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Postcard Marketing - Think Outside the In-box

If you're worried about your marketing message getting lost in a deluge of e-mail or stuck in a spam filter, try a postcard instead. It won't get filtered out, and your message gets directly to your prospect. In fact, a marketer at a Web domain registration company recently told me they're moving towards using more postal marketing, because their electronic messages are being overlooked.

As with any mailing, electronic or postal, you need to:

Write A Great Headline

You have only a few seconds to get your prospects' attention when they sort through the mail. Keep it simple, focused on a benefit, and easy to read.

Choose An Eye-Catching Image

Select one that shows your product being used, or the advantages of using it (such as a cell phone that gets a signal in the middle of a cornfield). It should match the headline and engage your audience.

Keep It Simple

Focus on a single big idea. Have a big headline, then one or two sentences or three or four bullet points pointing out the three key benefits your prospects will want to get right away.

You may not get a direct sale from a postcard, particularly if your product or service is expensive, but they're a great way to generate leads, tell current customers about special sales, or offer a free report or consultation.

Balance Commitment and Appeal

Call to Action

Don't forget the call to action (call now, visit this Web address). Make it as easy as possible to respond. Put the phone number in bold type and use a Web address that's easy to type. Long, complicated URLs will discourage response.

Save Money on Printing and Postage

Use an online printer/mail service such as amazingmail.com or modernpostcard.com. The cards are full-color, and come in a variety of sizes. Your order will be "ganged up" (meaning that it is run at the same time as other mailers' postcards). You'll save money, even if your order is small, because a large part of the cost of printing is in the initial setup, getting the job ready to print, rather than the actual printing process itself, so you will benefit from volume discounts.

In addition, large postcard mailings are eligible for discounts from the post office. Since your mailing will be combined with mailings being processed for hundreds of other businesses, you will get the benefit of those discounts. The current rate for a single postcard is 27 cents, but you can pay as little as 20 cents (a savings of 35%!).

Track Your Responses

Use a unique code, telephone extension, or other identifier on each mailing you send out. This way, you can tell which mailings (and which mailing list) are generating the highest responses, and which ones aren't working so well. Once you have that information, you can mail again to the "good" lists and avoid the "bad" ones.

About the Author

Jodi Kaplan, founder of KaplanCopy, fixes "broken" marketing. If your marketing is costing more money than it's making and people leave your Web site without buying, your marketing is broken. For more tips, and a free 25-page marketing guide, go to KaplanCopy Free Marketing Guide.

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