Super Cheap Signs

Author: Matt Medel

  • Real Estate: Get Ready to Move!

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    Question: How is real estate like a Zumba class?

    Answer: Spring is a super time to move!

    And while the sign of someone who’s Zumba-ready is a spandex-clad body and athletic shoes, real estate signs can range from basic yard signs to big directionals to super creative car magnets. The key isn’t just the signage you choose, but how you use it.

    So you’re ready to move: Selling a home involves a great deal of time, thought and effort. If a real estate agent or broker is handling the listing, one of their first tasks is creating and placing a real estate yard sign on the property that states the agent’s or broker’s contact information. (If a party is selling the home directly, the sign will usually state, “For Sale by Owner”.)

    Next comes sign content. Most critical: the name and phone number of the contact person — unless the sign is advertising an upcoming open house, in which case the sign should state the open house date, time and location (if the sign is placed elsewhere than on the property for sale). And while it can be tempting to create a colorful sign, what’s most eye-catching is a real estate sign that uses only two colors, such as red on a white background on blue on a white background, both of which are easy to read. Red is deemed most effective for attracting potential buyers.

    Real estate yard sign placement strategies

    Once you’ve created your real estate sign(s), placement is crucial. You may want to use multiple signs, depending on where the home is situated. For a house located mid-block, a single sign facing the street will be noticeable to people driving by from either direction. For wider properties, or those where the home is set far back from the road, we recommend placing a real estate yard sign at each end of the property.

    For corner lots, place signs on both perpendicular streets to attract traffic traveling the main road and side street. For country properties that may be far from the beaten path, add spinner signs or big directional signs to attract the attention your property deserves.

    Finally, let the web bring you buyers. Today most real estate firms offer a virtual tour of featured homes on their website, so potential buyers can get a sense of their new home before ever setting foot on the property.

  • Seven Sure-fire Tips for Real Estate Signs

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    When it comes to real estate success, it’s not what you say so much as how and where you say it that makes the difference. Try these tips to create real estate signs that will have competitors asking for your secret:

    Assess your audience

    While some crossover artists are able to bridge diverse worlds (think Adele’s blockbuster album, “21”), this is a rare gift. It makes more sense to sing (or write) to your intended audience. Imagine a group of teen girls turning out to hear the latest rock band, only to watch the group take the stage and croon Frank Sinatra ballads! They’d request refunds. So if you’re selling upscale, designer homes, don’t create signs that appeal to young, middle-income families. Instead, make wealth your central message: “A home for people who appreciate the finer things.”

    Tell them what to do!

    It seems so obvious it’s often omitted: let prospective homeowners know what action you want them to take: stop by this weekend for an open house; call now for an appointment; email for a full-color brochure, etc.

    Testing, one, two

    Before you order dozens of signs, test your message on a market sample to make sure it generates the desired result.

    Sell the steak

    Yes, it’s common practice to sell the sizzle, but then your prospects won’t really know whether the house you have to show them will meet their needs. So give ’em the WIIFMs: “What’s In It For Me?” All the features — and all the benefits.

    Be sure to proofread everthing

    Did you notice the “y” was missing from “everything”? It’s all too easy to skip over a typo, or leave off essential information, such as your phone number or address. While the team at Super Cheap Signs takes pains to turn out a perfect sign every time, you have the final say. This is “y” it pays to have a fresh set of eyes review everything.

    Balance visual and verbal cues

    Don’t create a gorgeous sign with lackluster content, or sparkling copy with poor design. Aim for both excellent graphics and high quality content to captivate your prospects. If you need help, just ask us.

    Learn from the masters

    Do your homework, study what works and what doesn’t, and incorporate the best ideas into your own real estate yard signs. Who knows, someday a recording artist might immortalize your business in song!

  • Custom Aluminum Signs – So Many Uses!

    Do you believe in magic? How about this:

    Advertising magic? Believe it!
    Advertising magic? Believe it!

    A material that won’t corrode, is super flexible, lightweight yet strong — and the most abundant metal in the Earth’s crust. Perhaps it’s no surprise that versatile aluminum has the atomic number lucky 13. And aluminum is a team player: it combines in nature with over 270 different minerals.

    As everyone knows, one of the most popular uses for aluminum is beverage cans — so if you were really enterprising, you could save your soda cans, hammer them flat, whitewash the existing message and create your own signage! But that’s an awful lot of labor, which might be better spent running your business or campaign.

    Aluminum signs can be used to convey important information regarding your property or business.
    Aluminum signs can be used to convey important information regarding your property or business.

    Fortunately, you can purchase high-quality, .040 gauge aluminum signs for any purpose:

    • A “No Parking” sign to keep desperate drivers from blocking your entry? Check.
    • A fence sign, indicating “Private Property” or “No Trespassing” to keep the incurably curious out? Check.
    • A sign that informs parents and kids when the community pool begins summer swim classes? Of course.
    • A sign that indicates hours of operation for your business’s entrance gate? No problem!
    • Advertising a real estate listing? SOLD!

    Whatever type of custom aluminum sign you require, this resilient metal will hold up and look terrific for years to come. You can design it single- or double-sided, in full color or just one or two hues — and with ten sizes to choose from, you’ll find the perfect combination to fit your unique needs.

    Just remember: as adaptable as aluminum is, you can’t eat an aluminum sign to get your RDA of essential minerals.

  • Thirsty for Success: A powerful slogan

    Invest in a campaign you believe in! Give your customers something they'll remember and hold onto.
    Invest in a campaign you believe in! Give your customers something they’ll remember and hold onto.

    The stunning success of the California “Got Milk?” campaign is legendary, and the powerful slogan is now part of the American lexicon. While this kind of advertising accomplishment is exceptional, it’s not the exception; any brand can apply the same principles used to develop, launch and maintain a landmark campaign — or build name recognition for their business.

    Here are some of the most valuable lessons from “Got Milk?”. They’re especially relevant for real estate professionals and investors looking to dominate their market, which our real estate signage solutions have been helping them to do for years:

    1. Make New Friends But Keep the Old. Focus first on keeping those who are brand-loyal, because they’re your best source of increased sales.

    The California Milk Processor Board (CMPB) chose to target regular milk drinkers, who constituted more than two-thirds of the market and were already favorably disposed toward the product — and thus more open to influence, especially in the short-term.

    Entice your existing customers with discount offers and specials before expending energy attracting new business.

    1. Be Candid. If you employ a “Candid Camera” approach to discover how consumers feel about your product or service, you’ll be able to develop strong brand positioning based on these insights.

    The “Got Milk?” ad agency removed all the milk from company refrigerators, placed video cameras inside, and recorded employee reactions to discovering there was no milk. In another research study, consumers were asked to forgo milk for a week, then report back. Their stories provided fabulous fodder for future ad direction.

    1. Cozy Up. Find a strategy that speaks to the consumer’s heart — or stomach, or bank account — and go the distance with it.

    When the CMPB tried to sell more milk based on its health value, people yawned. But when the CMPB heard what consumers were telling them — that food choices drive milk purchases — they came up with the winning “deprivation strategy”: chocolate chip cookies or peanut butter and jelly sandwiches lost their cachet without the classic accompanying beverage.

    What “goes with” your product or service like peanut butter with jelly? Put that on your yard sign or sandwich board and gauge how customers respond, then tweak your strategy accordingly.

    1. K-I-S-S (Keep It Super Simple). A great ad campaign that is too clever can lead to the opposite result from what you intend. Consumers must be able to easily grasp your message and understand what action you want them to take. This is where a powerful slogan is key.

      messypaws
      A great example of a simple, memorable slogan that could lead to an enlarged customer-base and generate new interest in your brand!

    In two words, “Got Milk?” functioned as a hook, a call to action and a take-away that could be adapted to a variety of placements. Think, “Got House?” if you’re a real estate professional, or “Got Lumber?” if you’re a builder.

    Got the idea? Great. Just order it on the yard sign, banner or car magnet of your choice, and we’ll take it from there.

  • Horsing Around on Company Time: Office Fun

    Because too many people are accustomed to the idea that going to work means checking your “real self” at the door, many small businesses have been striving in recent years to make work more fun. This is a little like saying, relax and enjoy the dental visit. (Unless you happen to be a dentist, in which case you can substitute “proctologist” in that last sentence.) Making work fun is somewhat of an oxymoron — which is not a fancy term for the geek down the hall.

    But going to work does need to be an enjoyable experience if people are going to give it their best. This doesn’t mean standing around the water cooler “dissing” the boss or the company, telling off-color jokes or getting your kicks at someone else’s expense.

    True fun springs from the same well of ingenuity where all great ideas originate. Consider a friendly competition, as in sports, for instance. Two chefs in a busy café can spontaneously decide to see who can flip the most flapjacks; two waitstaff can see who can get to customers’ tables the fastest.

    This can lead to some really creative signage. Smart small business owners might want to invest in a few of our blank yard signs and handwrite an appealing message such as: “Are We Having Fun Yet?” in permanent marker, giving it that personal touch that says the boss believes in balance, not just balance sheets. Then post the sign in the break room, or wherever your team congregates out of customer view. One manager presented a newly engaged employee with a plaque that read, “No Business During Fooling Hours”. This won her heart — and her continued company loyalty.

    The important point is that employees be permitted to generate and implement some office fun that is not distracting and enables them to be even more productive. As long as what people come up with is safe, above-board, and harms no one, encourage your team to enjoy themselves. Happy people make a better business. Believe us: we know!