10 Tips for Successful Commercial Real Estate Email Marketing
Email marketing can be a powerful tool for commercial real estate professionals looking to connect with potential clients and close deals. But with so many emails flooding inboxes every day, it can be tough to stand out. Here are 10 tips to help you improve your commercial real estate email marketing and get better results.
Find a good server provider
Email marketing campaigns can be an effective tool for commercial real estate professionals to connect with potential clients and promote their services. However, the success of an email campaign largely depends on the quality and reliability of the email provider used. Here are a few reasons why it is important to find a good email provider for email campaigns in commercial real estate:
Deliverability: One of the most critical factors in the success of an email campaign is the ability to deliver emails to the intended recipients. A good email provider will have a high deliverability rate, which means that the majority of emails will reach the inbox of the recipient rather than being blocked by spam filters or rejected by email servers.
Reputation: Email providers have their own reputation with internet service providers (ISPs) and email clients, based on the quality of emails sent through their service. A provider with a good reputation will help ensure that your emails are seen as legitimate and trustworthy, which can increase the chances of them being delivered and opened by the recipient.
Features: A good email provider will offer a variety of features that can help you create and manage effective email campaigns. This can include tools for designing visually appealing emails, creating targeted email lists, tracking email performance, and integrating with other marketing tools. Having access to these features can help you create more engaging and effective email campaigns that are tailored to your audience and goals.
There are many email service providers (ESPs) that offer a variety of features and pricing plans to suit different needs and budgets. Here are some examples of popular email service providers:
Mailchimp: Mailchimp is a popular email service provider that offers a user-friendly interface, customizable templates, and advanced features like audience segmentation and A/B testing. They also have a free plan for users with fewer than 2,000 subscribers.
Constant Contact: Constant Contact is another popular email service provider that offers customizable templates, social media integration, and list management tools. They also offer a range of marketing services like event management and online surveys.
Sendinblue: Sendinblue is an email service provider that offers features like automation workflows, SMS marketing, and landing page creation. They also offer a free plan for users with up to 300 emails per day.
HubSpot: HubSpot is a comprehensive marketing platform that includes email marketing, social media management, and customer relationship management (CRM) tools. They offer a range of pricing plans, including a free plan for users with basic email marketing needs.
Campaign Monitor: Campaign Monitor is an email service provider that offers customizable templates, segmentation tools, and analytics reporting. They also offer a range of integrations with other marketing tools.
You can also read this post about email marketing software for more providers.
Build a targeted email list
Building a targeted email list is essential for any successful email marketing campaign, particularly in the commercial real estate industry. Here are a few reasons why:
Relevance: A targeted email list ensures that the recipients of your emails are interested in the content you are providing. This means they are more likely to engage with your emails and take action on the information you provide. By targeting your emails to a specific audience, you can ensure that you are providing relevant information that meets their needs.
Efficiency: By targeting your email list, you can ensure that you are not wasting time and resources sending emails to people who are not interested in your services. A targeted email list can help you maximize the efficiency of your email campaigns and ensure that you are reaching the right people.
Personalization: When you have a targeted email list, you can personalize your emails to appeal to specific groups of people. This can help you create more engaging and effective emails that resonate with your audience and increase the chances of them taking action.
Compliance: In some countries, there are laws and regulations that govern email marketing, such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in the European Union. By building a targeted email list, you can ensure that you are complying with these regulations by obtaining consent from your recipients and providing them with an option to opt-out.
In the commercial real estate industry, a targeted email list can be particularly important as it allows you to reach potential clients who are actively looking for properties or investment opportunities. By targeting your email list to specific demographics, such as location, property type, or investment level, you can ensure that you are providing information that meets their specific needs and interests.
You can learn how to do it in our Email Marketing Guide, where we explain everything in depth.
Define your audience
Defining your audience is crucial when launching an email marketing campaign, especially in the commercial real estate industry. Here are a few reasons why:
Targeting: Defining your audience allows you to tailor your emails to their specific needs and interests. In the commercial real estate industry, there are many different types of clients, such as buyers, sellers, landlords, and tenants, each with their own unique requirements. By identifying your target audience, you can create relevant content that meets their specific needs and interests, which increases the likelihood of engagement and conversion.
Optimization: Sending emails to a broad, untargeted audience can be wasteful and inefficient. By defining your audience, you can ensure that you are reaching the right people with the right message, which maximizes the effectiveness of your email campaigns and reduces the risk of unsubscribes or spam complaints.
Individuality: Defining your audience allows you to personalize your emails to appeal to specific groups of people. This can help you create more engaging and effective emails that resonate with your audience and increase the chances of them taking action.
Analytics: Defining your audience allows you to measure the success of your email campaigns more accurately. By tracking metrics like open rates, click-through rates, and conversion rates, you can identify which segments of your audience are most engaged and adjust your campaigns accordingly to improve overall performance.
Manage your Email list
In the highly competitive commercial real estate industry, effectively managing your email list can mean the difference between success and failure. By taking the time to maintain a clean and engaged list, you can reap a variety of benefits that help you build your brand, generate new leads, and close more deals.
For example, managing your email list can help you avoid the negative consequences of sending unsolicited emails, such as harming your reputation and risking legal action. It can also help you save time and money by ensuring that you're only sending emails to people who are interested in your services, rather than wasting resources on a large, unengaged audience.
In addition, managing your email list enables you to segment your audience based on factors like location, industry sector, or buying behavior. This allows you to tailor your messages to specific groups of people, increasing the relevance and effectiveness of your email campaigns. By providing personalized content that resonates with your subscribers, you can build trust and establish yourself as a thought leader in your industry.
Finally, managing your email list helps you stay compliant with data protection and privacy regulations, which are especially important in the commercial real estate industry. By ensuring that you're obtaining consent from subscribers and providing an easy way to unsubscribe, you can avoid legal issues and maintain a positive reputation.
Use a catchy subject line
Using catchy subjects in your email marketing campaigns is essential in commercial real estate as it helps grab the attention of your target audience and encourages them to open your emails. Here are some reasons why it's important to use catchy subjects in your email marketing campaigns:
Increase Open Rates: A catchy subject line is the first thing your subscribers see in their inbox, and it plays a significant role in determining whether they open your email or not. By creating a subject line that is eye-catching and intriguing, you can increase your email open rates and engage your audience from the start.
Improve Brand Recognition: Creating a consistent and memorable subject line can help improve your brand recognition. By using a unique and recognizable subject line, you can help your subscribers associate your brand with specific topics or offers, making it easier for them to remember you and your services.
Convey Value Proposition: A catchy subject line can convey the value proposition of your email and entice your audience to open it. By highlighting the benefit or solution that your email provides, you can create a sense of urgency and encourage your subscribers to take action.
Here are some techniques to create catchy subject lines in your commercial real estate email marketing campaigns:
Use Numbers and Statistics: Incorporating numbers and statistics in your subject line can make it more specific and impactful. For example, "5 Ways to Boost Your Property ROI" or "90% of Property Investors are Missing Out on This Opportunity."
Ask a Question: Asking a question in your subject line can pique your audience's curiosity and encourage them to open your email to find out the answer. For example, "Are You Making These Property Management Mistakes?" or "Looking for High-Yield Opportunities? Here's Your Guide."
Personalize Your Subject Line: Personalizing your subject line with your subscriber's name or location can make it more relevant and engaging. For example, "John, Here's Your Exclusive Property Offer" or "Invest in Commercial Real Estate in New York City."
Create a Sense of Urgency: Creating a sense of urgency in your subject line can encourage your subscribers to take immediate action. For example, "Last Chance to Secure Your Dream Office Space" or "Limited Time Offer: 30% Off All Properties."
Personalize your emails
Personalizing your emails is an effective way to improve open rates and conversions in commercial real estate. By tailoring your messages to specific individuals or groups, you can create a more personalized and engaging experience for your subscribers. Here are some reasons why personalization is important:
Improved Relevance: Personalized emails are more relevant to the recipient's needs, interests, and preferences. By sending messages that are tailored to your subscribers, you can increase the chances that they will find your content interesting and valuable, leading to higher open rates and engagement.
Increased Trust: Personalization can also help build trust with your subscribers by demonstrating that you understand their specific needs and are committed to providing them with relevant and valuable information.
Higher Conversions: Personalized emails are more likely to convert because they are tailored to the recipient's interests and needs. By providing customized offers or recommendations, you can increase the likelihood that your subscribers will take action and convert.
Keep your emails short and to the point
Keeping your emails short and to the point can have several benefits in commercial real estate. Here are some reasons why:
Increased Open Rates: Shorter emails tend to have higher open rates than longer ones. According to a study by Constant Contact, emails with subject lines of 50 characters or less have open rates 12.5% higher than those with longer subject lines. This is because shorter subject lines are more likely to grab the reader's attention and entice them to open the email.
Improved Engagement: Shorter emails are also more likely to be read in their entirety, which can lead to increased engagement. According to data from Mailchimp, the ideal email length is between 50 and 125 words, with emails in this range having higher click-through rates than longer emails.
Greater Clarity: Shorter emails are easier to understand and digest, which can lead to greater clarity and more effective communication. By keeping your emails concise and to the point, you can ensure that your message is clear and easily understood by your subscribers.
Time Savings: Finally, writing shorter emails can save you time and resources. By focusing on the most important information and eliminating unnecessary details, you can streamline your email marketing efforts and make them more efficient.
Use high-quality images and videos
Visual content such as images and videos can play a crucial role in your email marketing campaigns in commercial real estate. By adding visuals, you can make your emails more engaging and memorable for your subscribers.
One of the main benefits of using images and videos is that they can increase engagement. People are naturally drawn to visuals, and including them in your emails can capture the attention of your subscribers and encourage them to take action. In fact, according to HubSpot, emails with images have a 42% higher click-through rate than those without.
Another benefit of using visuals in your emails is that they can help to reinforce your branding and improve brand recognition. By including images and videos that align with your brand image and values, you can create a more consistent and memorable brand experience for your subscribers.
In addition to increasing engagement and branding, visual content can also be used to communicate complex information more effectively. For example, a video tour of a commercial property can provide a more immersive and detailed experience for potential buyers than a written description.
Finally, using images and videos can also lead to increased conversions. By highlighting key features and benefits of your properties, you can persuade potential buyers to take action. For example, including images of a property's amenities or a video testimonial from a satisfied client can help to build trust and credibility with your audience.
To make the most of visual content in your emails, it's important to use high-quality images and videos that align with your brand and messaging. You should also keep file sizes small to ensure that your emails load quickly, and add alt text to your images to make them accessible to all subscribers. Using a video hosting platform such as YouTube or Vimeo can also help to ensure that your videos play smoothly and don't slow down your email load times.
Follow-up strategy
Following up with your subscribers after sending an initial email is a crucial aspect of email marketing in commercial real estate. A follow-up strategy can help to reinforce your message, increase engagement, and ultimately drive conversions. Here are some key benefits and reasons why a follow-up strategy is important:
Increase Open Rates: A well-timed follow-up email can increase your chances of being noticed by your subscribers. By sending a second or third email, you have another opportunity to capture their attention and encourage them to take action. In fact, according to statistics, the open rates for follow-up emails are typically higher than those for initial emails.
Build Trust: By following up with your subscribers, you can show them that you value their time and are committed to providing them with the information they need. This can help to build trust and credibility, which is essential in the competitive world of commercial real estate.
Encourage Engagement: Following up with your subscribers can also encourage them to engage with your content. For example, if you send a follow-up email with a call to action, such as "schedule a property tour," you may receive more responses than in your initial email.
Provide Additional Information: A follow-up email can also be used to provide additional information or clarification on a topic discussed in your initial email. This can help to answer any questions your subscribers may have and provide them with the information they need to make a decision.
Increase Conversions: Ultimately, the goal of any email marketing campaign is to drive conversions. A follow-up email can help to keep your message top of mind and encourage your subscribers to take the next step, whether that's scheduling a property tour or requesting more information.
Track Results
Tracking the results of your email marketing campaigns is crucial for improving your strategy and achieving your goals in commercial real estate. By measuring key metrics such as open rates, click-through rates, and conversions, you can gain insights into what's working and what's not, and make data-driven decisions to optimize your campaigns. Here are some important aspects to consider when tracking the results of your email marketing campaigns for commercial real estate:
Email Deliverability: The first step in tracking your email marketing campaign is to ensure that your emails are being delivered to your subscribers' inboxes. You can use email deliverability tools to monitor your sender reputation and inbox placement rates, and make adjustments as needed to improve your email deliverability.
Open Rates: Open rates measure the percentage of subscribers who opened your email. A high open rate indicates that your subject line and preheader text were effective in grabbing your subscribers' attention. You can improve your open rates by testing different subject lines and preheader text, and segmenting your list based on subscriber behavior or demographics.
Click-Through Rates: Click-through rates measure the percentage of subscribers who clicked on a link in your email. This metric is a good indicator of how engaged your subscribers are with your content. To improve your click-through rates, you can make sure that your email content is relevant and engaging, and that your calls to action are clear and compelling.
Conversions: The ultimate goal of your email marketing campaign is to drive conversions, whether that's scheduling a property tour or closing a deal. To track your conversions, you can use conversion tracking tools to measure how many subscribers took the desired action after clicking through from your email.
ROI: Return on investment (ROI) measures the financial impact of your email marketing campaign. By tracking the costs of your campaign and the revenue generated from conversions, you can calculate your ROI and make adjustments to improve your return.
Conclusion
In conclusion, email marketing can be a powerful tool for commercial real estate professionals looking to build relationships, generate leads, and close deals. By building targeted email lists, personalizing your messages, using catchy subject lines, and tracking your results, you can create effective email marketing campaigns that drive conversions and help you achieve your business goals.
However, managing your email marketing campaigns can be time-consuming and require expertise in marketing automation and analytics. That's where Smarktek comes in. With our help, you can save time and maximize the ROI of your email marketing campaigns.
So whether you're a commercial real estate broker, developer, or property manager, let Smarktek help you take your email marketing to the next level. Contact us today to learn more about our services and how we can help you achieve your business objectives.
