Ready To Start Marketing Postcards?
There's no magic formula when it comes to marketing postcards, but there are some facts you should know in order to avoid making mistakes.
I'm sure you know that nearly every business out there has a similar goal in mind - to get in front of people.
The challenge is that with the roar of marketing noise out there it's mighty hard to 'be seen.'
It's said that the average reader is inundated with 2500 marketing messages every single day!
That's a serious battle being fought for the eyes and ears of the world!
How on earth do you compete?
Well - I personally think that you can make waves (be seen) by using an advertising medium such as postcards that deliver a quick and simple, straightforward and effective message.
Especially if you are clever about how you approach your postcard marketing, and deliver good benefits to the viewer.
It's also said that postcards have over a 95% readership rate. (Only as long as you go about the process the right way!)
Getting Started With Postcards
Here's some good reasons why now is now such a good time to start postcard marketing:
- Postcards communicate credibility - A lot different to just sending an email. Folks know you are SERIOUS when you send a postcard.
You're seen as 'different' and this helps to build your 'brand of one' and distinguishes you in the marketplace. Postcards allow people to trust you.
- Postcards get a feeling across - Add any photo you want to get across to your customers on them.
In doing so, you may find folks keep your postcard photo on the fridge for months, constantly seeing "you" as they walk by! What other sort of advertising does this?
- Postcards can express YOUR story - Plus you can use postcards to start your own very rewarding home based business!
- Postcards ARE Different - Try holiday postcards, christmas postcards, vintage postcards, funny postcards, love postcards, and way more to get your message across.
- Postcards are EASY! - Just choose a photo, write on the back, and send. Voila!
- You can see it! - People know exactly what a postcard is when they receive it. (This means they SEE your message quickly!)
- You BE the expert now - Want to be the resident marketing postcards expert? The field is still small and relatively new. (How many postcards do you receive every month? My guess is, not too many!)
- Get Personal! - Perfect for keeping in touch with friends or customers. Add your own photo to a postcard and mail, works wonders.
- Printing for less? - Marketing postcards can be low cost. Mail postcards out at once a month for about $3 a year!
You've got to stand out!
Principles Of Direct Marketing Postcards
And capture attention!
There are four important elements in a 'Direct Mail Package' and close attention must be paid to each:
(Before anything, of course, comes the essential 'idea.' I'll assume you have a few marketing postcard ideas already thought out!)- The graphics: which must be opened by reader - i.e, "what does it look like?"
- The offer: the way the proposition is phrased - i.e "what's the deal?"
- The copy: compelling description that gets the reader to buy/act - i.e. "how is it said?"
- The list: targeted audience most likely willing to buy or act - i.e. "who is it sent to?"
Other Postcard Marketing Advice To Consider
1. Closely analyze your potential markets and your offer so you can hone lists and words to target your approach. Write your copy (words) to be read by one person at a time.
2. Incorporate an action device - coupon, order form, reply card or envelope, phone number - to make it easy for the recipient to take the desired action. Repeatedly tell the recipient what action you want and make it simple to do. Put nothing in the way of getting an order or response.
3. Do what's necessary to make your mail stand out, even look peculiar since it has to fight all types of competition. If it doesn't get opened, looked at, and read - there's no chance it will bring the action you want. Clever teaser copy on outside of the envelope can work wonders.
4. Wise mail merchants work at differentiating between 'suspects,' 'prospects' and (best of all) 'customers.' Once they can distinguish names on lists among those three categories they are able to achieve cost efficiencies that novices can only dream about. So keep good records of what happens and when it happens when mailing to a particular list with a particular offer.
5. Testimonials can be effective promotional tools, especially if they're heartfelt and cogently express what the average user might feel about a product or service. They're even better when offered by celebrities or persons well-known to the audience. Treat testimonials like the jewels they are and gather more.
6. Keep detailed records of everything you do. Follow a "systems approach" so you know what happened, when and why. That way you can repeat successes and avoid failures. Sometimes the difference of a tenth of a percent or less is all it takes to tune a marginal performer into a winner.
7. Study all elements of your package so you can know what's working. Is it the price? The geography? The timing? The phrasing of the offer? The list? The copy? The product? Which of those myriad elements, in combination or without one element, makes the critical difference in the return? Analyze your records closely and continually until you know why you're winning and can repeat success.
8. Keep current with changing postal rules, rates, regulations and procedures. Regularly monitor your procedures to insure you're in full compliance.
