Postcard Marketing: Benefits and Tips

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There's a strange trend happening in the world of marketing. Consumers are being flooded with online marketing messages in the form of emails, social media ads, branded applications, search ads and more.

Going online is becoming similar to watching TV before the invention of DVR, with commercial messages embedded in every page and application.

While this advertising and marketing onslaught is happening online, there's not too much happening in consumer's regular mail in-boxes. As email in-boxes fill up, mailboxes remain a manageable, tactile environment where it takes more than a one second click of the mouse to "delete" a message.

The Benefits of Marketing With A Postcard

The focus on online marketing really opens up a big opportunity in the direct mail category. Postcard marketing is one of the best ways to reach customers by mail. Here are some of the leading reasons to market with postcards:

• Postcards are the most cost-effective way to reach customers through the mail at 28 cents, versus 44 cents and up to mail a letter.

• Postcards are less expensive to print than traditional direct mail packages (which involve envelopes and several pages or brochures inside).

• Unlike a traditional envelope mailing, which can be thrown away unread, a postcard's message is right on the outside, so it's easier to get that message in front of recipients.

Three Ideas for Postcard Marketing Campaigns

Postcards sound like a pretty good investment, don't they? If you're thinking of printing postcards for your business consider these three ideas for postcard marketing campaigns:

1. Send a Postcard Coupon

One of the best examples of a postcard coupon is the Bed Bath & Beyond 20 percent off postcard which has been mailing for years now. The company sends these postcards to its list constantly and it is now ingrained in customer's minds to bring the coupons in with them each time they shop.

I know people who leave Bed Bath & Beyond coupons in their glove compartments or purses just to be sure they are always read to get the discount. To print a coupon postcard for your business, be sure the offer is clear on the front of the card. Put the offer terms and any exclusions or legalese on the reverse side of the card. You may even want to copy the Bed Bath and Beyond style a little bit because it's familiar to consumers and seems to be working pretty well! Try an all red, or all orange variation on the Bed Bath & Beyond design scheme.

2. Drive Traffic Online

Postcards are a good format for driving traffic to a website. Print a postcard with a landing page URL as the main design component on the front. Make the landing page URL separate from your homepage URL, for example, "www.nameofproduct.com," or "www.storeopening.com," so that the URL communicates the gist of the marketing message. You will also be able to track response from the postcard mailing to the website  if you use a unique URL, separate from your regular website.

Personalized URLs (pURLs) are another good tactic to feature on postcard campaigns. pURL service providers can help you to generate personalized URLs with a person's name in them, such as "www.ProductLaunch.com/brittbrouse." pURLs tend to increase response rates because customers are attracted to a URL that has their name in it. Using pURLs you can also populate the landing page itself with a prospect's name and any other unique information you may have that relates to that person. Check out this article for more background on using pURLs.

3. Create a Cool Card

Create a cool, hip conceptual postcard design that says something about your company's philosophy or image. This card should not be selling anything but your brand. Use a typography-based design like Milton Glaser's infamous "I Love New York," or use a simple illustration or photograph and a line or so of copy. Another idea is to include a black and white photo that encapsulates what your company is all about and underneath incorporate your tag line in a signature font.

This type of postcard branding initiative is something you can save postage on by distributing directly from your place of business. If you partner with other businesses or frequent a local coffee shop, dry cleaner or restaurant, ask if you can leave a stack of the cards on their counter space too! The point is to spread the word about your business in an artful, branded way.

Have any suggestions or questions about postcard marketing? If you leave your thoughts in the comments, I'll be happy to respond!

Featured Photo Credit: Jo@net