Archive for the ‘postcards’ Category

Business Postcard Marketing

Post cards are not a marketing tool of the past. However, postcard marketing must be understood and you need to understand options and how to make the right choices. You also need to understand what a postcard campaign is supposed to do for you.

Obviously, you would like for a postcard campaign to produce sales and this is a best case scenario. However, if sales is your measure for success you may be disappointed by the results you get. Keep in mind that every piece mailed can potentially create brand exposure and increased brand recognition. The role of the postcard is really three and in this order of priority: branding, lead generation and direct sales. As a direct sales tool the post card only works when you have a highly targeted list. The best targeted list also knows your brand well enough to make a decision to buy. Post cards work well to generate leads. You simply need to grab the recipients interest and direct them to share contact information for some value you can offer. However, postcards work best when you focus results on brand building. If your postcards aren’t clearly defining your brand you are losing the greatest value they have to offer.

For strong brand building through a postcard campaign remember three simple rules.

1. Make sure every postcard contains a graphic illustration of your brand. Hopefully your branding strategy includes an icon, logo or mascot.

2. Clearly define the value of doing business with your brand. There may be a thousand others out there offering what you offer; how does your brand do it better or bring more value to the customer.

3. Make exploring your brand easy and convenient. Include links to your web presence, contact information, diverse resources they can use and a special offer to increase  their interest in getting to know you. The best special offer for this is free.

 I recommend at least two calls to action on every piece:

The first is the offer. Make an offer that will grab attention. You might consider, Free Lifetime Coaching. Free Lifetime Coaching may seem too good to be true, so you may need to validate the offer. I will cover the amazing offer later in this post.

The second is the request. By the request I mean an invitation for the recipient to pass the postcard on to anyone who may find your offer interesting. Include a line that simply says, “Be a Hero, pass this postcard on to your business colleagues.” can get the job done. You may be surprised at the number of times a piece is passed along simply because you gave the idea.

One question you may ask is, what size postcard should I mail? This is a valid question. When considering postcard size you need to think about at least three questions:

How much do I need to say?

                If your offer is pretty amazing you may need more copy to make it believable. You may need to answer a few reader objections. Therefore you need more space.

What is the direct mail competition for your market?

                If the competition to grab your reader’s attention is high you need to stand out and a larger piece may be the right solution.

How much are you ready to spend?

                A four by six postcard will cost 28 cents standard postage while a six by eleven postcard will cost  44 cents. Getting creative may allow you to create outstanding copy and graphics that will get the smaller card read.

All that said here are some critical components of a well read postcard campaign.

Bold Headline

Make it bold so it pops off the page. Use light colors on dark backgrounds and darker colors on light backgrounds. But nothing is more important than the headline message.

Your headline must speak to the reader’s need. If the headline grabs them where it hurts they will read on. Once they start reading, action is a result of good copy. I have found that the best headline is an amazing offer headline. The amazing offer is of such wild value that it is nearly too good to be true. Therefore, it raises curiosity and the reader reads on. Now you must convince the reader in few words that you can deliver on the promise and call them to action.

The Offer

The offer is the most important part of your postcard design. The offer is the reason to take action or follow up with you. I can offer free coaching for a lifetime. We have the technology and resources in place to provide group interaction, live consulting sessions and email support at little cost to me or my staff. we bundle these services with one no cost personal phone call per month and have a Lifetime coaching package to offer. Disclosing how the coaching is provided is not important on the postcard.

It is important that the respondent understands that the offer is available on certain terms. Clearly define those terms to make the offer believable.

The point of Contact

Make it easy for the respondent to contact you. I would include a landing page website url. This is the best response option because you are actively engaging and dialoguing with the reader. Another might be the leave a message response. Invite the reader to simply call a number and leave a name and email address for more information. This approach is great for busy people on the go. Using both will increase your response. Remember, you want the reader to take action. Tell them what to do and make it easy for them to answer the call.