Do you think direct mail and selected print media are still relevant in your real estate market?  I certainly do.  Traditional marketing methods are a great way to supplement your social marketing and it is also a great traffic driver to your web sites.  Mobile Scan Codes are a great way to track how many people are actually checking out your links.  Maybe you have seen this funny little box on magazine and newspaper ads and wondered what it is all about.

Here’s how to set up the Bar Codes

1.  Go to ScanLife.com and create an account.  I tried out the free personal account just to see how this worked.

2.  The site allows your to create a bar code for any web page,  a predefined SMS or twitter message, can generate a phone call or create a contact record.

3.  Download the jpg version of the code and start using it.

4.  Most mobile phones with cameras are compatible.  Here is a reference list.  For an iPhone, I downloaded the ScanLife for iPhone App.

Now that you are all set up, here are some clever ways to track your print ads.

• Put a code on each direct mail and print piece that you do.
• Insert a bar code on your property brochure that sends the viewer to a single listing website.
• Put the scan code to your facebook page or website on the back of your business card.
• If you maintain a blog, insert a code to link to a neighborhood category page or post about a relevant topic.  So – for more information scan the bar code.
• Use a unique link and code for each piece that you generate so that you can effectively track each marketing piece.  This may take some thought when you consider that each code represents one link.

A little planning goes a long way in thinking through how best to use these scan codes.  Mobile is the buzz word of the year and  your seller will think you are so brilliant. Not to mention that you can now really know if those direct mail pieces are really driving traffic to your website.

I’ll be scanning you soon.