Fall Touchpoints

Halloween Jack-o-Lantern Contest
Halloween is a fun time of year to raise your professional profile in your neighborhood and have fun while you’re doing it. My students have done this very successfully in the past, and I think it is a fantastic idea. Arrange for a local farmer to drop a truckload of pumpkins on your front lawn this week and put up a big sign saying “Free pumpkin giveaway on Saturday, October 30 from 1-4 p.m.” Door knock your neighbors and send an email to everyone in your sphere to announce that you are giving away free pumpkins and you’re having a Jack-o-Lantern contest for the kids.  Make sure your house is well decorated for Halloween. Hire a clown to entertain the kids when they arrive. Put out hot chocolate and engage everyone in conversations about real estate. Let parents know that if they text you photos of their kid’s jack-o-lantern you will be giving away a prize for the best one and you will announce the winner on social media. It’s a great way to get cell phone numbers. Add everyone to your CRM system and put them on a drip marketing campaign to stay in touch.

Fall Leaf Bags
At this time of year in northern states (and anywhere in Canada) people are doing their fall yard clean up and they require leaf bags to do the job. I recommend you source a local company that will print paper leaf bags with your logo and contact details on them. This is a great opportunity for you to door knock your neighbors, engage them in conversations about real estate, and have your marketing all over your geo farm. Just imagine driving through your neighborhood and seeing your name at the end of every driveway. If you want to cut down on costs, you can co-brand the leaf bags with a reputable landscaper. The landscaper can deliver the leaf bags to their clients as well and you get additional marketing with people you don’t know. Post on social media that you are giving away free leaf bags for anyone who wants them. They simply have to message you and you’ll swing by to drop them off. It is a great way to engage your sphere face to face in a real estate conversation when you pop by.

Holiday Food Drive
Everyone respects a businessperson who gives back to the community. The holidays are a perfect time to organize a food drive for the local food bank to help people in the community who aren’t as fortunate as us. Send postcards to your geo farm in advance to announce which day you will be stopping by to pick up non-perishable food donations. Post regularly on social media to announce your charitable efforts and ask people to message you if they have donations and you will stop by to pick them up. Any time you get face to face with people it is a great excuse to have a real estate conversation. On the scheduled pick up day, door knock every neighbor. Wear your company apparel. If someone isn’t home, leave a marketing flyer on their door explaining that you will gladly pick up any donations if they call you. Even if they don’t call, it is a great way to boost your brand.

Buy your holiday gifts now
If you start looking for holiday gifts now you will get the best prices and selection. Due to supply chain issues this year, many gift companies are recommending you order your holiday gifts by the end of this month to ensure they arrive on time. Starting early will give you time to prepare your mailing list and get organized to avoid the seasonal rush in December. Holiday cards and gifts trigger referrals in the new year. It can typically take you a week out of your calendar to get this exercise completed, but if you start now and commit to handwriting 2-3 cards every day the task won’t seem as daunting.