Is there anyone in your town that doesn‚Äôt know that you buy houses or that your are a real estate investor? If so, you aren‚Äôt performing as well at marketing or supplying real estate investing information about your real estate investing business concern as well you should be. I see real estate investors stating all the time that they aren‚Äôt getting seller calls and subsequently aren‚Äôt acquiring the leads they need to find the real estate deals they need to earn a living. I say  increase the marketing and the sellers will call. Not only that but if you are saturating the world (or at least your area) that you buy problem real estate properties, eventually you will be acknowledged for what you do and sellers will telephone you strictly on your reputation. this is what is called cost effective marketing.

One real estate investor was in a home, garden and hardware store a few weeks ago and passed by a couple of Guys in an aisle. A conversation was heard as he walked by, I overheard one say, ‚ÄúThat is the real estate man‚Äù. Now I had never seen either of those guys and have no idea who they are but that experience lets me know that I must be doing my job at letting the world to know my business is buying real estate in that area. There are many ways to let the world know that you are in the real estate investing business and getting information out there that helps people understand you buy foreclosures, distressed real estate, do real estate short sales and have a lot of real estate information and experience to flip properties. Some ways are cheap and some are more expensive. You are going to have to try many things and get a feel for what brings about for you the best results in your area to get the calls you need to transact real estate deals. I have tried many kinds of marketing techniques for real estate business concerns of all kinds and have come back to a few that constantly produce enough results for me to buy the 2 or 3 real estate properties and homes  I want to buy every single month. They are as follows:

Classified Ads

The classified advert in the largest paper in the area is by far the biggest producer of leads for local real estate investors that I have found. I know it is expensive and I acknowledge there are times it doesn‚Äôt generate calls but if you are going to remain in the real estate investing business just put it in there and leave it. Get used to it being part of the cost of doing the real estate business. You may pay about $300.00 a month for my 4 line ad and that is the commercial rate. I’d recommend running it 365 days a year to constantly remind everyone that you are a real estate investor and you buy real estate in their area.

Over the past five or so  years I have witnessed many ‚Äúreal estate investor‚Äù ads come and go. Most folks put them in for a few or even just a couple of weeks and then pull them or try just putting them in on the weekends. Real Estate Marketing just doesn’t work this way. Put your real estate ad  in the paper and leave it. It will more than pay for itself, believe me, and you’ll discover after you close your first deal. If you are concerned because there are real estate investors ads from several investors in there, don‚Äôt be. They are there because they are getting calls. Just be sure to and actually answer your phone and keep it on all the time otherwise you’ll be wasting money.

When a new ad for real estate investor information pops up  in my paper, I will always call on the ad. 9 times out of 10 I get a message recorder or answering machine. This is a big turn off to someone who needs a solution to their real estate problem now. They want to talk to someone who can calm their anxiety over their current issues with their property and tell them everything is going to be alright. Your answering machine won‚Äôt do that, they need a human being. As for what to put in the advert, you will have to work on this one. I have tried several idea and the one I have now hasn‚Äôt changed for over 2 years. I haven‚Äôt altered it because I get phone calls. My ad is:

I Pay CASH FOR HOUSES s
In 48 Hours!
Any area, price or condition
Call Today xxx-xxx-xxxx

Now I have had other real estate investors jockey for position and alter their ad copy to be ahead of mine in the column but it hasn’t made any difference, at least as far as I can distinguish. Don’t worry about those things, just get the advert out there and leave it. It could possibly take some time, perhaps a few weeks to get going but sellers will call. Once you have your classified advert running, then you should start working on your other methods right away. If you only implement one idea a week, within a couple of months you will have a tremendously powerful real estate buying machine.

Ads in the Freebie Papers

You may also run ads in the freebie papers in your local area or the area you want to transact real estate investment business. These are the ‚ÄúThrifty Nickel‚Äù, or whatever they are called in your area. I run both a column ad and a display in this paper and spend about $200.00 or so a month for these. They pull in seller leads fairly well and have always justified the costs. Remember that these guys are usually open to negotiating on your rates and you’ll probably get a better rate if you commit to a longer advertising contract.

Bandit Signs or Road Signs

Bandit signs are great. They are some of the best lead generating tools around. I have yet to put out a bunch and not be bombarded with calls right after I did my marketing. I just don‚Äôt put them out that often. I might put out a few to a half dozen or so a month and the ones that remain and don’t get taken down continue to pull in calls. At an average cost of less than $2.00 per sign, they are one of the best real estate marketing and advertising values around. Check the internet for sign companies for discount signage prices. . I use 18 x 24 signs and place them at high traffic intersection points around the town I want to buy property in.

You may place a sign in the front yard immediately after buying any house. I have bought several homes in the same neighborhoods as a result of marketing this way.

You can either use wood stakes or the wire stakes with your signs. I like the wood stakes because they don‚Äôt bend like the wire ones, in addition, they are cheaper and you can find just about any reasonablly sized stick of wood or stake at your local hardware store for a really good price.  Just get long lengths and reduce to fit. Then just nail the sign to it with the roofing nails with the orange or green plastic tops or you can use screws. There are many variations on what the wording on the sign can say. Keep in mind that traffic will be moving so you want to keep your message short and simple so it can be read. Plus your number must be big, large and easy to read.  

If you look the sign advertisement content, you’ll notice that it is the same as my newspaper ad.  I like to brand my advertising because I think that helps with recognition that is probably why the two guys noticed me as a Real Estate Investor..You want to have contrast, so a white sign with dark blue letters usually is the best draw. Some folks swear by black on yellow or black on orange. Again, I say it‚Äôs not what or how you say it rather simply that you’re out there marketing and putting out signs that counts. You’ll build a ‘brand image over time if you stay consistent with your real estate marketing efforts.  When dealing with bandit signs, be sure that your local code enforcement laws are tolerant of them. In some areas or counties they can lax on them but a few miles down the road in another county or city, they can be super strict and will fine you in a minute, pull the signs down and start looking for your next postings to go after you again.  Some retailers in high tax areas can’t put out any A board signage without getting them sized and then fined.

Flyers and Bulliten Board Postings

Flyers and related collateral are another inexpensive way to get the word out that you are a real estate investor buy houses, foreclosures or distressed properties. Just create a flyer with any one of the free online flyer software sites telling people that your are a real estate investor and how to get in contact with you. Make copies for few cents apiece and you have some reallyy inexpensive real estate marketing and advertising. It reallyy is that simple. Then place these flyers on every bulletin board in your town or area you would like to buy your property, foreclosure or distressed home.. I also recommend that you place some of them in those plastic sheet protectors so the rain won’t destroy them and put them up on telephone poles around neighborhoods I like to purchase property in.. While not as large as the bandit signs, on poles actually in the vicinity they still attract calls. I carry a file with me in my vehicle and place them up whenever I stop at a grocery store or major discount store or reallyy wherever. Some of the other places to put them are:

Laundromats
Taped to the inside of Phone Booths.
On the counter of any business that will let you place them at.
Bulletin boards at any local or major discount store (lots of traffic)
Grocery store bulletin boards
Fax to Mortgage Brokers, call first
Fax to Real Estate Agents, call first and they may get a lot of these.
Take them Door to Door in target neighborhoods
Employment Center Bulletin board
County Courthouse or public office Bulletin board

These are just a few examples. Any place that will allow you to put one is a good place. You can never let too many people know that you are a real estate investor and are in the foreclosure market.

Imprinted and/or Promotional Items

Optimum Real Estate Investor Marketing Ideas – These no miss ideas are sure to get you top hits on leads and calls for your Real Estate Investing Business.

These are some of my favorites and most fun. While they are not the top producers of leads or the least expensive, they will sure set you apart from the average investor.

Pen Knives – These tiny Swiss army knives are the coolest. They are actually key chains engraved with your message, mine being: WE BUY HOUSES- All cash or take over payments within 48 hours! Call xxx-xxx-xxx I guarantee if you give one of these to someone they will keep it and if they think of selling, they will think of you. They are about $1.50 apiece.

Key Chains – I give these to all my buyers with the keys to their new house on them and leave them all over the place. They come in the shape of a house or #1 or whatever style you like and have your message on them. You can guess what mine says. Cost – about $. 25 cents apiece.

Pens РI use these all the time. Whenever I sign a sales receipt or anything I leave my pen. I can’t tell you how many calls I have gotten off of these things and since I always need one, I always have one to give away. My attorney even has a supply on his closing table. I have two types printed. One for sellers says We Buy Houses! and one for buyers says Everyone Qualifies. Cost Рabout $.21 cents apiece.

Coin Holders – These you hardly find anymore so everyone is surprised when I have them. I leave these things everywhere. Mine are bright yellow with blue letters and my message. Cost – about $.30 cents apiece.

I leave all of these promotional items everywhere, on the top of gas pumps, on end-cap displays in grocery stores and in department stores. I look at it this way, if I give away 100 pens, 50 knives and 50 coin holders a month, that is only a little over $100 bucks a month. That is still cheap advertising. And with the money you can make in a real estate deal, it is ‘no cost’ marketing strategy. You can get any of these promotional advertising products at many major promotion marketing manfacturer, and you can find companies online as well.

Business Cards

I order business cards by the 1000’s and you should as well, there are a lot of great places online that can print up nice (and cheap) cards for you and that specialize in real estate as well. As for business cards, well, they are cheap, mine are about $50.00 for 2000, and I pass them out and leave them everywhere I possibly can. I leave my cards everywhere, in pay phones, on restaurant tables, my kids even have their own supply to pass out. Try to get a box a week out. The card doesn’t have to be fancy, in fact the simpler the better. My card is bright yellow with blue letters and says:

WE BUY HOUSES
Foreclosure? Need Repairs? Bad Tenants? Divorce?
CASH IN 48 HOURS!
OFFERS MADE ON ALL CALLS!
XXX-XXX-XXXX

Car Magnetics

Magnetics are one of those things where you spend once and get use for a long time. Mine cost about $75.00 and are yellow with blue letters. They say:

WE BUY HOUSES!
FA$T CA$H
XXX-XXX-XXXX

or

SELL YOUR HOME FAST
WE PAY CA$H
XXX-XXX-XXXX

I have gotten several deals from these signs. Remember to order a smaller set for the back of your car/truck. People have more of a chance to read the message when they are riding behind you.

Clothing

I like golf shirts and oxford dress shirts with my logo on them. There’s plenty of advertsing houses that will help you design a logo if you don‚Äôt have one or use the one you already have. There is no charge for set up and all items ordered include your embroidered logo free.

I pass custom imprinted hats out to everyone I know who wears one and have given away many shirts as well. They reallyy look nice and present a nice image for your business.

Other Advertising Tools

There are many other forms of advertising, some I have tried in the past such as billboards, door hangers, yellow pages, television and radio advertising. I even have a traveling billboard, an old SUV painted bright yellow with blue WE BUY HOUSES! and my phone number that I drive around and park overnight at different places. It gets the calls! Get the marketing going and let the world know who to call when they have a house to sell, a pre-foreclosure, distressed property or someone who just wants to get out of their house.. If that phone isn‚Äôt ringing, you aren‚Äôt making money so you need to get a good marketing strategy going and stick with it!   

I sincerely hope these tips will help you in your next real estate marketing efforts and get you the real estate investing deals you’re after.

When we buy physical items on line, there is obviously the need to wait for delivery. Make it as fast as possible, surely no problem in a world where things have to “absolutely, positively, get there overnight.”

And forget those shipping charges and express delivery upgrades. Are you aware that the biggest discouragement to online buying is shipping costs? Increase the price of every item by a dollar and make shipping and handling free. I’m not going to not order something because it’s a dollar or so higher in price and the lack of hassle on shipping will make me purr with satisfaction.

Even on an item that must be shipped, give me something immediate. Not just an e-mail that my order has been received but some information about what I’m getting, how smart was my decision to order, and where I can get additional information about related items that might interest me.

If I’m buying a product that doesn’t need to be shipped, such as a report or book, give it to me now. As soon as I’ve paid, or taken you up on a free offer, I want to right click, download, and read. I don’t want to have to go into my inbox and click to activate something.

If I receive a zip file that opens up to show a bewildering array of mysteriously labeled icons, I want clearly labeled instructions so I can go there first and learn what all the other stuff is. If it’s “so easy to use a child could do it” software, don’t make me feel stupid because I can’t figure out what to do next and the instructions are vague or non-existent.

If it’s a marketing report, I want to be able to read it first and decide whether I like it, not be immediately confronted with a page urging me to brand the book so I can resell it – how do I know I want to be associated with it before I’ve completely read it?

If you’re giving me a mini-course over a period of days, make sure each lesson is totally self-contained or indulge my impatience by allowing me to click onto the next chapter. If I’m interested, I want to read it now. By tomorrow morning, I may have forgotten that I ordered it, no matter being able to recall what was in part one.

There is real joy in reading something and feeling an immediate internal reaction: “I like that.” Those are the books we print out and pore over with our yellow highlighter. We take notes and write between the paragraphs, interacting with the material and thereby making it our own.

Give me something so engrossing that I can’t stop until I’ve devoured all of it. If I get to page 3 and decide to exit thinking that “I’ll read it later when I have the time,” you’ve already lost me. I may occasionally open it up again but if I couldn’t get into it at first read, I doubt that I ever will.

Mark it up to experience but it leaves a bad taste about the author who probably shouldn’t count on my continued patronage.

I’ve had this study on the back burner for ages and finally decided it was time to check it out. Here’s the deal… Tons of marketing “gurus” tell you that the best way to sell something is with a sales letter. I’m not disputing that (at least not in this study). These “gurus” then tell you that you should set up a one-page web-site that simulates a piece of white paper against a _____ background. That blank is what has been bothering me for awhile. Here’s why…

I keep seeing different colors for major marketers. I even see some major marketers switch colors from one site to another. It makes me wonder if they have done any testing. Does the color just not matter? If so, why do so many use dark blue, light blue and black?

Then I consider the major money makers on the ‘net and wonder why only one uses a colored background. I’m talking about Yahoo, Google, Ebay and Amazon. They all use a white background surrounding their “page” that is set in a limited width table in the center of the page. Only MSN.com uses a medium blue background.

It was high time for a study to find out the real answer. I did it in the usual way. I built a list of profitable and unprofitable sites by looking at the duration of ads being placed on Yahoo (Overture) and Google. If an ad had been shown for six months or longer, I placed the target page on a list of “profitable” sites. If an ad was placed and completely dropped in less that one month, the site was placed on an “unprofitable” list. The latter list would be less reliable, but the comparison between the two lists would still be statistically valid with a sufficient sample size. The latter list might only represent “average” sites, but even “average” sites would be less profitable than the known profitable list.

The results were very mixed. First of all, the white background sites were the vast majority on both lists. You simply can’t go wrong with a completely white background. However, it wasn’t actually the winner. Here is the breakdown:

Profitable sites with a white background: 85.2%

Unprofitable (or average) sites with a white background: 92.6%

A non-white background actually was more profitable a higher percentage of the time. I then studied the “darkness” of the background in those minority sites for both profitable and unprofitable sites. Looking at the RGB values, I split the colors into two buckets… those that were dark (191 or less average RGB value) and those that were light (192 or higher RGB value). The results were even more clear:

Looking only at non-white backgrounds of profitable sites with dark colors: 92.8%

Looking only at non-white backgrounds of unprofitable sites with light colors: 96.1%

Wow! That’s quite a correlation. Although a vast majority of profitable (and unprofitable) sites have a white background, those that do have a non-white background have a dark background whereas the unprofitable sites were more likely to have a light background… both with an extremly high correlation. That’s hard to ignore.

I next had to get the actual answer. What color background had the highest correlation with profitability. What’s the bottom line? The answer was just as clear:

53.3% of the profitable sites with non-white desktop background were black.

Now; I should be very clear about this result. The area under study is NOT the actual web-site text area. We are NOT talking about having white text on a black background. In a vast majority of cases, these sites actually had black text on a white background. The area under study is the theoretical area AROUND the virtual piece of paper. It is the “desktop” color if you pretend the web-site area is a piece of paper sitting on a virtual desktop. It isn’t the color of the piece of paper that is under study. It is the color of the virtual desktop that the piece of paper is virtually laying upon.

So what am I going to do about this result? I’ll probably eventually implement it. I don’t like it, but the result is very clear. Why don’t I like it? Well, take a look at one of my sites:

http://www.Glyphius.com

I use a virtual piece of white paper on a virtual white desktop. I like the fuzzed shadow I use around the edges. That fuzzed shadow won’t be possible with a black background. The shadow will simply disappear leaving (in my opinion) a less professional look of a crisp piece of white paper against a black backdrop.

The other reason I don’t like it is that it puts me out of the majority of profitable sites in general. It will make future studies more difficult. Instead of simply grabbing profitable sites and comparing them to unprofitable sites, I will need to grab only profitable and unprofitable sites that have a black background. Otherwise other results might not be valid if they come from the majority white background dataset. A good example would be a study of headline color. The most profitable headline color might be different between those sites with a black background and those with a standard white background.

I simply haven’t decided what to do yet. Will I stick with the safe standard white desktop behind my virtual piece of paper? Or will I go with the black desktop that is less standard, but has a higher correlation with profitability? What will you do?

One result from this study is very clear though. If you do choose a non-white background, it is foolhardy to choose yellow, blue (light or dark), pastel green, or any other color. The correct color for highest profitability is clearly black. The 2nd place color (and the color of the vast majority of sites) is white. All other colors failed miserably in this study.

Have you taken the plunge and started your own business? Good for you! Starting and establishing a new business is a challenging task in a competitive environment. Proper documentation with local and state agencies is necessary for any type of business. Sometimes, assistance from small business administrations or chambers of commerce is also advisable; these experts in the field of business can point you in the right direction and offer assistance on solving problems that you may encounter. Nowadays, online companies have created ways to provide similar and sometimes better business profiling strategies at affordable rates, which target those customer in need of faster and more convenient access to there business. This surely increases the online marketing to a next level for local businesses. What you have heard is true – everything is now available online!

An individual who runs a local business is of course looking to target and outrange local population. You may wonder to yourself, “How do I target this local business in an effective manner?” Traffic to a local business can increase by posting local business articles and press releases; such strategies will prove advantageous. Why? The fact is that customers will become informed after reading about your business. The next step is for these customers to come to you for your services. Give them the right knowledge and they will decide to use your business.

Another important marketing step is to issue small business coupons that a client can print out and take to your store. Through these coupons, you can offer potential customers a free gift, a percentage off on a service, or some other token to get them to visit your business. How do you get these coupons out there to the target market that you want? In this regard, assistance can be sought from local business articles and online experts who are available to issue coupons by zip code using an automated coupon system. Theses coupon are in varieties of selection and deals, in which other small business could also benefit and increase their sales. In such innovative marketing ideas could help put a business ahead of its competition. This works much like the old-fashioned direct mail pieces did years ago. These coupons are the trick to get people into your store. Even though technology has changed, the customers have not. They still all love to use coupons and get free items or discounts. The added benefit is that they cost a fraction of what those post office mailed letters do.

This surely does not mean that you have to forego traditional advertising methods altogether. You can surely combine some of the older strategies with the newer, more sophisticated methods which could lead to better strategies than your competitors. Many small business owners can secure local business registration by advertising locally through SEO-friendly local directory submission. Such modern techniques can be combined with traditional devices such as radio advertisements, Yellow Pages, print media, and other advertising media. Millions of small business owners have benefited by using such online methods for maximization of profits. This spells out to improved customer relationships, better word-of-mouth business, and the most important thing of all – higher revenues.

Have a business that’s purely local, such as a hair salon or dry cleaners? Or simply want to beef up your client roster with more folks from your local area?

Here are 10 simple solutions to your local marketing challenges …

1. Make sure that your website specifically targets your local market. People are increasingly heading online to find local vendors. Make sure to broadcast your site’s URL to all of your prospects and clients, and ask your web designer to ensure that the website is search-engine friendly for people seeking information about vendors in your city.

You might also investigate pay-per-click search engines such as Yahoo! and CitySearch, which offer targeted marketing to people in your local area.

2. Network. I know that the odds are good that you might consider the term “networking” to be almost as bad as a four-letter word, but I assure you that there are ways to meet other businesspeople in town that won’t make you feel uncomfortable. Most of us have access to local organizations that are full of nice people just like you who simply want to meet other like-minded people.

The local Chamber of Commerce and other industry-specific organizations in your area are a good starting point. Just make sure not to just go to meetings — make an effort to get to know people or even volunteer for a leadership position where you can show off your responsibility, reliability and talent.

3. Partner with other small businesses catering to the same group of prospects. This seemingly simplistic tactic works for both service- and product-based businesses very successfully.

If, for example, you are a graphic designer and are seeking additional design work, you will benefit from getting to know a local copywriter or printer who knows plenty of prospects who might need your services. Alternatively, come up with a plan that sells quantities of your wares to local businesses as gifts/rewards for their clients and employees. Either way, it means more business!

4. Give talks at local organization meetings. If you enjoy public speaking, seek out associations full of your target prospects and volunteer to give speeches for free in exchange for the chance to market yourself and your services/products.

5. Send direct mailings to local prospects, and make a quick phone call to each prospect a few days later. The beauty of local prospects is the fact that you can afford to call your prospects for free as a way of following up.

6. Write articles on your area of expertise for the local paper, organization newsletters or your local business rag. Here in the Los Angeles area, for example, there are quite a few possibilities to choose from in the immediate area, and looking beyond what’s in close proximity, there are dozens of others in Orange County, Ventura County and beyond.

7. Don’t underestimate the power of a good Yellow Pages ad. Local businesses still look in the phone book to find sources of assistance for many types of their needs. The key in all this is to use the space in your ad wisely — include more copy than your competitors and share insights in that copy about how to select a (Fill in the blank) and give them reasons to get to know you.

8. Hold a contest and get local press for it. Could your business benefit from the added attention of a contest? Get creative and go for it!

In all of these suggestions, I’ve focused on how you can find new clients, but don’t forget: One of the very best ways to make more profits is to get your current clients to spend more on each purchase and/or get them to come back to you more often.

With that in mind:

9. Make sure to educate your current clients about what you do. Regardless of how many clients you have, you need something in place to keep them up to date on what you and your business are capable of.

Recently a listmate on a discussion group I participate in mentioned that she lost business to another vendor because her client didn’t know that she could provide that particular service. How much business are you losing because your local clients don’t have a clue what you do?

10. Set up a loyalty program designed to keep your current clients coming back for more. Depending on your business, you might want to send out coupons, freebies or even simply send out an update of the types of products/services you offer.

The good thing about most of these methods is their low cost. Regardless of your business’s location, make sure to study your local competitors’ marketing methods and see what works. Then give it your own personal twist and reap the benefits.

15 Low Budget Ways Of Marketing Your Mortgage Business

Whether you’re new to the mortgage business or an old experienced hand at it…one challenge that is always there is…how to inexpensively get the word out about your mortgage business and generate new prospects and customers.

Yes, the traditional forms of advertising such as the yellow pages, newspaper ads, radio or television spots, and your local Chamber of Commerce are often times just too expensive and usually budget busters. Everyone in the mortgage business faces this same dilemma.

But, there are plenty of other options available to you that can be termed low budget. You need to think “outside of the box” and be a little creative.

Here are a few ideas to get you started:

1. Business Cards – You probably have a huge box of them…why not use them! Where ever you go, who ever you talk to, what ever you mail, make sure you leave a trail with your business card.

2. Bulletin Boards – The last time I checked they were still free to use. Take advantage of this and get the word out about your Mortgage Business.

3. Car Signs – Your very own moving bulletin board promoting your Mortgage Business…the cost per exposure is super low…this is truly no-brainer!

4. Windshield Flyers – A low cost activity and a super producer of leads. What more can you ask of an inexpensive idea?

5. Door Hangers – Another low cost idea that gets results. You’re the one doing the targeting with a message that you have picked.

6. School and Church Directories – There are lots of directories that offer low cost ad alternatives for your Mortgage Business. Don’t pass them by…there are some gems there.

7. Say “Thank You” – Use your phone, note cards, postcards, or letters…continue to thank people that help or assist you in any way.

8. Open Houses – Visit both Realtor/Agent and FSBO open houses. Prepare a flier for the property and leave a few copies. Working a few Sundays will do wonders for your business.

9. Banks – Visit banks and promote your loan programs. Most banks don’t offer the same programs that you do. You’ll be surprised how many referrals you can get.

10. Bookmarks – Design and create a special bookmark using your logo, contact information, and mortgage specialty. Visit the “Real Estate” section and embed them into each real estate book you can find. You can target specific readers such as investors or debt consolidation prospects.

11. Teach – Contact your library or community college and offer to teach a free evening class. Your subject could be “Credit,” “Mortgage 101,” or “Identity Theft” (hot topic right now).

12. Realtors/Agents – If you’re having a problem establishing relationships with these folks, offer a free service to them such as: writing a mortgage article for their newsletter; providing a second mortgage opinion for their customers; creating open house fliers for them (only if you’re very good at it).

13. Speaker – Give free talks to community organizations. This one of the most overlooked and yet effective ways of marketing your Mortgage Business.

14. Discount – Offer an incentive via a discount on credit reports, appraisal, or lower closing costs using an attractive certificate. Don’t miss an opportunity to hand out one of these coupons.

15. FSBOs – The FSBO market is a super niche market and a great lead generator. The really nice part is that it’s very inexpensive to get it going and producing. Take a close look at this one.

As you market your business, closely monitor the performance of your advertising. Ask new customers how they found you and then use this information to really direct your marketing.

If you’re looking for that one “magic bullet,” you know…the one idea that gets your phone ringing off the hook, the applications rolling in, and fills your pipeline…I don’t think it exists.

I do know that if one form of advertising is not bringing in customers for you, then you need to try something new immediately. Pick something fresh that recharges your batteries and motivates you. Find the right mix of advertising formats and ideas; add your personality and knowledge to the mix and you’ll guarantee your success.

 

Online marketing is often seen as an easy and cheap way to promote your business. However, if you are a beginner, there is only so much you can do to use online marketing without needing help of a specialist. But these little steps are certainly worthwhile considering if you don’t want to loose out in such a competitive world.

1. Email
When surfing the web I still find many companies using a generic email address such as mybusiness@yahoo.com or similar. If you want to use your email to contact customers or to be contacted, one of your first steps should be to set up a domain name and an email address with your business such as sales@mybusiness.com.

There are many providers on the internet, so you will have to search and compare cost and support service provided. But to do so is vital as an email address with your company name instils trust in your business and will increase the number of people choosing to contact you.

2. Website
A website does not have to be large and expensive. If you can get it designed interestingly and have resources to maintain it regularly, that’s great. But the least you should have is a small website such as www.mybusiness.com with a short description of the products and services you offer and your contact details.

When potential customers are searching for a supplier on the internet (and this is increasingly being done both by businesses and consumers) you have a chance to be found. And if they think you are suitable they’ll be happy to contact you by email or phone for more details. If you don’t have a presence on the web, they might not even know you exist.

Over time you can think of expanding your website and using professionals to improve your search engine optimisation (SEO improve your ranking in search engines).

3. Listings
The simplest use of online marketing is to use it to be found. You can register on free sites or on sites that cost you money to list your business. Again, the better the site you are listed in ranks on search engines the better the chance that a potential customer will find you.

One tip to consider is the yellow pages you might already be listed in them. For an additional payment you can feature in the local search in Google. E.g. enter “plumber yourtown” in Google and a map with local suppliers will come up these is pulled from yell.com and a great and cost effective marketing tool for small businesses targeting consumers.

4. Advertising
If online advertising is for you depends on your target audience and products. The same thought process as for offline advertising applies, but if you have little experience get an expert on board to advise you and to develop the adverts and banners.

5. Networking
Networking is very useful for small businesses to get in touch with the right people customers, suppliers and staff. You should consider using online sites such as linkedin.com or xing.com as well to publish your profile and to get in touch and stay in touch with people that could be useful to your business or are happy to recommend you.

6. Email newsletters
Email newsletters are considerably cheaper than direct mail but you need to know where to get the best addresses from and how much to pay. You shouldn’t do this without experts help as it is easy to damage your online reputation by accidentally spamming. Also your newsletters should be carefully designed just a letter copied into word is unlikely to be received positively by your customers.

Online marketing has many facet’s and if you are interested, I’d recommend to take an introduction course to find out what are the best options for you. I hope that above gives you some ideas at what to look first! I can also suggest some good software or give you links on the subject that will give you a more wellrounded and informative education. Leave me a msg and I’ll deffinately respond.

 

When your real estate investing business is in its infancy, dollars spent on marketing must be spent carefully. It’s easy to listen to the advice of the gurus (who probably have much more expendable cash than you do) telling you to get a Yellow Pages ad, or to send out mass mailings, and on and on. It can get confusing.

The key to good marketing is not how much money you throw at advertising, but how well you manage your marketing. While a Yellow Pages ad may work well for others, that might not be the best investment of your advertising budget. In the beginning try marketing methods that are not highly expensive, but methods that can be tracked and measured. Let’s look at a few:

1. Networking

One of the simplest, quickest and least expensive ways to advertise your business is to tell people. Attend business exchange meetings. Get active in your local Chamber of Commerce. See if there is a local real estate investor association (REIA) in your city or town. If so, join and get involved. No matter where you go, hand out your business cards and tell people that you buy houses.

2. Business Cards

That brings us to another inexpensive way to advertise – handing out business cards. You may hear conflicting opinions regarding business cards. Some say spare no expense. Get the best cards money can buy. But is this best for you at this time? If you begin with computer-generated business cards, it will give you time to decide for sure what you want your cards to look like and what you want them to say. After all, if someone is desperate to sell their house, do you think they will decide not to call you if your card doesn’t have raised lettering? Do what is best for your business at this time. The point is not what your cards look like, but how they are used. Hand them out wherever you go.

3. Signs

Another controversial item is yard signs (or bandit signs as they are called because they are quickly stolen). These may be illegal in your area, but you can still place them in the yards of the properties you are selling. And you can put them in the yards of friends who give you permission. There are companies who, for a fee, will put out your signs on a Friday evening and pick them up on Sunday evening. Thus they are out for the entire weekend. This is an area where it’s good to begin small, and decide from there if the investment is worth it. Like them or loathe them, roadside signs are effective in capturing a lot of calls and uncovering many bargain properties.

4. Classified Ads

The key to effective classified ads in your local newspaper is consistency. If you begin with a simple “We Buy Houses” ad in the “Real Estate Wanted” section of your paper, run it daily for several months. Don’t just stick it in on a Sunday once in a while to “see” if it works. Budget it into your marketing plan and chalk it up to the cost of doing business. First of all, when readers see that same ad week after week, soon they begin to think of you as a reputable business. (Read that “trusted.”) Secondly, if you skip a few days, that may be the very day a motivated seller is looking for someone to purchase their distressed property. But you missed it!

5. Mail Campaigns

Entire books have been written on the ins and outs of mail campaigns. In the early days of your business, use mail campaigns only for highly targeted groups such as absentee property owners, or expired listings. Writing good sales copy, printing and mailing letters is a demanding task. Statistical data indicates it takes 4-7 times before someone responds to an ad, therefore, consistency is a critical factor to your success when employing this marketing method. Again, assess your own business and see if this is the marketing method you are prepared to undertake.

6. Flyers

Bright colorful flyers can be an effective and inexpensive way to get the word out that you are buying distressed properties. If you have selected a particular neighborhood in your city, consider hiring a high school student to take flyers door to door. Or hand them out in local businesses in the area. Post them in places like grocery stores, mail centers, and Laundromats. When the advertising budget is tight, this method can be a real winner.

7. Internet

It costs so little to create a website these days it would be a waste not to have your own. Purchase a domain name that is your business name – or similar to your business name. (Some real estate investing groups offer inexpensive website programs that you can use. Check it out.) As you build up a list of possible investor/buyers, get their email addresses. When you have a property come available, quickly email your list letting them know. In this day and age no real estate investor should be without Internet capabilities. It’s there and much of it is free. Make it work for you.

Conclusion

This is just the beginning of ways you can begin to market your business. As you get your name out there, another consideration will be your phone system. If at all possible retain an answering service so each call will be answered by a live person. That will speak volumes about the credibility of your business, and will capture more leads. Half the people who get voice mail will not leave a message, but they will talk to a live person.

Work on your marketing plan. Set it up to fit your needs at the present moment. Track all leads to know what is working and what is not. From month to month you can make the needed adjustments by using the tracking information you have received. Soon you will know exactly what works best for your particular situation.

Cleaning companies have a variety of marketing methods open to
them for gaining new clients.

· Telesales · Yellow pages advertising · Thompson’s Local
Directory · Mailing lists · Leaflet drops · Newspaper
advertising · Journal advertising · Direct selling · Internet
advertising

In my own experience cold calling on companies has not met with
any success. Most companies who want cleaning carried out
already have cleaners in place and they will only change them if
they think they can get it done cheaper or if they are
dissatisfied with the cleaning. Managing to locate a company who
are in the process of making a decision about their cleaning and
telephoning them at that moment in time is a very long shot. You
must make the decision as to whether it is cost effective to tie
somebody up on the telephone for long hours for possibly little
return. If for example your cleaning covers a very wide area
such as a whole region of the UK then it may be worth it, but if
you are restricted to a small area then probably not. What you
may end up with are a lot of calls to give quotes simply because
the company wants to see if they get their cleaning done cheaper
than at present. Even in these circumstances and you submit a
quote which is cheaper they still may not have the impetus to
change if they are happy with their present regime. However you
do end up on their files for that day when they do finally
decide to change. So you could get a call one two or even three
years down the line.

Advertising in the yellow pages is probably a must, as despite
the advent of the Internet people do still use yellow pages to
find services they require. At least this way the company are
calling you for a quote so are more likely to actually require
cleaners. From the point of view of closing a sale it is better
if the client has chosen you rather than the other way round.
The only problem with advertising in the yellow pages is one of
cost. There are probably a large number of firms advertising
their services that you are in direct competition with.
Consequently you have to make your advertisement stand out from
the others. To do this is a very costly exercise but ultimately
should be worth it for the amount of new business it brings in.

Advertising in Thompson’s directories I find difficult to
comment on. Whilst being cheaper than Yellow Pages in my own
experience it has brought in very little new business.

Using a Mailing list and contacting companies with a sales
letter, like telesales is a matter of chance. Again you have the
time factor to pay for plus the postage plus the cost of buying
in a mailing list if you do not put one together yourself.
Putting a mailing list together is a very time consuming
business. I know because I have done it, and again in our
experience it brings in very little new business. If you have a
high advertising budget then it may be something that you
consider worthwhile.

As far as advertising in local newspapers is concerned this can
become very costly for little or no return so I would not
recommend this to any new cleaning business. Possibly with
carpet cleaning and window cleaning you will have more success.
However the take up from your advertisement will mainly be
domestic customers not commercial concerns. Likewise advertising
in specialist journals is a costly exercise but possibly
worthwhile if your budget is large enough. However you have to
research the journals carefully to make sure that the companies
you are trying to target actually subscribe to these and more
importantly read them.

Leaflet drops, direct marketing and Internet advertising will be
covered in part two of the article

As we all know, buying and selling properties is a great way to gain financial freedom, even if you weren’t unable to go to a prestigious college or finish your formal education like what your peers have done. However, learning how to flip houses alone is not enough. You also have to get moving, do some research, implement effective marketing strategies, and build networks to ensure your success in the real estate game.

Like what was mentioned above, there is more to flipping real estate aside from buying and selling properties to make money. There are lots of important things to be done and tasks to accomplish to ensure huge returns on investments. One of them is building a sellers’ list. As you may know, it is important to have good sources of properties to flip. Even if you have lots of buyers waiting on standby, you won’t be able to earn money if you don’t have houses to sell. For this reason, you will need to use marketing strategies that will attract potential home sellers or even encourage those who have no concrete plans of selling their properties to get into action.

For starters, you can utilize tried and tested marketing techniques such as running ads on newspapers or even on the radio or TV. But if you don’t have the money to spare, you can also use the Internet. Bear in mind that the World Wide Web is a powerful marketing tool and it can propel your real estate investing business forward if used effectively. Many real estate investors nowadays are using their Internet as their primary marketing tool and it would do you a world of good if you would follow their example.

Learning how to flip houses wouldn’t be complete if you’re not going to include learning creative marketing strategies in your “flipping curriculum.” Aside from the running ads online and in the newspaper, there are many ways to find leads to great investment opportunities. You just have to use your creativity and your resourcefulness. Examples of great, yet unconventional ways to find motivated home sellers is to use bandit signs, send yellow letters or post cards, and post “we buy” houses signs among others.