In the leadup to Christmas, real estate offices should be turning their attention to strategic community partnerships.

One, in particular, involves buddying up with a large-ish man in a red suit who likes animals that like carrots.

You know I’m talking about Santa.

I believe Chris Gilmour from All Properties Group is the original creator of the “Letters from Santa” marketing strategy, but there have been several variations and iterations since then.

I think now, with ChatGPT, you could make it entirely your own.

PSA: It’s only 67 sleeps until the big fella heads off on his round-the-world-in-a-night annual adventure, so if you want to do this, you’ll want to get cracking on it pretty soon.

The core strategy has two basic steps:

1. Collect details of all the kids in your community who want a letter from Santa.

2. Draft a “letter from Santa” and deliver it to the kids.

Or, if you have a marketing department, you could expand it to a two-way thing with four steps:

1. Get the kids to write a letter to Santa stating what they would like for Christmas (get them to deliver them to a letterbox marked “North Pole” in your office).

2. Collect those letters and analyse them for what they want (easily done by snapping a pic and asking ChatGPT to tell you what’s in there).

3. Email the parents with the answers so they know what to get the kids for Christmas.

4. Draft a “letter from Santa” and deliver it to the kids.

Prompt of the Day

It’s the end of the week so this one is coming at you in multiple parts. I’m going to use the easy version as the example, but you’ll get the drift if you decide to go the two-way version.

Part 1: Project plan

You’ll want to have the kids with their Santa letters in hand by the 2nd or 3rd week of December, so let’s work backwards on that.

I'm a real estate agent, and I want to create some Christmas cheer for the kids in Broadbeach Waters by delivering kids in the area a personalised letter from Santa. I'm thinking a two-step approach: 

Step 1: Collect details of all the kids in your community who want a letter from Santa. 

Step 2: Draft a “letter from Santa” and deliver it to the kids. Could you please create a detailed project timeline with dates and milestones ensuring that all the kids get their letters by the 15th of December? Please deliver it as a table.

Here’s what we get back:

I then asked ChatGPT if it could add an extra column to this table, letting me know where it could help and what sort of assistance I could expect.

The table becomes pretty long, so I haven’t pasted it; if you want, you could have a look at mine here.

The reality, though, is that I think ChatGPT undersold what it can do; from my thinking, it can:

• Write the letter and social posts to parents asking if their kids would like a letter from Santa

• Create images for the marketing campaign

• Create a video script for social media promoting the campaign

• Help you create flyers (Canva, Microsoft Designer)

• Translate the messages into other languages (Hey Gen)

• Draft the letter from Santa (and personalise it really fast!)

Part 2: Letters to parents

Now we’re going to create the core letter to parents with this prompt:

I'm a real estate professional looking to engage my community during the holiday season. I want to send a letter to my clients in [your suburb] offering them the chance to have their children receive personalised letters from Santa Claus. The letter should be warm yet professional, adhering to Australian spelling and conventions. It should have a slightly humourous outline the unique partnership we’ve built with Santa over the years and be clear on clients can participate. Please make it clear, short and easy to action.

The result - I would once again like to stress first draft, but as a starting point, this is not too bad:

Subject: A Special Holiday Treat for Your Little Ones from [Your Company Name] and Santa Claus!

Dear [Client's Name],

As the holiday season approaches, we at [Your Company Name] are filled with gratitude for the trust you've placed in us throughout the year. We understand that property investment is a significant life decision, and we're honoured to have been part of your journey.

This year, we're thrilled to announce a unique partnership that's straight out of the North Pole! That's right, we've teamed up with none other than Santa Claus himself to bring a sprinkle of magic to your family's holiday celebrations.

Here's How It Works:

1. Email Us: Send an email to [Your Email Address] with the subject line "Santa Letter for [Child's Name]."

2. Personal Details: Include your child's name, age, and one or two of their favourite activities or achievements from this year.

3. Deadline: Make sure to send your email by [Insert Deadline], so Santa has enough time to reply!

What You'll Receive:

Each participating family will receive a personalised letter from Santa Claus, delivered straight to your mailbox, complete with a North Pole stamp! Rest assured, Santa has been briefed on the latest data protection regulations, so your child's details are in safe hands.

We hope this small gesture adds a touch of joy to your holiday season. After all, it's not every day that one gets to collaborate with a jolly man in a red suit!

Wishing you a festive and prosperous holiday season.

Warm regards,

[Your Name][Your Position][Your Company Name][Contact Details]

P.S. Santa told us he's been watching the Broadbeach property market closely; even he can't resist a good investment opportunity!

Part 3: Letters from Santa

I would use something like the below prompt to write the letter from Santa:

Write a personalised Christmas letter from Santa Claus to a child aged between 3-13 years old. The letter should mention the suburb [your suburb] where they live. Include details about how the North Pole has adopted technology this year as well as other green planet initiatives. Also include how the reindeer and elves are preparing for Christmas. Make sure the tone is joyful and festive.

The result - I would once again like to stress first draft, but this isn’t too bad as a starting point:

Dear [Child's Name],

Ho ho ho! Merry Christmas from the snowy North Pole! I hope this letter finds you in great spirits and excitement as we count down the days to Christmas. I've heard you've been exceptionally good this year, and I wanted to take a moment to write you a special letter.

Firstly, I must say, Broadbeach Waters sounds like a magical place to live! I bet you're having lots of fun there. My reindeer and I are looking forward to flying over your beautiful suburb on Christmas Eve.

Now, let me share some exciting news from the North Pole. This year, we've embraced technology to make our operations more efficient and environmentally friendly. We've installed solar panels on our workshop roofs, and the elves have been using electric scooters to get around. Even Mrs. Claus has started using a tablet to manage her famous cookie recipes!

The reindeer are also gearing up for the big night. Rudolph's nose is shining brighter than ever, and Dasher and Dancer have been practising their high-speed turns. The elves are busy in the workshop, putting the finishing touches on toys and making sure everything is perfect for Christmas Eve.

So, [Child's Name], keep being the wonderful person you are. Continue to be kind, respectful, and considerate, and you'll definitely find yourself on the Nice List for years to come.

Wishing you a Christmas filled with love, joy, and endless magic!

With festive cheer, Santa Claus 🎅

P.S. Don't forget to leave out some milk and cookies for me, and maybe a carrot or two for the reindeer! Ho ho ho!

Note: I probably should have specified word counts in both cases - sometimes shorter is better. Pro-tip for ChatGPT: Play with the tone building block (ie make Santa sound cool, techy, or traditional, just depending on the personality of who Santa happens to be writing to)

Part 4: Images

Let your imagination run wild - here are some for inspo:

Happy Hunting 🎄