Postcards are an inexpensive, effective form of direct-mail marketing. Customers who receive letters, packages, or even brochures often won’t open them and, instead, throw them straight in the trash. But a postcard will be seen no matter what, and if it catches your customer’s eye, it may also be read and then acted upon.
By designing a compelling postcard, you will grab your customer’s attention and work toward compelling him or her to purchase your products or services.
Our designers and consultants work hard to create postcards that fit our clients’ needs. Here are a few things we keep in mind that always boost postcard response rates:
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Include a solid offer.
For a postcard to be truly effective, it should include an offer that’s good enough the customer will act on it. Your offer might include a discount on some of your most popular products or services, a giveaway campaign that’s too hard to resist, or a buy-one-get-one free purchase. When it comes down to it, even if your postcard gets read, if the offer isn’t good enough, it will just get thrown away. So, take the time to come up with a solid offer first!
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Consider who’s on your mailing list.
Your mailing list should be up-to-date, and it should include potential customers who match the postcard’s target audience. Sending postcards at random might get you some responses, but the highest rate of response will come from campaigns that target customers likely to be interested in your offer. Take the time to go through your mailing list before you mail the postcards you spent so much time perfecting!
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Flip flop side A and B.
In the past, side A usually included a photo and a headline, while side B included the pitch, a stamp, and the address. Our designers suggest putting the photo and headline on side B instead. Because most postal carriers look at the address before delivering the mail, when they put the card in the mailbox it will be the attention-grabbing side B that customers see first.
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Make it a coupon.
If your offer includes a discount or free gift, ask your prospects to bring the postcard in with them to redeem it. Even better, include a short survey they must fill out to redeem the prize to help you collect demographic information — such as spending habits or whether or not they own a pet — that you don’t already have. Not only will you be able to track your results, you’ll discover new emotions and lifestyle attributes you can tap into with subsequent direct-mail campaigns.
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Use big, bold text.
In most cases, your postcard only has a few seconds to grab the reader’s attention. That means your most important information — i.e. your offer — should be in big, bold text that stands out on the postcard. Keep your sentences short and your statements simple so they can be easily understood during a quick scan.
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Include a call-to-action and additional contact information.
What’s the use of a postcard if your customer can’t easily use it to redeem your offer? Be sure to include an easy to understand call-to-action, as well as your contact information. This will increase your response rate!
Let us help you!
Looking for help marketing your business? Interested in designing a personalized promotional postcard? Give us a call!