|
Still the Perfect Marketing Piece:
Everyone Loves a "Personal" Postcard
While you can't handwrite a letter to each prospect, you can send a postcard that gives the prospect a few moments of "What? Someone sent me a postcard?" as they hastily draw it out of the mail pile. But here's the thing: if you're going to use a postcard for advertising, make sure you create a piece that is actually visually satisfying to the prospect, not a big letdown.
What if you created a nostalgic piece reminiscent of the "Old
 Faithful" vacation postcards, where a family is standing in front of the famous geyser in early 60s clothing: the mom in cat glasses and pedal pushers, the dad in tacky Bermuda shorts, the girl in a dress and white lace anklets, the boy in mismatched striped shirt and print shorts? Would that not give anyone pause? And when your prospect turns the postcard over, they find what looks like a handwritten message from you, your logo, and perhaps an offer. Regardless of the nature of your product or service, you can be assured your postcard will be read. Maybe even set up on the windowsill or propped up on a desk because of its wonderful photo or graphic. And, if you are even more clever, and find a postcard with a family posed around a "Welcome to New Mexico" sign, you can edit it to have your company's name on the sign. This is just an idea; the possibilities of great postcard designs are endless. The point is to make them eye-catching, worth reading and even hanging onto.  Postcards are unlike any other form of advertising because they are colorful, immediate, intriguing, sturdy, easy to carry and unlike letters, don't hit the trash can unopened. They are also wonderful advertising vehicles for very targeted marketing, especially with the U.S. Postal Service's recent Every Door Direct Mail service. Now you can target a specific neighborhood and tell them what your business has to offer. With Every Door Direct Mail, you can reach the market that matters most to your business: nearby neighborhoods. Postage is as low as 14.5¢ per piece - and you don't even need to know names or street addresses. You simply identify the neighborhoods you want to target, and your printed piece is delivered to every address.
Now that you can picture that perfect postcard photo or graphic in your mind, here are five more postcard marketing success tips: 1. Make a Big First Impression  Make your postcard look at first glance like a message from a friend. Use the same typestyle and layout you would use to send a postcard to a friend. Use a date at the top, even if it is something like "Monday, 11:15 a.m." and include a real name at the bottom. You could also use real handwriting, or colored ink. Even a lipstick mark in raised ink so people will want to run their fingers across it - whatever makes your prospect take a second glance.
2. Get to the Point
Take advantage of a postcard's clean format by making your offer the first thing the reader sees. Make them want to read the rest of your postcard! 3. Sell the Right Thing
Marketing postcards are most effective when they are used to generate website traffic or sales leads. They are less effective for closing sales because they don't provide enough space for a detailed sales message. 4. Be Clear and Direct
Make sure the reader can clearly understand it with just a quick glance. Always end your postcard by telling the reader exactly what to do to get more details. 5. Stimulate Fast Action
Give your readers a reason to respond NOW or they will put your postcard aside and forget it. Offer them a discounted price, a special bonus or some other benefit if they reply to your postcard by a deadline.
Our designers and copywriters are experts at creating eye-catching postcards with effective, punchy copy. Let us know if you'd like us to create a postcard for your company that will get noticed, get read and get results. | 
postcards filled mailboxes, and people eagerly went to their mailbox to see whose familiar handwriting lay waiting for them on the front of an envelope, or a colorful, corny postcard. 
