The answer to this question is linked to the question of who is on your newsletter list.
If you’ve already started a relationship with someone, then there’s a good chance that they’ll want to know you better. They’ll look to your newsletter to stay connected with the quirky, fun, interesting person they met in person, even if that was just a brief meeting. For those people, a personable newsletter will enhance the relationship, just as personal letters used to do, and as some people can do today using email correspondence. For this reason, the more interactive and personable your newsletter is, the better it will work to build relationships with those people. Hard copy newsletters tend to work very well for this group.
Will the same thing happen with a list of people you collected off the internet using a lead generation system? The evidence says…somewhat and to a limited extent. If you can get people at the right time in their search, and if they’re the type to open and read at least a few newsletters from someone who is essentially a stranger, and if they are engaged in some way with what you present in the newsletter, then they can begin to feel connected to you, even though they’ve never met you. If you’re using an email newsletter for this group, it costs you nothing to add them to your mailing list.
The ultimate goal of building a relationship is to be the one they call when they are ready to buy, sell, or refer. So the deeper the connection you can make, the more chances of making this happen. Below are a few of the kinds of things that you can add to a newsletter to deepen the connection.
- Add a photo of your dog or kids one month in place of your business photo.
- Add a very brief story about something important to you. Perhaps you just ran your first marathon, or a friend is doing a fundraiser for an animal shelter, or you want to highlight one of your service providers.
- Scribble on your hard-copy newsletter. After you fold and address each newsletter (or before you stick it into an envelope), pick a few out and HAND-WRITE a one sentence personal note across the bottom: “Anne, I thought you’d appreciate the article on page two this month!”
- Enclose a scratch-off lottery ticket one month in your hard-copy newsletter or a special coupon in your email newsletter. People love to get stuff!
- Tell people about other people who are working with you on a real estate deal. This is called a Proof of Success Story.
You may think of these things as corny, but readers are more likely to think you’re approachable if they see you being vulnerable and a little silly. Picture the affable expert who knows so much he’ll make your head spin, while at the same time disarming you with his personal charm and humor. That’s the image you want to convey in your real estate newsletters!
