Guerilla Marketing Lesson 3: Am I Going to See a Sign?
I recently went to Phoenix on a sales trip and was amazed at two billboards along the interstate around the city. Obviously, these were two separate companies that had a similar product and had the funds to invest in billboards to develop their market. Which signs were they? Not the Nike billboard; certainly not the Oprah billboard. No, the one billboard that really grabbed my attention was the one that said in big yellow letters “WE BUY UGLY HOUSES.” The other billboard said “WE WILL BUY YOUR HOME FAST.” Obviously, these companies have realized the power of marketing with signs and have grown their businesses to where they can capitalize on mass marketing.
What can we take away from the above observation? Certainly most of us cannot afford to put up a billboard in our market to gather leads. However, we can realize that the use of effectively placed signs can significantly increase your bottom line. Don’t believe me? Just walk down the street in any neighborhood and tell me which house is for sale. It is the one with the sign.
Step One: Know your market and where you’re hottest location of potential sales. My approach attacks from two directions. The first is to get an idea from the notice of default records at the county the area that has the highest incidents of default and foreclosure notifications. Granted, most are well dispersed, however, there are usually a couple of suburbs or city locations where the numbers are higher. For my Utah market, Midvale and Draper seem to be high target areas. The second approach is to target an area where you want a specific type of property and post signs accordingly.
Step Two: Find the highest area of traffic in the area of highest potential sales. Intersections with traffic lights are great as well as high traffic corridors and poorly designed intersections with stop signs. In suburban areas of high traffic, I try to post in vacant lots, or areas that are not controlled by the city. For intersections, I aim for the corner that has the most exposure.
Step Three: Post your sign. Well actually, you need to buy your signs first. There are a couple of sign companies that specialize in investor signage. I have used bandit signs, but now just use the Fast Signs down the block. Anyway, post your signs in the highest traffic locations. Make sure they are visible from both sides, and make your message and the look of the sign stand out. Do not attach your signs to public postings such as traffic signs. I can tell you this will result in a call from the police or county code enforcement.
Step Four: Repeat Often. When you buy your signs, try for a bulk discount. There are very few locations where you will be able to post your sign overnight without a city permit. Local law enforcement and code enforcement continually confiscate errant signs and you should plan on losing a lot of them. It is helpful to get a copy of the local zoning laws regarding signs from your city planners’ office so you know exactly what is allowed and what will be removed. For your larger sign investments, you may want to consider getting a city permit for the post.
Step Five: What Can I Expect? I attended a guru seminar where the man speaking indicated that whenever he needs a deal, he simply posts fifteen or twenty signs. That was for the Boston market. I have talked to people who swear by sign marketing and have spoken to others who think it is a complete waste of time. From my perspective, the more ways you can touch a prospect, the more apt they are to contact you. If a prospect is exposed to your sign multiple times, he/she may just call you. If this same prospect has nowhere to turn and is in danger of losing his house, you can be he will remember to look for phone number on the sign along the highway. Finally, if this prospect recognizes your ad or direct mail piece as the same as the sign along the highway, you have instant credibility well above any of the other investors who will try to contact him.
Niehus examines the subject well and I assume has done very well with the random signs placed in areas of high traffic that are exempt from active sign suppression.
I accept his reasoning but with some moderation. In certain areas you do not wish to use the sign as it will generate a hostile reaction. Remember Real Estate Brokers, alas I am one tend to consider this an intrusion in their areas of interest. Sooo I go elsewhere.
The mail campaign is seldom used correctly. I do a mailer that is a duplicate of the Notice of Default envelope and first portion. It then leads you slowly and with great stealth into my message. I Can Save You. Usualy I can as most of the necessary saving is from your own actions. I work hard at it. My first mailer is the duplicate but the name utilized as contact at the bottom very gentle, very middle American John, Dick and the ever popular Harry. I never use Lucius, someone may have been a history buff. I mean being named after a Roman who looked up and said. Excuse me Sir would you cross your legs I only have one more nail. Would never do.
I follow this mailing with a series of six more, each with the name displayed in the left hand portion of the envelop. They know that this series of mailings brings salvation. A way out. Keep the House, Sell the House, Play paper games. etc. etc. And we do. Sometimes we sell the house, often we re mortgage it. Sometimes we take the ownership and make the property owner a partner in a future profit. Sometimes he steps aside with a secondary mortgage in his hand and in a few instances just a friendly handshake as he leaves for his small downscale apartment from which he will emerge again as if from a cocoon to fight up the economic ladder. Hurray.
Now thats the guerilla marketing of the present time. As soon as I can find a match directory of addresses, names and E.Mail addresses. We will move into the 21st Century and conduct a guerilla war that will make the Spanish Partisans against Napoleon look like nada, or Tito and Michahelovic in WWII in Yugoslavia where I learned my trade look like small time pikers. Or the Brit also known as the White Rabbitt in occupied France, now there was a master at the art of population stirring.
Have you ever heard of Rumor teams. First used in the late 20's in New York City to destroy brand recognition etc. Perhaps there is something to be learned there. The MLS now there is a target for a guerilla activity. Why not infilterate it and in the process create a new sales entity. My the Brokers would love that. But think a minute. What we are discussing is Out Of The Box Thinking in the area of primary motivation of the target audience. Wanna play this game. Move on past the little illegal signs. Perhaps now is the moment with a Spike in the Market to play some real games. I can think of about twenty and so can any of you if you stop and think and then think sideways. Besides its fun.
Cheers Lucius