The Truth About Direct Mail Pt. 3

3 Direct Mail Truths From "The Direct Mail Experts."

Part 3 of 3: Apartment direct mail postcards should not target businesses, homeowners, single-family renters and NEVER zip codes!

“Wait, Wait, Wait! Stop the press! If we're not supposed to direct mail to zip codes...then who is there to mail to?"

If this is anything like your response to hearing Direct Mail Truth #3, I'm afraid you've been misled into thinking that by mailing to businesses, homeowners, single-family renters and zip codes, a direct mail postcard will attract renters to your community. It takes a targeted list of apartment renters to see real results. If your property has previously direct mailed the markets listed above, I fear you've wasted a lot of advertising dollars.

Apartment & Real Estate Promotions doesn't operate like other marketing companies. When you call to get your direct mail campaign started, we don't pretend to already know who is qualified to live in your community. We let you tell us. You give us the actual names of properties that have renters who are qualified to live in your community, and those are the only people we target with your direct mail postcard. We have direct mail marketing down to a science, and targeting your comp properties is the only way to generate the kind of traffic that turns into leases.

When you target anyone besides local apartment renters, you're taking a big risk. These generic mailing lists come fast and cheap, and that is why they are suggested by the other so-called "industry experts."

-Local Businesses: If you target local businesses, your postcard usually won't make it past the secretary who collects the mail. To reach the employees who might be candidates for your community, drop off a few rack cards or marketing cards to capture this market.

-Homeowners: Unfortunately, your beautiful postcard will be considered junk mail from a company that sent them a postcard by accident. Don't waste your time with this market.

-Single-Family Renters: When you target this category, the likelihood that you are going to hit a real prospect is not very high. These lists are not guaranteed and often include numerous homeowners. Plus, these people are not apartment renters! You don't know if they even want to live in an apartment community!

-Renters By Zip Code: Who knows whom you'll reach when you target renters within any given zip code? These lists are known to be highly inaccurate and will not include most of your competing properties. Unfortunately, a list like this will include some apartment communities, but homeowners and single-family renters will also find their way into the list. You will be hitting way too many prospects that do not meet your property's criteria, and any chance of reaching a qualified renter will be minimal.

What sets Apartment & Real Estate Promotions apart is that we have a team of experts ready to dig through thousands of addresses just to find the ones that matter to you - the pre-qualified residents currently living at your competing properties! We work hard to ensure that your direct mail postcard will pay big dividends! Find out for yourself why more apartment professionals turn to us than any other company.

This sums up our 3-part series on the Truths of Direct Mail. You've heard facts from us that you won't hear from anyone else. Our many satisfied customers know that we don't waste your resources with a marketing scheme that won't (and can't!) work. We provide solid direct mail solutions that have been helping apartment communities all over the nation reach 100% occupancy for more than 25 years.