With all the emphasis on digital marketing these days, a few tried-and-true methods have been forgotten. Postcards are one of them, but they are experiencing a revival as business owners re-discover their powerful ability to deliver results.
Postcard advertising is a great way to bring awareness to your business, brand, product/service offering, special promotions and events, and keep customers coming back! While there are many direct mail formats that are effective, postcards are one of the most affordable options.
A postcard that is 4.25 x 6″ in dimension may seem small, but it works great for a quick message that’s easy to read and it stands above a standard #10 envelope.
Marketing with postcards has long been – and continues to be – one of the most popular and successful ways to build your business. In fact, postcard marketing has even emerged as one of the single best ways to bring highly targeted buyers to your website and increase the results of social media advertising; thus it represents the pinnacle of mixed marketing strategies by combining the proven powers of print with the new-age convenience of digital marketing.
Here’s the facts –
Integrated campaigns that include direct mail elicit greater consumer attention and better provoke the emotional engagement and brand recall that drive action than single-media digital campaigns. Specifically:
Integrated direct mail and digital campaigns elicit 39% more attention (time spent) than single-media campaigns.
Integrated direct mail and digital campaigns trigger 5% more emotional intensity (arousal) than single-media campaigns.
Integrated direct mail and digital campaigns elicit 10% higher brand recall than single-media campaigns. (Source – Connecting for Action: A neuromarketing look at how direct mail works with digital advertising in integrated campaigns to optimize consumer action, emotional engagement and brand recall.)
Compared to emails sent to existing customers, direct mail has 30X the chance of receiving a response from the customer. (Source– Direct Marketing Association)
77% of Millennials pay attention to Direct Mail advertising. (Source – CUSTOMER FOCUS®)
So now that you see the effects, here are some tips for effective postcard marketing –
Plan ahead and create a specific purpose for your postcard campaign – as big an idea as possible to grab people’s attention. Build value into your message and don’t be boring. The message should be direct and authentic but not gimmicky. Your postcard should create interest and intrigue to motivate your customers to take the next step in the purchasing process. Postcards work best for generating leads and not closing sales.
Avoid information overload. Keep your message simple. It’s a postcard, after all, not a book. Short, bold headlines work best. Use images that enhance and reinforce the message and remember less is more.
No one expects you to explain everything on the postcard but you should make it clear as to why they should bother to follow up and engage. Always be sure to include multiple ways for them to contact you.
Postcards are great for carrying timely messages, so think in timely terms. For example, postcards can convey messages or offers with a deadline, or customer reminders (your service contract expires in 30 days!).
Postcards are multi-faceted and can be used for many purposes, including reminders, gift certificates, coupons, new product announcements, openings, discounts and even as tickets.
When you’re marketing with postcards, never use a URL like yourdomain.com/promotions/get-estimate-on-stucco-repairs. No one will remember it. Instead, create a new URL: likenewstucco.com.
At Go Direct we can help you create the right message and special offer on a stunning, eye-catching postcard mailer sure to stand out in the mailbox.