Postcard Marketing: Why your business needs it

Looking for a creative and affordable way to market your business? Why not try postcard marketing? Postcard marketing can be a great way to connect with your target audience and promote your business. They are cheap, easy to produce, and can be sent to a large number of people with little effort. But how do you get started? What are some postcard marketing ideas and tips? And what are some postcard marketing use cases?

The purpose of this blog post is to answer all of those questions and more. Here's what you need to know about postcard marketing!

What Is Postcard Marketing?

Marketing with postcards is one of the most popular and successful ways to build profitability business. Postcard marketing has even emerged as one of the best ways to bring highly targeted buyers to your website; thus, postcard printing shows the pinnacle of mixed marketing strategies by combining the powers of print technique with the digital convenience of the web.

Postcard marketing, a form of direct mail, helps you reach a targeted audience with promotional print elements like coupons, announcements, and other offers. While the tactic might feel like old email and social media techniques, many fast-growing brands are starting to add direct mail marketing to their modern marketing strategy.

"57% of people say postcard marketing makes them feel valued and creates authentic relationships."

Why Marketing with Postcards Works

Once you have begun developing your postcard mailing campaign and know exactly to whom you will be delivering your message, whether it be a targeted group of customers or existing clients, postcards are a great idea device for delivering that message. 

1. View your message

The first step in reaching your target or existing customers is getting them to view your message. Because a postcard is delivered without an envelope, your message is seen before the customers of your campaign have the chance to decide whether or not they want to view it.  

Having your message trapped inside an envelope can easily send it straight to the trash without ever being opened. The key element here is that your postcard mailer has an attractive design which can help to get people's attention.

2. Well-designed postcards capture attention

Your postcard’s design will make or break your postcard mailing campaign. Ensuring that your message is being delivered by a postcard that is pleasing to the eye and which can create an effective copy which should be a top priority in the development of your mail piece. 

The following elements are important in creating the best postcard:

• A straightforward headline that delivers your message behind it

• Using effective colour that drives attention towards your headline or a postcard.

• Subheads that entice viewers to read on it

• State benefits they will receive, not just features you offer them

• Proper placement of company name and logo should be mention

• Contact information and return address be accurate. 

3. Cost-effective

A huge benefit of postcard campaigns is that they are cost-effective. You can mail a postcard first class for less money than even the cheapest letter rate. Since postcards aren’t delivered in an envelope, no excess paper is wasted or stuffing is required to mail them. Repeat mailing is huge in the success of a mailing campaign and using cost-effective postcards to continue reaching out to your target customers will save you money as well. 

4. Postcard marketing campaigns are trackable

• Phone number – Using call tracking software to include unique phone numbers just for the marketing campaign

• Voucher- Use a specific voucher or promotion code for your offer for a specific time.

• QR Codes – If you use Postal to create your postcards, you can automatically include QR Codes which redirect to your website or any social site. Post automatically tracks and measures who converts through these.

• URLs – Using unique URLs and combining this with a compelling offer can help customers o  visit a specific web address can be done automatically with Postal.

A Beginner's Guide to Postcard Marketing

Even today direct mail continues to dominate the marketing world. With the blend of new ideas, creativity and technology, marketers are now conducting highly targeted campaigns.

Companies can combine postcards with their direct mailing and digital marketing efforts for the best results. But, they must try out different combinations and find the ideal ones that suit your business. 

This way, they can excel in both and drive marketing even though this postcard is powerful, marketing postcards perform great with their compact size and eye-catching design; people like receiving them in the mail form. Postcards don’t require envelopes and hence, have high open rates which customers can not neglect. 

Why Should You Use Postcard Marketing?

1) Doesn’t take much time

Postcards are easy and fast. It does not take too much time to design, proof, print, and mail your real estate postcards. Primarily if you rely on quality professional print service and design. 

There are other forms of marketing to which you need to pay attention; some take more time and effort. But in between your other marketing initiatives, postcards keep you in touch with your audience on a regular basis. Use a postcard frequently and save time.

2) Affordable

Direct mail marketing is less affordable than advertising on radio or television, or even in magazines. A postcard is your affordable strategy for getting out a message to your audience. A postcard is created on a single piece of cardstock. It has no envelope which means no stuffing and sealing.  

Postage is less costly than a postcard and print costs are lower than other forms of print material. Once you know who your target audience is, you can choose between your preferred first-class or EDDM (Every Door Direct Mail) options. 

3) Postcards are Targeted

Real estate direct mail marketing also lets you pinpoint your target audience. Once you have a goal for your message and an audience in mind, you can straight impact your target in short order. If you want to plant within a certain niche, you might opt for first-class mail.  

4) You can’t ignore 

While there has certainly been a trend toward technology, print advertising remains a strong competitor for their attention. In fact, Nowadays younger buyers in the market appreciate the look and feel of print materials over digital ones. 

A postcard comes in handy. Because a person does not need to open it up, they are immediately attracted to your powerful imagery design and take the time to read your captivating headline. Once you have their attention, you can keep it with a clear message and call to action. 

5) Postcards are Trackable

You know how many postcards you mailed and how many responses to you. Postcards present an easy way to get your message across and gauge how effectively you did it.

Use a QR code to link to your social media, website or landing page asking for an email address before sending them to view a Matterport 3D virtual tour. A well-thought-out postcard is a means to keep in touch, but it is also a great way to generate leads and which create a source of tracking your postcards. 

6) Brand Identity

Create branding with your custom postcards; use this highly visual medium to show off your creativity and reiterate your brand identity to showcase in front of an audience. 

7) Instant Results

This form of marketing is easy to redeem and postcards are modest– they can be carried in a pocket, a small handbag or wallet, or even pinned to a corkboard or stuck somewhere.

Tips to Follow While Conducting a Postcard Marketing Campaign

1) Segment your target audience

The key to a successful postcard marketing campaign is the correct mailing list. Mailing lists contribute towards 40% of your campaign's success. Help you to build mailing lists based on specific demographics. You can save time and money by focusing only on a target audience.

2) Use a Trackable Call-to-Action

You can use all the elements of postcard marketing an important element is a call to action. A call-to-action tells people what their next step should be and helps them to look towards an effort that takes them ahead in the sales funnel. You can add QR codes, URLs, links or dedicated phone numbers as trackable features which help you record every response.

3) Avoid Using Postcards as Sales Pitches

Using postcards for marketing is an excellent idea, but using them as a sales pitch is not correct. Rather, see postcards as something that can strengthen your relationship with your customers. You have very limited space on postcards. So, you can only insert your headlines, offers, your content and CTA. You can even mention your contact details on your postcards. Which will have you connect with them directly and take their purchase process further.

4) Always do proofread

Spelling and typing mistakes in your sent mail can tarnish your brand identity. Always proofread your postcard contents. Not only misspellings and typing mistakes, but irrelevant offers and messages or ads can also create a blunder. Check your draft, or take help from another person to recheck your draft once it is designed and ready to print. It is important to take a third person’s opinion as you might not be able to see your mistakes.

5) Generate More Responses With Personalization

Personalized and customized postcards help you connect with your target audience instantly and on a personal level. People tend to preserve or keep with them mail items that have their names on them.

Hence, personalization can increase your mail’s lifespan and improve your brand image. When an individual name is highlighted on a postcard, there are better chances that their postcard is read and remembered.

6) Add offers & discount

Always adding relevant and useful offers or discounts to all your postcards can make your customers happy. A lot of people think of postcards as coupons and discount cards.

7) Add your contact details

Don’t forget to include your contact details, your website link, phone number,  your company name, logo and email address printed on every postcard. If you don’t have space on the front side, use the backside of the postcard towards the left.

8) Set clear postcard marketing

Define your goals. You should know what you want out of your postcard campaign. 

Some common goals are:

• Generating new leads

• Targeting a new market segment 

• Increasing sales with discounts offer 

• Clear and well-defined goals help you decide your next steps

Types Postcard Mailing

There are three mailing options to mail postcards:

1) First-Class Mail

You can choose the low postage rates by mailing at least 500 postcards in one go. But, you should also take care that your postcards fit with the U.S. Postal Service(USPS) first-class mail size and weight dimensions. The postage to mail postcards through this option starts at 27.65 Indian Rupeeper piece.

2) Standard Mail

A company mailing around 200 postcards altogether can avail of this option. The portage begins at 38.22 Indian Rupees per piece.

3) Bulk Mail

You need to obtain a U.S. Postal Service(USPS) permit to send bulk mail in one go. Also, you need to presort all postcards and drop them at the central mailing facility.

Summary 

The more postcards you send, the more affordable and highly productive. All small, medium and large-sized businesses can drive conversions via postcards. As a whole, postcards are used to convey clear messages and ideas or communicate with other people in a short. Nowadays, due to their effectiveness, most companies and people use postcards for commercial purposes.

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