Postcard Marketing Ideas & Resources

I'm Sharron Senter, and in 2003 I used postcard marketing to launch and grow a computer networking business. When I sold it eight years later, it had grown to be the second largest of its kind north of Boston. I credit postcard marketing as the key advertising vehicle I used to generate new customers and deepen relationships with past customers.

Below are postcard marketing ideas, strategies and tips, followed by several recommended resources, including an advanced postcard marketing self-study course.

You're welcome to print the following
FREE postcard marketing ideas checklist.

Postcard Marketing
Key Tips

• Don’t “sell” from postcards; rather, lead the reader to take action such as visiting a Web site landing page, calling an 800 number, stopping by your location, or sending an email.

• Whenever possible, use postcards versus #10 business envelopes/letters.

• A prospect must hear from you at least seven times a year for your business to remain top-of-mind. These seven touch-points can be a combination of any advertising vehicle, including: postcards, email, phone call, etc.

Postcard Marketing
How to Break Through “The Clutter”

• Use one message at a time

• Lead with stating the reader's problem or emotion

• Professionally design your postcards – BUT, not too professional or you'll look overpriced

• Set up your postcard to look like a brief communication not an ad

• Leave at least 25 percent white space (area not filled with sales copy)

• Use colored stock with black ink or white stock with black and one color. Keep in mind that your colored stock can appear to have three colors: stock color, actual ink color and shading of ink color

• Use heavy card stock (beware of postal weight and thickness restrictions) For a quick understanding, go to the United States Postal Service postcard restriction's web page.

• Use photos or clipart sparingly, but use them. Your visual should be 100 percent related to your sales copy.

• Use uncoated stock on the address-side of your postcard. This helps if you're using a mail house and they're printing addresses directly on the piece and/or you're hand-writing addresses (it's difficult to write on glossy stock.)

Postcard Marketing
Copywriting Tips

• Be as personal as possible. Use names whenever possible. “Dear Phil” or “Dear Nurse”

• Address one topic at a time on each postcard.

• Try using questions or emotional statements in headlines. The idea is to immediately draw your reader’s attention by relating to a problem or a feeling they’re having. For example, if you're targeting dieticians your headlines could be “Does Milk Really Help Children?” or “Are You Overwhelmed with Running Your Lunchroom?”

• Always include a call-to-action with an end date. Even if there is no expiration, create an illusion that there is one.

• Use as few words as possible.

• Always include a P.S... as your last statement. This is also a good spot to state your promotion, or a second, very time-limited and price-aggressive promotion. Your P.S... needs to be extremely short, certainly no longer than a brief sentence.

• Always create your copy from the viewpoint of your reader. What are their challenges, concerns and successes? It’s NOT about what you want; it’s about how what you have can benefit your reader.

Postcard Marketing
At minimum, postcards should include:

• Your business identity

• Phone number

• Email

• Web site URL (ideally a unique landing page relating to your postcard message)

• Physical address when appropriate

• Hours of operation when appropriate

• Social media icons -- Facebook, Twitter, etc.

• Promotion end date

• Personally addressed either by first name or by lifestyle category, i.e., working mother -- "Dear Working Mom" or "Dear Boston Resident" or "Dear Tennis Lover," etc.

• Call-to-action, a.k.a. what you want the reader to do!

• Powerful & relevant headline that tells your reader how he/she will benefit from taking action.

• I almost always include a promotion on my postcards. Still, you don't have to, but your call-to-action must be well thought out so your postcard leads to profits.

• The one key message you want your reader to know.

• Place a promotional code in a corner somewhere, in fine print, for only you to pay attention to so that you may track your results. A.k.a. if you have distributed three postcards in the past eight months, which pulled more? There is no right way to code things. I generally use a combination of the time of year and the theme of my postcard, for example: [Holiday2011].

• Take a snapshot of your Web site stats immediately before distributing your postcard. It's important to track all your marketing efforts.

Postcard Marketing
Expand Mailing List Reach

Approach complementary organizations – those that target the same audience as you -- and ask to either borrow (of course you'll need to reciprocate) or rent their mailing lists. Use the organization’s name in your postcard headline. By acknowledging your relationship between you and the organization, you’ll gain more recognition and trust from readers. Readers will then be more likely to take action.

A great example is your local chamber of commerce. Most chambers offer both email and postal mailing lists to purchase/rent. To obtain either you almost always have to be a member, which is a good thing. Your sales message will have more inherent value when read by a fellow chamber member due to the implied relationship, a.k.a. you're both chamber members.

Also consider renting mailing lists from regional publications whose audience is similar to yours. For example, if you're operating a gourmet food store located in a Maine tourist town, then renting the subscription list of the fictitious "I love Maine" newsletter could be a good option, assuming the subscribers love exploring interesting places and things in Maine. A.k.a. tourists need to eat and may enjoy your free yummy samples.

Postcard Marketing
Cost-saving Production Tips

• It’s frequently less expensive to print digital copies of postcards. However, once you surpass 1,000 pieces, then it makes more sense to begin obtaining quotes for off-set printing. Keep in mind that the greatest cost of off-set printing is in the setup charges, i.e., film and plates. The setup phase is not applicable for digital printing.

• There is no reason to print postcards with more than two colors. However, if you’re printing digitally, you can use as many colors as you’d like with no extra charges, generally.

• If digitally printing, now you can easily change the names and headlines for the purposes of personalizing your messages.

• To find affordable online printing options, go to Google and search for "Digital Postcard Printing."

Postcard Marketing
Other Tips

• Use first-class mail with a "live" stamp whenever possible. It gets there faster and appears more personal. Of course, this is not practical time-wise nor cost-wise when doing large mailings.

• Be careful of the use of colors, photos and having messages “over-designed.” All can look overzealous and expensive. Contrary to what your graphic designer may tell you -- an overly gorgeous marketing piece often increases its chances of being placed immediately into the recycle bin.

Postcard Marketing
In Conclusion
There are generally two main reasons why postcard marketing or any form of direct mail fails. First -- is lack of backend processes and, second -- is lack of follow up. Other reasons include: message is unclear, message lacks urgency, message lacks clear call-to-action, message is not relevant to the reader.

Before embarking on any advertising campaign make sure you think of your reader first, a.k.a. what's in it for them? And have your backend process in place before you mail that first piece of communication, i.e., is your landing page well thought out and working?

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To reach Sharron Senter
www.SharronSenter.com
978 255 2771
Sharron {at} Sharron Senter {dot} com

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RECOMMENDED RESOURCES
I recommend the following postcard marketing resources.

RESOURCE: Mighty Postcard Marketing Course
facilitated by Marcia Yudkin
Whether you're new to marketing or a professional marketer who just doesn't know much about postcards, The Mighty Postcard Marketing Course offers a concentrated curriculum that takes you step by step to successfully creating profitable postcard campaigns, for yourself or others. The teaching takes place in a four-lesson, five-hour home study course that you take in on your own time, at your own pace, according to Yudkin.

The course covers postcard strategy and making profits, mailing lists, production, delivery, as well as design and copy. There are also case studies that illustrate successful postcard marketing tactics for a range of industries and purposes. Learn more about  The Mighty Postcard Marketing Course.

RESOURCE: Postcard Models Report
Veteran postcard marketer, consultant and author Marcia Yudkin teaches the strategic, logistical, design and copywriting secrets of successful postcard marketing. Discover the top ten ways - some of them simple and inexpensive - to generate results using postcards in her report at  Postcard Models Report

(Disclosure: I'm an affiliate of Author, Marcia Yudkin.)

Other Steps ...
Contact Sharron to discuss your postcard marketing needs.
Sign up for Sharron's FREE Monthly Marketing Tip.

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Senter & Associates is spearheaded by Marketing and Sales Consultant, Sharron Senter. Learn more about Sharron.