I have been considering using custom-printed door hangers as a form of marketing, but am hesitant. I know I could just save money and make fliers, and put those on cars. That seems to be much cheaper in terms of both money spent on the media, and time spent putting them out. However, I feel there’s something about hangers that I’m missing. I think my hesitation revolves around the fact that I don’t feel putting them in just any old neighborhood is a good idea. That puts me in a similar situation to doing fliers on cars, only the door to door hangering is much more expensive and time consuming. I’m thinking if I could target neighborhoods, I’d radically increase my marketing efficiency on hangers.
I just don’t know how I’d begin to target, like what criteria would be good to target. Any suggestions, thoughts, or tips?
I tried door hangers when I first started, and honestly I was not happy about the results. Granted, I did single shot to 20,000 homes rather than doing 4 shots to 5000 homes, but even at 20,000 I would have thought I would get some good calls. I got 5 unmotivated sellers.
I have to say that I’m always amazed when someone thinks it’s okay to touch someone else’s personal property. I view it someone leaving litter on my car or property. I think it’s rude.
Leaving a door hanger on my door would result in getting reported to the city for unlicensed solicitation, at the very least.
please do explain the nature of ‘licensed soliciation’ then. Unless there’s a no solicitation sign on your door, I was under the impression that you have ZERO recourse against anyone leaving a hanger on it. Just my understanding (I dislike when I get crappy restaurant fliers, but whether I like it or not is irrelevant.)
The key here is repitition. You need to send out multiple mailings. One mailing just isn’t going to cut it. Simple as that.
There is a reason we constantly see TV Commercials from the same companies. There is a reason why Bud had so many during the super bowl even.
I don’t know who stated this originally, but studies show that 7 times is the key to memorization. I have adopted this in my speaking. I will go over a point or even say a person’s name 7 times before I have it.
So you need to send out or pass out ads and marketing more than one time. You will see that over the campaign, it averages out. Your first round might return little, but then your 3rd or 4th campaign you will get lots of responses. Remember it only takes one deal to pay for the marketing!
I understand that now, like I said, it was when I started. Now I concentrate on sending 6 to 10 correspondants mixing letters and post cards (lately just post cards due to the time it takes to do the letters).
I still however, don’t believe in doorhangers. I talked to a friend who works for marketing company and she said door hangers tend to have less impact than post cards and she discouraged me from using them, but I cannot say beyond my personal experience.
Our city requires that anyone engaging in solicitation get a license to do so. Very similar to a business license. If you engage in solicitation without that license, you get fined.
For the record I have not one, but TWO no soliciting signs on my property. They tend to think that if they’re just leaving some information, they’re not soliciting and leave it anyway.
Beyond the whole liability thing (nothing like getting sued when a solicitor falls on your property), the fact of the matter is that the property belongs to me and I get to say how it gets used. When you pay my mortgage you can determine what goes on with the property. I feel the same way about my phone and my car.
I door knock because it is the best form of marketing in the REI business. Getting sued and reported for solicitation, you have a better chance of getting in a car wreck.
Put yourself out there, door knock.
I met three different people at different times in REI before I began door knocking. They all stated that you had to knock doors to make this business work. Two are investors and one is an agent. I hear one of the wealthiest real estate agents in my town door knocks.