Frequently Asked Questions
How many direct mail pieces are printed / mailed?
Across the country we send out over 100,000 co-promotional direct mail pieces each month. The total number of direct mail pieces varies significantly by market from 2,000 to 20,000. Please contact our Featured Partner Coordinator to determine the number of free direct mail pieces available in your area.
Who will design my postcard? Will I see a proof?
Our award-winning graphic design team will work with your supplied artwork (logo, photos, etc) and with royalty-free stock photography to create a completely custom cooperative marketing direct mail piece. If you have an advertising agency or graphic designer, we can collaborate with them to create a piece that embraces your current brand identity. You will receive a full-color proof of the postcard for your input and approval, and we will work with you to make any changes or improvements you request. Your signature on the final proof is your approval to allow us to print and distribute the mailer and commitment to honor the offer as stated. You will receive samples of the printed piece prior to mailing to share with staff to ensure smooth redemption.
When are the postcards mailed and delivered?
For most markets, postcards are mailed to arrive during the first week of the month. However, because of variable delivery times from the United States Postal Service, occasionally you will see postcards arrive as late as the second week of the month or as many as 10 days prior to the first of the month. Please be prepared to accept redemptions as early as ten days prior to the beginning of the month of your participation. Additionally, some subscribers mail or hand-deliver their own postcards, and do so on their own schedule. Expect to see an initial rush of new clientele at the beginning and end of the promotion, but you should also see a steady flow of redemptions during the entire promotional period.
Who receives the promotion?
Real Estate Professionals’ Past Customers / Sphere of Influence
Most real estate professionals maintain a “Sphere of Influence” list which is made up of past customers, current customers, real estate investors, business owners, vendors and persons of influence in the community. The majority (80%) of the direct mail pieces are mailed directly from our facility (or mailed by individual agents) to the sphere of influence list maintained by agents in our partner company. These recipients are primarily affluent families who own their own home or are in the market to purchase one. Many are either new to town or recently relocated to a new area of town.
“Farming” Databases
Some real estate agents send these direct mail pieces to various neighborhoods in your area to solicit for sale listings from homeowners. In almost all cases, these recipients are homeowners in a neighborhood close to your business location.
Real Estate Agents
Many of our subscribers receive a postcard and we encourage them to make use of the offer in order to see exactly what experience their postcard recipients are enjoying. Additionally, some office managers will mail the postcards to competing real estate agents to encourage them to make a switch to their company. There is no better target audience for local restaurants and venues than well-connected, affluent, and constantly networking real estate agents in your community. They have a huge network of contacts and are constantly talking about businesses they support. Expect to see a large number of redemptions directly from the people paying for the program! Treat these customers as VIPs and you’ll have a large number of active cheerleaders for your business!
Affiliated Companies
In some markets, the real estate company we partner with has an affiliated mortgage, title or insurance division who will make use of the From Your Friends program. The design, offer and details of the promotion are exactly the same, just the company logo changes. This is usually a very small number of the total promotion (less than 5%). The recipients are usually professionals in the real estate industry or past customers of mortgage lenders.
Realtor Handouts / Open Houses
Not all of the postcards are mailed directly to homes. Expect to see a variety of postcards redeemed that do no have a mailing address printed on them. Often real estate agents will order a small number of unmailed cards to hand out at networking events, open houses, business presentations and the like. While real estate agents are allowed to order “unmailed” postcards, no one is authorized to reproduce, reprint, photocopy or create an unauthorized version of the postcard.
Can I receive a copy of the mailing list?
Unfortunately, no. These mailing lists are the property of the individual participating real estate professionals and are not available for any other use than the From Your Friends program.
What area of town are the direct mail pieces sent to?
Real estate professionals market to all areas of your town and the postcards are mailed throughout the entire area with focus on the affluent, residential neighborhoods.
How long will my offer be good for?
We request a 60 day redemption period for most offers. This provides a limited timeframe to encourage immediate response while still allowing enough time for the postcards to arrive and the recipient to plan a visit. Though we request 60 days, we require a minimum of 45 days to allow for all postcards to be delivered and a reasonable amount of redemption time for the recipient. In certain cases, when dealing with a seasonal (theaters, sports teams) or with an individual event, we will discuss extended or limited redemption periods.
How many redemptions can I expect?
It depends, but we generally see a much higher redemption rate than typical direct mail campaigns. This is because we mail to an audience receptive to our message, with limited-time, exclusive offers of a value higher than the typical “coupon.” Typical direct mail response rates average about 1-2% of the quantity mailed. We generally see between 2% and 10% redemption rates depending upon the postcard partner and the offer.
I had a great response. When can I participate again?
Nearly 100% of our postcard partners ask to participate a second time! Why not, it’s free! In most cases, we will not repeat a promotion for a period of 24 months. In very rare cases, we’ll consider a second promotion after 12 months.