THE POWER OF POSTCARDS
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Ithaca Public Relations
A postcard from a local business arrived in the mail the other day, and
The Insider was reminded of the power of postcards as a marketing tool.
The colors on the front made it stand out from the stack of white
envelopes that spilled onto my desk, and immediately caught my
attention. The message on the back was succinct, took only a moment to
read, included a call to action for me to contact the company for more
information, and include its contact info.
Bang! Message delivered.
Here‘s why you should be using postcards in your marketing mix…
GIVE THEM A CHOICE... OR DON'T
Unlike a letter or e-mail, the images and message on a postcard are right
there for your client or prospect to see. There‘s no avoiding it. Your
prospect is going through the mail, and whether he or she sees the front
or the back of the postcard first, your name and your message are right
there in plain view. There’s no avoiding it.
Most people, no matter how busy they are when they’re looking at the
mail, will look at the front of a postcard, and then read the message on
the back. Even if they’re busy at the time they read it, they’ll most likely
set it aside to look at it again when they have a moment to really read
through it and pay attention to what it says.
Your message was just delivered.
Traditional snail-mail letters and e-mails are actually opt-in messages.
Your client or prospect needs to physically open them in order to see it
and find out about it. If he or she is busy, having a bad day, received a lot
of mail that day, etc, a snail-mail letter or e-mail is much more likely to go
in the trash or get deleted, without ever being opened.
Postcards eliminate that chance. The message (and your name) is right
there in front of your client or prospect, who is reading it before deciding
whether or not they really wanted to.
POSTCARD DESIGN AND TEXT TIPS
This is the single most important part of any postcard marketing effort.
Take your time and get expert advice or help, if you need it. Use the
same rules that apply to all of your marketing/visual identity tools. Your
postcard should reflect your business or organization’s professional
image.
The images/colors on the front should compliment each other, not
compete. It’s o.k. to use a number of small images, but leave plenty of
blank space and room for some text, even if it’s just your company name
and/or logo.
A good way to think about how to design the front of your postcard is to
think about the best billboard advertising you’ve seen. The best billboards
are designed so that you can drive by at a high rate of speed and quickly
grasp the concept and point of the message. Short and sweet.
The front of your postcard should do the same thing.
The message on the back also needs to make your point fairly quickly…
there simply isn’t space for a lot of text. Be creative with your text, but be
sure to:
Explain why you’re sending the postcard.
Point out how your client/prospect will benefit from your
offer/announcement.
Issue a direct call to action, telling him or her to contact you.
Include your contact information.
POSTCARDS AREN'T PERFECT
The avenues and channels for marketing and communicating continue to
grow, and the world is moving more and more toward cyber
communication. For that reason alone, postcards are becoming
somewhat of a non-traditional marketing method, and can actually stand
out among the other messages your client or prospect is being
bombarded with every day.
But, there are drawbacks. Industry statistics indicate conversion/response
rates to direct mail are typically below 5%. It costs 28 cents to send a
postcard, and using an online design and distribution service will drive
that figure higher… typically $0.75 to $1.50 per card, depending on the
size and number you send. You also need to plan your campaign a little
further in advance to accommodate delivery times, which can be
anywhere from 2 to 7 days, depending on the destination.
THE BOTTOM LINE
The biggest advantage to postcards is that they almost force your client
or prospect to see your message, and certainly remind them of your
name and/or business or organization. Like any marketing effort, there’s
a cost involved, and historically conversion rates from direct mail are low,
so your postcard really needs to stand out in terms of visual/emotional
appeal and benefit to your client/prospect. The advantage to using them
is that the trend toward cyber communication makes them stand out as a
marketing tool that gets people’s attention.
Insider Tip: Use postcards to:
Announce a new product, service, sale or special event.
Announce a recognition, award, professional certification, etc.
Introduce Yourself to/Follow Up with a Prospective Client
Thank Your Clients for Their Business
Remind Your Clients/Prospects that you‘re Thinking about Them.
Related article:
Snail Mail Marketing That Works
Posted on 3/11/10
The Insider was reminded of the power of postcards as a marketing tool.
The colors on the front made it stand out from the stack of white
envelopes that spilled onto my desk, and immediately caught my
attention. The message on the back was succinct, took only a moment to
read, included a call to action for me to contact the company for more
information, and include its contact info.
Bang! Message delivered.
Here‘s why you should be using postcards in your marketing mix…
GIVE THEM A CHOICE... OR DON'T
Unlike a letter or e-mail, the images and message on a postcard are right
there for your client or prospect to see. There‘s no avoiding it. Your
prospect is going through the mail, and whether he or she sees the front
or the back of the postcard first, your name and your message are right
there in plain view. There’s no avoiding it.
Most people, no matter how busy they are when they’re looking at the
mail, will look at the front of a postcard, and then read the message on
the back. Even if they’re busy at the time they read it, they’ll most likely
set it aside to look at it again when they have a moment to really read
through it and pay attention to what it says.
Your message was just delivered.
Traditional snail-mail letters and e-mails are actually opt-in messages.
Your client or prospect needs to physically open them in order to see it
and find out about it. If he or she is busy, having a bad day, received a lot
of mail that day, etc, a snail-mail letter or e-mail is much more likely to go
in the trash or get deleted, without ever being opened.
Postcards eliminate that chance. The message (and your name) is right
there in front of your client or prospect, who is reading it before deciding
whether or not they really wanted to.
POSTCARD DESIGN AND TEXT TIPS
This is the single most important part of any postcard marketing effort.
Take your time and get expert advice or help, if you need it. Use the
same rules that apply to all of your marketing/visual identity tools. Your
postcard should reflect your business or organization’s professional
image.
The images/colors on the front should compliment each other, not
compete. It’s o.k. to use a number of small images, but leave plenty of
blank space and room for some text, even if it’s just your company name
and/or logo.
A good way to think about how to design the front of your postcard is to
think about the best billboard advertising you’ve seen. The best billboards
are designed so that you can drive by at a high rate of speed and quickly
grasp the concept and point of the message. Short and sweet.
The front of your postcard should do the same thing.
The message on the back also needs to make your point fairly quickly…
there simply isn’t space for a lot of text. Be creative with your text, but be
sure to:
Explain why you’re sending the postcard.
Point out how your client/prospect will benefit from your
offer/announcement.
Issue a direct call to action, telling him or her to contact you.
Include your contact information.
POSTCARDS AREN'T PERFECT
The avenues and channels for marketing and communicating continue to
grow, and the world is moving more and more toward cyber
communication. For that reason alone, postcards are becoming
somewhat of a non-traditional marketing method, and can actually stand
out among the other messages your client or prospect is being
bombarded with every day.
But, there are drawbacks. Industry statistics indicate conversion/response
rates to direct mail are typically below 5%. It costs 28 cents to send a
postcard, and using an online design and distribution service will drive
that figure higher… typically $0.75 to $1.50 per card, depending on the
size and number you send. You also need to plan your campaign a little
further in advance to accommodate delivery times, which can be
anywhere from 2 to 7 days, depending on the destination.
THE BOTTOM LINE
The biggest advantage to postcards is that they almost force your client
or prospect to see your message, and certainly remind them of your
name and/or business or organization. Like any marketing effort, there’s
a cost involved, and historically conversion rates from direct mail are low,
so your postcard really needs to stand out in terms of visual/emotional
appeal and benefit to your client/prospect. The advantage to using them
is that the trend toward cyber communication makes them stand out as a
marketing tool that gets people’s attention.
Insider Tip: Use postcards to:
Announce a new product, service, sale or special event.
Announce a recognition, award, professional certification, etc.
Introduce Yourself to/Follow Up with a Prospective Client
Thank Your Clients for Their Business
Remind Your Clients/Prospects that you‘re Thinking about Them.
Related article:
Snail Mail Marketing That Works
Posted on 3/11/10
| Ithaca Public Relations 159 Snyder Hill Road Ithaca, NY 14850 607-280-3840 info@ithacapr.com |
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Return to The Insider
Snail Mail Marketing That Works
The Key to Getting Press Coverage
Calling All Experts part one
Tiger Woods... Too Little Too Late?
Return to The Insider
The Advertising Philosophy
Shattering P.R. Myths
Roadblocks to Press Coverage
Toyota: The Next Tylenol or O.J.?
Return to The Insider
Calling All Experts part two
Press Releases 101
Press Kits That Get Attention
The John Edwards Media Disaster
Return to The Insider
Learn More About the FLMS
Proactive Approach... About Us
Find Out More About Our Services
The News is Not Always Good...
Crisis Control
Return to The Insider
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