now dedicates his time to helping agents and brokers improve their real estate marketing programs. His free newsletter is available at: http://www.ArmingYourFarm ing.com.