Marketing has come a long way over the years. It’s not only about print anymore – there’s digital marketing, social media marketing, audio marketing and even such a thing as scent marketing. But none of these should take away from direct print marketing, as this most certainly still has its place in the marketing world. But you have to do it right. And when it comes to postcard marketing, there are some tricks to take on board and some mistakes to avoid.
What is postcard marketing?
It has been said that while technology is becoming a more prevalent way of providing information to consumers,people are starting to miss receiving traditional mail in their letterboxes. Simply speaking, there is something special about holding a piece of paper in your hands and being able to tack it to the fridge – a ping in your inbox just doesn’t have the same effect. If you do it correctly, your message will stay with your consumer long after the postcard has found its way to the recycling bin. Postcard marketing is exactly as it sounds – marketing in the form of a postcard-sized letter. It’s small enough to fit in a letterbox or handbag (and in some cases, even a pocket) and it doesn’t take up a lot of room on your fridge or noticeboard. In fact, if it’s done right then postcard marketing can be irresistible, and a great way to get people’s attention. Why is it so much more effective than letters in an envelope?There are a number of reasons.
- Often once people know it’s advertising material, the envelope often finds its way straight into the bin out of habit.
- The postcard is ‘open’ so it’s ready and easy to read.
- Postcards are easy and relatively inexpensive so they’re not a drain on your budget.
- They typically generate a high response.
- At the very least, the message will get seen, so you’re already winning.
Additionally, because it’s a physical reminder that people can hold in their hands, a postcard serves as a continual reminder to interact with your company.
What should it say
While postcards are fantastic ways to connect with consumers, there’s no use sending them unless they say the right things. Remember, postcards are small so you need to be concise in your messaging, especially if you plan to use images as well. As with any marketing, the focus of a promotional postcard should be on what your company can offer consumers – what is it that you are offering? This needn’t be the main focus of your company; if you’re running a promotional campaign, let that do the talking. Give consumers just enough information so they’re left wanting more. This entices them to investigate further and look up your website. Remember to make it clear, concise, and simple enough that consumers want to act on the postcard as quickly as possible. Aside from this action message, the content should be minimal; purely contact information. Many companies make the mistake of putting too much information on such a limited space. Postcards are designed not to have too much content. Irrelevant information can force the message to get lost. In turn, customers will probably toss the postcard in the bin without even a second glance. So what kind of content should you include? Enter power words. As we said earlier, postcards are small. They provide a very limited space for you to get your message across. So you need to be strong, bold and confident. Power words grab the reader’s attention, and evokes the emotion of the consumer. In fact, the words can even cause a bit of FOMO (fear of missing out) – toss the postcard, and you’ll lose out on some awesome opportunities.This FOMO is generally what will encourage consumers to take you up on your offer. These power words include things like:
- Easy
- Special offer
- Guarantee
- Save
- Free
- Bonus
- Last days
- Limited time
- Act now
- etc.
Other power words such as ‘superior’, ‘valuable’ and ‘genuine’ allude to the type of service that consumers can expect from your company, enticing them even more.
Design is everything
Words on a page are nothing without good design. In fact, if you don’t make the postcard visually pleasing, it’s highly unlikely that people will even look at it. Marketing materials need to look appealing at first glance and the design is there to optimise the content. So here are some tips:
- Create an attention-grabbing headline to make an impact – The design should mimic the power of the headline. Don’t be afraid to bold the text or use a different font to make it stand out. It’s all about drawing the reader’s attention to the headline so they’re intrigued.
- Ensure the visual balance is right – A postcard is small, but that doesn’t mean you need to throw everything and anything at it. Avoid designs that place too much content or colour in one area. The key here is to remember that simplicity sells. Always strike a balance between white space and colour (white space is your friend, we promise) and never use too many colours in one go. Choose one main colour with a few accent colours or choose one colour suite. Remember, the message is the most important element, you don’t want to lose that in all the colour hoopla.
- Colour is important – When skimming through the mail, generally it’s colours that will stand out to the reader and make them pause on your business postcard. Choose bright, contrasting colours for best effect, such as bold blues and oranges or reds and yellows.
- Utilise the back – The beauty of a postcard is that it has two sides. Use both of them. That doesn’t mean you need to have text on both sides; in fact, one side can be completely pictorial if you wish. The important thing is that both sides have some sort of content or design on them. Otherwise you run the risk of a consumer reaching for a postcard and pulling out a blank piece of paper.Dark Horse has the following options available:
| Printing | Full Colour Front / Black & White Back, Full Colour Both Sides |
| Paper | 300gsm Gloss or Silk Artboard (Coated), 300gsm Systemboard (Uncoated), 300gsm Cyclus 100% Recycled (Uncoated) |
| Laminate | No Laminate, Gloss Laminate Front Only, Gloss Laminate Both Sides, Matt Laminate Front Only, Matt Laminate Both Sides |
| Size | A6 (105x148mm), DL (99x210mm) |
| Quantity | 250, 500, 1000, 2500, 5000, 10000 |
Of course, as with anything in business (and life) there will be some common mistakes with postcard marketing. The great thing is, you’ll be ahead of the game so you can avoid them.
- Understand your audience and target the best prospects. There’s no point sending a postcard to twenty-year old singles if you’re selling a product or service for babies. It’s crucial to have the best-possible mailing list of prospects, especially one that you know has a proven history of success.
- Find the balance between not enough and too much. With marketing, repetition is key. But that doesn’t mean you need to flood people’s mailboxes every week. While repetitive mailings are much more effective than a one-time post out, it’s key not to annoy potential consumers.
- Be personable. You want to stand out and you want to get noticed. Generic postcards will fail. Show your personality while still maintaining a professional feel. Be kooky without being silly. Evoke emotion from readers. And definitely, do not sound like an advertisement.
- Don’t use them as a sales pitch. Your marketing postcards should not be used to close a sale. They should be used to delight and intrigue people. You want potential customers to engage with your company so use the postcard to grab their attention and then lead them to the next step.
- Keep the message simple. People don’t want to rifle through text to find what it is you’re trying to say. Consider this: your postcard will probably be looked at for one or two seconds before the consumer decides what to do with it. In those couple of seconds, you need to engage them. So keep the sentences short, use plain language and promote no more than one thing per postcard.
- Remember your contact information. There’s no point sending out marketing postcards if people can’t get in touch with you. Provide a website, email address and phone number so no matter what steps the reader wants to take next, they can get in contact.
- Proofread everything. And then proofread again. A spelling or grammatical error reflects poorly on the company. Even the best writers will proofread their work at least twice before sending it to an editor or to print. A good tip is to get a couple of people to give the content a good read and also a good glance over to make sure it’s visually appealing. If you’re the only person available, read the content over a couple of times and then read it backwards. You’re sure to pick up mistakes by doing that.
Postcard marketing is still relevant
While people spend most of their lives in the digital world, physical mail is still relevant. And there are ways to make promotional and marketing material exceptionally appealing, especially in print form. Don’t be afraid to embrace the print world. It may be the best thing you do for your business. To design your business postcard with ease, use the experts at MVP Print today. Simply fill in the details on the Postcards page and checkout your cart – and it’s done!
