Your Quick Guide to Effective Postcard Marketing in 2023
Written By: Leslie Taylor | Article Date: May 31, 2023
When was the last time you signed a postcard? Was it decades ago when you sent one out to relatives while you were vacationing overseas? If you are a business owner or an event organizer and you answered yes, keep reading because you are missing out.
Contrary to popular belief, the postcard is more than just a travelling souvenir. With the right strategy, this cost-effective, low-effort marketing material can help take your business or event to new places and greater heights.
Why do postcards work?
Do you need a reason to believe that postcards are still relevant in this day and age? We’ve got four.
- Postcards are a personal (and sentimental) way to connect with your target market and existing customers.
- Postcards are generally inexpensive. Most printing shops sell them for much less if you buy in bulk, and they can even mail it out for you if your order reaches a certain quantity.
- Postcards are easy to personalize. They come in different styles and sizes, so you don’t have to worry about yours having to look like everyone else’s, unless you are using a generic design.
- It’s easy to track the effectiveness of your postcard campaign not just because of the mailing lists, but because the content is also extremely customizable. You can add QR codes that link to your website, tear-away coupons that customers can surrender upon purchase, and even an exclusive discount code for every neighborhood or postal code.
What are the parts of an effective postcard?
You can probably describe a postcard from memory, but did you ever wonder why it’s designed the way it is? When used for marketing purposes, every part of the postcard plays a major role in converting the recipient from being a mere reader to a paying customer.
- The headline captures the central message of your postcard. People should be able to understand what your postcard is about as soon as they glance at it. Aim to keep it short and succinct so as not to overshadow the design and consume too much valuable postcard space.
- The graphic reinforces the headline. It could be an attention-grabbing artwork, a captivating photograph, or both.
- Another essential part of marketing postcards is the sender’s company name and logo. Without these, how would people know where the postcard came from?
- You should also remember to put your contact information and return address so your recipients know how to get in touch with you.
- Allot some space for the key benefits of your product, service, or event so people know what’s in it for them if they decide to do business with you.
- Don’t forget to include an offer! This could be a special promotional code or a limited-time deal. It doesn’t have to be big or fancy, but it must make your postcard recipients feel special, as if you are rewarding them for joining your brand’s exclusive community.
- Last but not the least, every marketing postcard needs a call-to-action (CTA) that will hook the reader into taking the next step. What do you want them to do so you can achieve your goal for the postcard? Is it to redeem a coupon code, to visit your website, or to schedule an appointment? Then put it there. Just stick with one though, otherwise you run the risk of confusing your recipients.
How can you make the most out of your postcards?
You will still need to put some effort to get fantastic results from your postcards, but don’t bring out the elbow grease just yet! It’s not as daunting as it seems but put the time in because it will all be worth it!
- Identify your target audience. Think about who you really want to talk to so you can make your messaging more personal and specific. Aiming to reach out to large groups of people will result in vague and generic content.
- However, if you really want to target multiple types of audience, come up with unique content for each. For example, if you’re selling home-baked pastries, you can send postcards to neighbors, cafes, and wedding planners, but you can’t use the same message for everyone because you will end up resonating with just one or none at all.
- Choose the mailing option that’s aligned with your goals. You have two: direct mail which targets specific demographics and EDDM® which targets an entire neighborhood.
- Regardless of the mailing option you choose, remember to keep your mailing lists regularly updated so your postcards are easier to track and more accurate.
Conclusion
You don’t necessarily have to be a tourist destination for your postcards to be appreciated by your target and existing customers. With resonating content, an attention-grabbing design, and the right mailing option, you’re well on your way to setting up a successful postcard campaign that would blow your digital-loving competitors out of the water.