How to get a response to Your Advertising

I've been meeting with a lot of Realtors in the area to talk about advertising in the Home News and one item keeps coming up.... How to get a RESPONSE to an ad. I've been reading and thinking about this topic and wanted to share some ideas with you which I hope you can use.


In going back into the history of modern advertising, back to one of its founding fathers, Claude C. Hopkins and his Scientific approach to advertising I was reminded about the effectiveness of Samples. In 1923 he wrote a small book about using samples and coupons to increase the effectiveness and response to an advertisement.

It is such a strong idea that it has lasted over 100 years as samples still exist today. You can have a small lunch at Costco on any given day. I receive notices from Procter and Gamble on a regular basis asking which of their products I would like to sample and then they mail me various samples I've requested.

However, Realtors' don't have a product they can send out as a sample or do they? OK so you can't mail the house, but you can mail a market report. Whether its one you condense into a one pager or the whole Fraser Valley Real Estate Board's monthly report, its a sample of your industry or service. In your ad you place a tiny sample - a graph or stat and then a call to action - email me or call me to request a market report. Or go to my website and sign up for my newsletter to receive full market reports on a regular basis.

Market Reports don't excite you? Then think about what does when it comes to Real Estate. Are you a checklists person? Create some checklists put a small sample in your ad and then ask them to contact you for more check lists on moving, choosing their dream home, choosing a Realtor, Showcasing their home for sale or anything - even a grocery checklist. Or how about the 10 ten lists! Things like top 10 things you need to know about choosing a Realtor, or top 10 home design trends, or top 10 things you need to do to get your house ready for sale.

Checklists sound odd to you, hey just because I like to create them doesn't mean you do. Do you love to cook? Eating and cooking is a huge part of everyones lives and Kitchens are an important part of the home buying decision. If you love kitchens then everything from joining your monthly receipe email club to the best kitchen tools maybe a hook.

Perhaps you are full of knowledge and advice, create some tips for your ad and then suggest they sign up for your enewsletter or perhaps you have a blog they could follow. Do you love White Rock / South Surrey are you filled with knowledge on the area, then create an information package on the area for people to request. Blog about White Rock and its history for them to follow. Either way they will contact you somehow and then you have a new lead.

The purpose of an ad should be to entice, bring attention to you, your website, or listings. It should enhance your brand and remind them who you are and what you are about.