Newspaper Advertising…Dead?

Just yesterday, I saw the following question posted on the popular networking site LinkedIn:

“How close, if ever, is the internet to replacing the Sunday newspaper real estate section for researching real estate listings?”

The question received a wide variety of responses. Some said that the Internet already replaced newspaper advertising a few years ago, while others claimed that newspapers still have some life in them, even in this digital age.

Before adding my two cents on the issue, I wrestled with the question for a while.

Sure, everyone is using the Internet as part of their home search. We’ve all heard the line that more than 70% (or is it 80% by now?) of home shoppers use the ‘net at some point. Yes, that’s an amazing statistic, and particularly exciting for people like me who make their living on Internet marketing. But is that the whole picture?

Let’s say you’re looking for new construction in the beautiful but overpriced state of New Jersey. What’s the first thing you’re going to do? If you have no clue where to go first, you’ll probably start with Google.

So you type in “new homes in New Jersey”, and receive, as of the time this was written, a mere 1,720,000+ results. Happy Browsing! You’ll probably look through some of the first sites in the list, but the information overload will soon drive you crazy.

But wait! Something catches your eye in that long list of search results. Hmmm, you think…didn’t I see that builder’s name on a billboard / newspaper ad / TV commercial / park bench / aerial billboard flying over the beach? Pleased with yourself that you’ve at least found a starting point, you begin your search there, a bit more confident in tackling the daunting task that awaits you.

The Internet has changed real estate marketing in a big way. And in a world of online banner ads, Google search results, home listing sites (e.g. realtor.com, homebuilder.com, etc.), blogger opinions and more, I have no doubt that many customers do find their dream home online without ever looking at an offline ad.

But aren’t those same people still influenced by offline media? The “vastness” of the Internet makes brand recognition more important than ever. They may find you online, but will they stop for a closer look?

I’ve met with builders and realtors who have told me that they’re ready to pull the plug on most offline advertising and jump full force into online marketing. Sure, it’s a great idea to GO STAMPLESS (sorry, couldn’t resist) and start allocating additional dollars to Internet and email marketing, but a carefully-planned online/offline combo is still the best approach.

And of course, make sure that all of your offline advertising directs readers to your web site, your 24/7 sales center.

So now it’s your turn to weigh in. Is newspaper advertising on life support? Post your opinion on the MAILbytes blog. And then feel free to check out the other responses offered by some very bright people on LinkedIn.

Make Every Email Count!

I was delivering a presentation on email marketing last week for a group of homebuilders in Philadelphia, when one attendee threw out the following question:

“What can we do to make sure our email blasts get through to the inbox - and are not sent to our recipients’ ‘junk mail’ folders?”

Ahhh…the classic “deliverability” question.

At first, I told him to avoid including any information in his emails about those little blue pills whose name starts with a “v” and are used for…well, you know - but then I realized he may be looking for an answer that’s a bit deeper.

Problem is, there’s no easy answer. Email deliverability is not an exact science. The rules change often, and vary depending on your recipients’ Internet Service Providers (such as Hotmail, Yahoo, Gmail, etc.).

But there are a number of things you can do to tip the scales in your favor. I’ll definitely touch on others in future columns, but here’s one simple method you may not have thought about.

ASK your customers to add your email address to their “trusted senders” list or address book!

Let me explain:

E-mail inboxes worldwide have become infested with “spam” (junk e-mail) – and recipients hate it (don’t you?). So over the past few years, large Internet companies like AOL, Hotmail, Yahoo, etc. have designed ways to prevent spam from being delivered to your inbox.

They’ve created email filters for you, so that every time you receive an e-mail that they believe you won’t want, they send it directly into your “junk email” folder and not into your inbox.

While this method has proven very effective in blocking most of the spam we receive, there is one catch: the spam filter will likely block some messages that you want to read – and unless you check your “junk mail” folder from time to time, you’ll never even know you received them.

When customers provide you with their email address, they obviously want to receive information from you via email. But many of these customers never hear from you again, because your emails are trapped in their spam filters!

Fortunately, there is a solution. Find out the email address you use as the “from” address when sending email blasts. If your customers add this address to their address book, safe senders list, trusted senders list, etc., then your e-mails will ALWAYS get through.

Make sure your customers know this! Upon registration - whether online or in person - encourage them to take a minute to ensure that they receive the emails they’ve asked for, by taking the simple step outlined above.

Hey - if you’re spending money on email marketing…you may as well get the biggest bang for your buck, right?

Know Thy Web Site

I returned home from a business trip this past week, and my lovely wife greeted me at the door. Being the nosy woman she is, my wife soon began rummaging through my carry-on and found a half-eaten Snickers bar. She caught me red-handed. After berating me for straying from my diet (and then breaking hers to eat the second half) she noticed a contest on the wrapper.

“Enter your code at snickers.com to see if you’ve won the Ultimate Garage Sale Sweepstakes!” the wrapper instructed us.

Convinced that WE were the lucky winners, we logged on. The home page (at right) reassured us that we were in the right place. But when we clicked through to the contest page, we were informed that the contest had ended.

Well, then…WHY are they still advertising it on their home page?

As sales and marketing people, we are expected to know our products and services inside and out. But with information, pricing, incentives and the like changing on a daily basis…how familiar are we with our own marketing materials? Don’t answer yet…

There is a tale of a man who used the Internet to find a home in a new development. After weeks of intense research, he narrowed his search down to five communities, and drove to each so he could see them in person. But after speaking to the salespeople at each community, he discovered that, due to his extensive research, he actually knew more about the communities than they did!

The man was so frustrated that he took the $50,000 deposit check that was in his pocket and decided to use the money to renovate his existing home instead.

Like it or not, your customers are using the web extensively to research your products. They’ve dutifully read, studied, critiqued and printed almost every page of your site – and your competitors’ sites as well.

Have you?

Be sure to schedule some time regularly to review the web sites your customers are looking at:

• Check your site often to make sure pricing and all other information is correct and complete. Notify your “web guy” (or gal) of any necessary changes immediately.
• Do you syndicate your content on any “partner” sites? Review the information on those sites as well so you know you’re viewing the same listings your customers are.
• Monitor competitor web sites. Are they doing something you’d like to see on YOUR site?

Know thy web site…and you’ll have a better knowledge of your customers!