Pssst … pass it on: The old fashioned postcard is still a force to be reckoned with in this age of high-speed digital technology. Here at AdServices, we mailed close to 10 million postcards on behalf of our clients in 2011 alone.
While each marketing medium has its strengths, the humble postcard remains a go-to performer for getting attention and results quickly and cost-effectively. After all, in an age of information overload, postcards are an engaging, at-a-glance instrument for advertising new products and services, and announcing sales promotions and local events.
Looking to spread the word in a hurry? When time and money are tight, you can get postcards out the door fast and save money on postage and printing, so you can mail more pieces more often.
If you want to turn your next postcard into a model of quiet strength that makes a motivating connection with your target audience, follow these few simple rules.
1) Write a headline that appeals to the interest of your target market in a meaningful way:
“We See Perfect Indoor Weather In Your Forecast.” (Headline for prospective heating and cooling system buyers)
“You Can Have Beautiful, Radiant Skin The Rest Of Your Life.” (Headline for women over 40)
“The Season’s Lowest Prices on High Fashion: Save Up To 70%.” (Headline for fashion bargain hunters)
2) Showcase your key selling points and messages in bullets or bold-faced callouts so the reader can hone in on “what’s in it for me.”
3) Give your postcard visual punch with a graphic design that grabs the eye using words and images that reinforce each other and move the reader to action.
4) Don’t neglect the basics: Make sure you put all of your contact information on the postcard so that prospects can pursue more information on you or your offer.
While digital and social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, smartphone apps and QR codes are earning their keep as new age marketing tools, don’t overlook the tried-and-true influence of direct mail’s quiet, but steady performer: the powerful, to-the-point postcard.
True. Postcards still deliver the quick punch that gets businesses noticed.
The good thing about postcards is that they are tangible. In a virtual world where everything thing is on the screen, postcards allow businesses to make that much needed (and greatly missed) physical contact with their target audience.
Postcards can be used as stand alones (like you pointed out) or as stepping stones during a drip campaign.
In B2B marketing, I have used physical (as well as virtual) postcards to keep my company top of mind during a lead generation campaign or as reminders leading up to a trade show.
Postcards are definitely a cost-effective method to get the message out quickly.
Jose R Alonso on March 1, 2012
Ironically, the age-old “wish you were here” postcard of travelers and vacationers has all but vanished. A major reason for this, as Jose alludes to, is the huge amount of communications that have moved to the virtual world. Why send a postcard back home that will arrive days later when you can send a Facebook post in a few seconds? But the well-done promotional postcard still works because it reaches people with a relevant message in a place with less incoming material – their real world mailbox.
Alan Williamson on March 5, 2012