Marketing Postcard Ideas

When it comes to marketing postcard ideas - don't let the words 'direct marketing' throw you. Just keep your focus on the wildly unfair advantage you have!

As people discover your postcards all over the world and like what they see, they then approach your website or service keen to do business.

That's the theory anyway!

But of course, sometimes you need to go about things differently.

After all, average postcards will give you average results. And who wants to be average?

So here's a gaggle of marketing postcard ideas to get your thinking cap stirring.

Funkadelic Marketing Postcard Ideas

One approach is to simply try out over-size postcards. With the 'average' postcard at 6x4 inch, you can always trial a 5x8 inch postcard (or jumbo postcard) and see how that performs.

Shape your postcard into a Renault?

That sort of 'jumbo postcard' will get your head sticking out of a stack of mail, so to speak. You definitely get noticed.

(Jumbo postcards will cost more to mail though - you have to add up the value versus the extra costs!)

Or explore invitation postcards. This sort of postcard tends to be effective because 'it looks like an invitation to something.'

Who can refuse (to look at) an invitation? These pull eyeballs too.

Jigsaw postcards? Well, not quite - but you can create a series of postcards that depict just one 'piece' of a larger picture. Once all the postcards have been collected, the individual postcards are joined together to create the bigger picture.

And that bigger picture could offer any number of things - from a prize to be collected to a special website to visit. Even a secret map that eventually points back to your business or services.

And that leads us to...

Free Prize Postcards

'Free' is always going to pull eyeballs. Mailing postcards that offer some sort of free prize or promotional giveaway are always worth a try out.

A postcard in the
shape of an ATM?

Promotional offerings such as key-rings, magnets, pens, phone cards (etc) - and even larger gifts like cars and scooters are huge attractors.

You'll have to spell out clearly how the promotion works on the postcard, and then direct the reader to a website to take the required action (sign up etc).

Quick Note: Make sure to use a picture of the free prize on the front of the postcard for best results!

Other marketing postcard ideas include creating custom-shaped postcards. You're only limited to your imagination here (and that's limitless!) so go ahead and explore shapes such as animals, fruit (big banana), vehicles and even historic buildings.

These sort of custom postcards go down really well, and are guaranteed to be kept around for much longer than the traditional 6x4 inch postcard!

What about postcard quotes? A simple series of beautiful postcard images with 'success' quotations on the front make for well-kept postcards. Motivational quotes get pinned up in most offices and many homes!

Other Marketing Postcard Ideas To Explore

Idea Postcards. These are postcards that offer ideas how to use your products. (You can also offer a 'to-do' list on them as well). Consider recipes, software shortcuts or daily time management tips for the face of your postcard.

Discount coupon postcards. You might have to perforate a section of the postcard to offer a discount coupon. The idea is that folks tear off that section of the postcard and present it or redeem it as a discount coupon for whatever offer you make available.

Quick Note: Make sure to add the words 'Cut Here' to the postcard so your reader knows what action to take.

I've heard of wearable postcards (but haven't seen them yet). It would make a wild idea though, don't you think?