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If you think post cards are for nothing more than simple messages, think
again. Post cards are serious marketing tools with big missions. They are one of those often used but little analyzed
printing mediums.
If "Greetings from" and rotating racks decorated with pictures of places great and small are the type of messages you
associate with post cards, you are missing the boat. In truth, the marketing potential of a simple 3 1/2 by 5 inch card is
unbounded. You can show something such as a photograph of a new product, a remodeled showroom or the impressive
gear you use to provide your service. Say something by providing your sales staff with an inexpensive format for sending a
handwritten message to customers. You can double your advertising impact by sending cards to your mailing list with a
reprint of your magazine ad. Send a reminder of an upcoming event. Ask for an appointment and follow up with a phone call.
Step one? Establish a clear mission for your card.
Why are post cards designed the way they are? For reasons of cost and contact. First, since private postal cards were
authorized by Congress in the late 1800's, they have been the among the least expensive way to put a printed piece in the
hands of your prospect at this writing, a mere $.23 or less if used in bulk. And because a standard post card can't be smaller
than 3 1/2 by 5 inches or larger than 4 1/4 by 6 inches it is easy to handle, sort, and deliver. Plus, the design improves your
odds of making contact. A post card message is out in the open, eliminating the real possibility your prospect might toss a
sealed envelope.
With your mission established, the challenge is to execute effectively. Let's say you have a list of a few hundred prospects with
whom you hope to establish a relationship. You could use the shotgun approach and run a series of ads in a local publication
that you hope they might see. Or you could pinpoint your prospects by printing a half dozen series of post cards, each
featuring a different advantage of doing business with you, and mail them, one each month for the next six months. Which
would be more effective?
Once you exceed the 4 1/4 by 6 inch maximum for a standard-sized card, you may as well take advantage of the 6 1/8 by 11
1/2 inch maximum. You'll pay extra to mail it, but this super-sized format allows more dramatic graphics and a more detailed
message. A card such as this is typically printed on stock that is coated on one side--you print color on the coated side, black
and white on the uncoated side. This allows you to strike a balance between the impact of color and the reality of your budget
restraints.
Every good marketing piece has a specific call to action. Why not ask your prospect to respond on the spot? This post card
has two missions--first, to request some survey information. The "How'd we do?" half is detached and returned to the sender
by business reply mail. The second half, labeled "Keep this card by your phone," is a way to keep the company's name in front
of the customer. The postage for this 2-card format is higher, but the added value can be well worth it. We can supply you with
instructions on the preparation of business reply mail.
The old-fashioned picture post card is a theme you can use to your advantage. This design plays on what you expect a post
card to be. But what looks like a souvenir from a museum is actually an announcement from a restaurant. A painting by the
Impressionist Monet graces one side, the message, set in elegant type is opposite.
The reason direct mail is all dressed up with fonts and graphics is because it wasn't long ago letters and cards were mostly
handwritten--fancy type and pictures were something different. Today, the opposite true? Don't you pay special attention to a
handwritten message? The idea here is to print a supply of post cards on which you can jot down messages that keep you in
the front of your customer's mind.
When you use a post card as a discount coupon or a ticket to an event, you raise the possibility of a response. The message
here is obvious--bring the card in and get a discount.
You may have seen the "puzzle" technique used on billboards--pieces are added one at a time until, one day, you drive by and
discover the total message. The same type of mystery message can be posted and solved in a series of post cards. You
simply divide the finished message into puzzle pieces and sent them in sequence. In most cases, the cost of printing cards
drops substantially when you print several different designs at the same time--you may be surprised to find how practical this
possibility is.
Post cards are great for spreading the news, real estate announcements, new product information, sale events, coupons,
event passes, greeting cards, rack cards, and even the most traditional travel postcard, or you move to a new location,
announce a product, or add a new service--publish the news by post card. Postcards are the inexpensive workhorses of direct
marketing. While small in size, they can pack tremendous promotional punch and deliver fantastic results in relation to their
cost.
again. Post cards are serious marketing tools with big missions. They are one of those often used but little analyzed
printing mediums.
If "Greetings from" and rotating racks decorated with pictures of places great and small are the type of messages you
associate with post cards, you are missing the boat. In truth, the marketing potential of a simple 3 1/2 by 5 inch card is
unbounded. You can show something such as a photograph of a new product, a remodeled showroom or the impressive
gear you use to provide your service. Say something by providing your sales staff with an inexpensive format for sending a
handwritten message to customers. You can double your advertising impact by sending cards to your mailing list with a
reprint of your magazine ad. Send a reminder of an upcoming event. Ask for an appointment and follow up with a phone call.
Step one? Establish a clear mission for your card.
Why are post cards designed the way they are? For reasons of cost and contact. First, since private postal cards were
authorized by Congress in the late 1800's, they have been the among the least expensive way to put a printed piece in the
hands of your prospect at this writing, a mere $.23 or less if used in bulk. And because a standard post card can't be smaller
than 3 1/2 by 5 inches or larger than 4 1/4 by 6 inches it is easy to handle, sort, and deliver. Plus, the design improves your
odds of making contact. A post card message is out in the open, eliminating the real possibility your prospect might toss a
sealed envelope.
With your mission established, the challenge is to execute effectively. Let's say you have a list of a few hundred prospects with
whom you hope to establish a relationship. You could use the shotgun approach and run a series of ads in a local publication
that you hope they might see. Or you could pinpoint your prospects by printing a half dozen series of post cards, each
featuring a different advantage of doing business with you, and mail them, one each month for the next six months. Which
would be more effective?
Once you exceed the 4 1/4 by 6 inch maximum for a standard-sized card, you may as well take advantage of the 6 1/8 by 11
1/2 inch maximum. You'll pay extra to mail it, but this super-sized format allows more dramatic graphics and a more detailed
message. A card such as this is typically printed on stock that is coated on one side--you print color on the coated side, black
and white on the uncoated side. This allows you to strike a balance between the impact of color and the reality of your budget
restraints.
Every good marketing piece has a specific call to action. Why not ask your prospect to respond on the spot? This post card
has two missions--first, to request some survey information. The "How'd we do?" half is detached and returned to the sender
by business reply mail. The second half, labeled "Keep this card by your phone," is a way to keep the company's name in front
of the customer. The postage for this 2-card format is higher, but the added value can be well worth it. We can supply you with
instructions on the preparation of business reply mail.
The old-fashioned picture post card is a theme you can use to your advantage. This design plays on what you expect a post
card to be. But what looks like a souvenir from a museum is actually an announcement from a restaurant. A painting by the
Impressionist Monet graces one side, the message, set in elegant type is opposite.
The reason direct mail is all dressed up with fonts and graphics is because it wasn't long ago letters and cards were mostly
handwritten--fancy type and pictures were something different. Today, the opposite true? Don't you pay special attention to a
handwritten message? The idea here is to print a supply of post cards on which you can jot down messages that keep you in
the front of your customer's mind.
When you use a post card as a discount coupon or a ticket to an event, you raise the possibility of a response. The message
here is obvious--bring the card in and get a discount.
You may have seen the "puzzle" technique used on billboards--pieces are added one at a time until, one day, you drive by and
discover the total message. The same type of mystery message can be posted and solved in a series of post cards. You
simply divide the finished message into puzzle pieces and sent them in sequence. In most cases, the cost of printing cards
drops substantially when you print several different designs at the same time--you may be surprised to find how practical this
possibility is.
Post cards are great for spreading the news, real estate announcements, new product information, sale events, coupons,
event passes, greeting cards, rack cards, and even the most traditional travel postcard, or you move to a new location,
announce a product, or add a new service--publish the news by post card. Postcards are the inexpensive workhorses of direct
marketing. While small in size, they can pack tremendous promotional punch and deliver fantastic results in relation to their
cost.