Postcards are one of the oldest direct marketing tools that are still effective today.
In our high-tech digital world, low-tech postcards are still the fastest and best direct marketing tools out there. If you don’t believe me, check your mailbox. Don’t think that the companies that fill your mailbox are stupid. If they didn’t make a lot of money, you wouldn’t get all that mail from the same companies over and over again.
Postcards stand out.
A well-designed, affordable postcard campaign with a strong call to action will keep your company top of mind at customs.
Postcards are cheap.
Postcards, compared to other marketing tools, are the cheapest to print ever. Online printing companies make it easy to find cheap postcards at the best value without spending a lot of time researching. In fact, full-color postcards are cheaper than two-color cards just a few years ago, so you get more for your money. You can buy 5,000 high quality 4.25 X 6 full color postcards for less than $160
Postcards are read by almost everyone.
It’s harder not to read an interesting postcard than it is to avoid reading it. An eye-catching design and compelling offer can grab their attention and it’s hard not to read it. Nothing else in your mailbox can grab as much attention except a big government check. Most junk cards are never opened unless they look official. People don’t have the time or attention to read. Flyers can also have too much to read and are instantly thrown away. On the other hand, postcards get noticed and read because the message takes only a second to decide if you’re interested or not. They don’t have to be spread out and they don’t waste time with a lot of words.
Postcard campaigns return a high ROI
If you plan to send only one postcard, you may be wasting your money if you are trying to determine the results. If you don’t have a lot of money to test the waters of direct mail marketing, and what small businesses do, you can print cheap wholesale postcards in short runs of 100, 250, 500 or 1,000. The trick is to send them every 4-6 weeks to the same list. Each time with a different offer. It’s not quantity, but frequency that keeps your brand in front of your customer.
Postcard effectiveness testing is quick and easy.
Use short-run postcards to try out different ideas and see which ones have the best returns. Once you know what works, slowly increase your shipments and keep checking the results. The best value for short-run postcards is around $55 per 1,000. You can send as few as 100 cards at a time to spread out your postage cost. Just make sure to change the lists.
Tips for printing postcards:
1. When shopping for cheap postcards online, don’t buy the cheapest deal you can find. Cheap looks cheap, feels cheap, and can represent your company as cheap. Considering the size of postcards, paper should be the problem unless you’re printing millions of thousands. Minimum cardstock weight should be 14pt heavy or 16pt extra heavy, either matte or UV coated cardstock.
2. If you are distributing the card by mail, the address area should NOT be covered with UV. The UV coating is a liquid laminate that cannot be overprinted with a personalization or shipping address. There are two solutions for this problem. Order your cards with UV coating on one side, matte coating on one side or pay a little more and print your cards with spot UV coating so you can decide what’s glossy. Spot UV coating is an attention-grabbing wow factor effect so your card has a better chance of standing out and attracting attention.
3. The bigger the better when it comes to postcards and diamonds. Postcards are available in many sizes. Small 4 X 6 and 4.25 X 6 postcards can be shipped at lower postage rates. You’ll save money but lose impact. If you’re going to do it, do it right.
4. Print “SAVE THIS CARD”, you’ll be surprised how many will keep it. If you say so, they will be.
5. Be sure to put a time limit on your offer. Add a tracking code so you can identify the mail you sent. Offer must be redeemable only with that code. Customers like to receive codes because they identify as special.
It doesn’t matter if you have a small local takeaway pizza or you’re selling trips to Europe nationally, the key is to make sure you have an offer you can’t refuse and that your card looks impressive. You don’t have to spend a lot of money to start a postcard campaign. Plan on sending six different postcards in 6 months and you’ll earn quick and easy money once you start your program. Remember that it takes money to make money and cheap but high quality postcard campaigns will earn you money and a high return on what you have spent.