In the fast-moving times of today, it’s easy to get caught in the tides of electronics, instant emails and text. But there’s always a moment when we all slow down. You walk out to the mailbox and pull out the mail. Absent mindedly, you flip through it until you pause at a shiny, colorful card with big words and an interesting picture. A direct mail postcard. For the moment, even if the information isn’t something that terribly interests you, you still stop and stare. Unlike the thousands of emails that can be deleted with a click of a button, this postcard is in your hand in tangible. That is the forgotten power of the postcard…and it still works today!

Direct Mail and Postcards

Postcards have been used for years to promote businesses. And they will be used for years to come. Why? Because they work! In a word full of over lapping data, people subconsciously pay more attention to a physical item in their hand. A brightly colored display, an eye-catching picture, and attention-grabbing fonts can convey more to the mind in one glance then any long-winded email letter. And for a growing business, that moment is key to growing your clientele. Just like a billboard or a radio commercial, a postcard is marketing at it’s finest. For a fraction of the cost.

A Quality Mailing List for a Growing Business

Before you run out and start your first direct marketing with postcards campaign, it’s important to know who’s going to receive your postcards.

Mailing List Connection is sure to keep the costs low and the reach of their mailing list high for a simple reason. Their mailing lists specialists and state of the art software cultivates the data given from customers to create a better mailing list. This way, not only will the postcard be sent to the right customer that will most likely respond to the postcard, but it will save you the time and money by weeding out the wrong people for you. That saves you more time—which also saves you more money.

The Dos and Don’ts When Creating Direct Mail Postcard

Do:

• Keep it Simple
  • You want the customer to understand what you are marketing with a single glance. That one glance needs to tell them what you want them to do, how they will benefit, and what to do to get it. If there are too many things and no clear visual resting place on the postcard, many people will toss it away without fully understanding what you’re trying to market. Limit the items that you are selling or promoting to one or two items. Then tell them where they can find out more.
• Make Sure the Front and Back Correlate
  • It doesn’t matter if they look at the front or the back of the card, make sure that both sides harmoniously advertise the products. While the front is the main ad, be sure to add something on the back by the address to encourage the receiver to actually turn over the postcard and read the front. Most often the back is a good place to put a coupon of sorts, while the front tells more about said sale.
• Bigger is Better
  • There are USPS regulations to postcards in specific dimensions and thickness. However, it has also been proven that a larger postcard, say a 11”x6”, is more noticeable at a first glance. Simply put, it’s impossible for the standard mailing envelopes to cover it up. Also, the bigger the postcard, the more you can advertise and really get their attention.
• Choose your pictures wisely
  • Pictures are attention grabbing. At least, the right ones are. They should be visually interesting and easy to understand. The right piece of art, be it a photo or an illustration, will enhance your advertisement and make it easier for the casual looker to remember. This is also why you should try and use higher quality of paper stock, to ensure a high-resolution finish.
• Make it Personal
  • Use your data to specifically target customers based on age group, gender, income range, geography, and other factors. Use the things that will grab their attention to make them look at your postcard. If you are opening a cat cafe, a picture of a white fluffy kitten with melt a cat lover’s heart. Then tell them how they can hold a fluffy kitty and sip coffee at the same time, too.
• Use a Strong Call-To-Action
  • You can’t afford to be vague on your postcard. Literally. A subtle ‘come if you want to’ will never sell anything. In this world that’s getting faster and faster, you need to make yourself clear. You need to tell them what it is, and how to get it. Be it a website, a phone number, or a store front, tell them how to get it boldly. Use big fonts, arrows, or even fireworks in the background, anything to make them pay attention to what they need to do get your product in their hands.

Don’t:

• Don’t Forget to Proofread
  • While everyone can make mistakes, you don’t want that to reflect on your business. It can make it seem like you don’t care, which makes the customers not care. Proofread every postcard, then have someone else proofread it for you just to be sure. A simple grammatical error or misspelled word shouldn’t keep you from creating the business of your dreams—but it might.
• Don’t Forget to Follow up
  • When customers respond to your postcard, be sure to follow up. Be thankful and recognize how they are improving your business. Follow up with new incentives and reasons for them to come back. A one-time sale is great, but repeat customers are what keeps you in business long term.
• Don’t Give up if the First Round of Mailing Doesn’t Work
  • There’s a common saying, ‘Third time’s the charm.’ That actually applies to advertising as well. It doesn’t mean that it stanchly takes three rounds of postcards to get customers. What it means is that by seeing a name, holding a postcard, or hearing a review of a product will get make the subconscious more aware of an item. Just like if you buy a white Camry, when you drive around, you will suddenly start to notice how many white Camrys there are on the streets around you. Marketing is the same. Repetition is the key. And sometimes, it might just be because the ad that you made wasn’t quite right for the market. Try and try again.

Get Your Advertisements in the Right Hands

Even if the postcard looks perfect—the font is perfectly shaped, the picture is soul catching, and the call to action is motivating—it won’t mean anything if the postcard isn’t going to the right person. That’s where Mailing List Connections comes to play. Let them help you find your right market, using their mailing specialists and highly advanced technology to create a quality mailing list that will bring customers to your business over and over for years to come.

Call the experts at Mailing List Connection at (469)549-4000 today, so you can grow your business tomorrow.