Personalized, useful e-mails to current customers can boost your referral business

Last week, we explained how to make sure your e-mails are compliant with the CAN SPAM Act. After verifying that they are, you may want to begin a savvy e-mail marketing plan to new prospects … but what about those customers and friends with whom you still keep in touch (and could be potential referral sources)?

In a recent Jupiter Research (a Jupitermedia Corp. division) Webinar, analyst David Daniels reported that only 4 percent of marketers personalized messages. That's a small number for something that takes only a few minutes to do. And, the more you reach out to those customers with important information they can use, the better the odds are that they'll refer their friends and family to you. Here are a few ways to reach out to your prospects with a personalized message.

Direct them to your website. Agent XSite users can choose from more than 60 pre-written content pages to put on their website – much of which is valuable to your customers even after they've settled into their new home. Eventually, they may want to refinance, as many Americans are doing during these dog days of low interest rates. They can figure out how much they'll save by using the refi breakeven calculator available on your XSite. You can provide information on living trusts, bi-weekly mortgages, Mello-Roos districts, how long it will take them to pay off their mortgage with the "Mortgage Payoff Calculator," tips on reducing their mortgage and Inman News. You can even create and customize your own "post-closing" pages for your customers.

But more importantly for new business, your customers' friends may also be looking to buy a home and an Agent XSite can provide a wealth of information for first time homebuyers, who are often apprehensive and unacquainted with the process. Some good content pages for first time home buyers are "Mortgage Shopping," "The Home Buyer Check List," and "Nine Steps to Owning" Also, include links to tools like our rent vs. buy calculator. That "send to a friend" feature built into your XSite page will come in handy should your customer have a group of friends looking to buy.

Be your customers' welcome wagon. Did your customer recently buy a home in a new city? Help them get acquainted with their new community by sending them website links to local newspapers and entertainment guides and Chambers of Commerce. And, help them get settled in their new home by providing them with contact information for local gas, telephone, electric and cable companies.

News they can use. Send them articles on home improvement and decorating ideas to help them make their new home truly "theirs." Or, send them news happening in their area. You can even e-mail them articles you get in your weekly Agent e-newsletter from a la mode! The personal touch of "I read this and thought you would find it interesting" adds value, too.

Tips to improve their quality of life. Send them information on area health clubs, salons, grocery stores, movie theaters and malls. For families with kids, why not send them information about area schools, daycare centers, children's sports teams, YMCAs or other types of kid-related information.

It only takes a little time to maintain communication with your customers. And the results can be profitable.