Postcards are one of the most effective methods of direct mail marketing available to businesses today.  They’re a simple, inexpensive and highly effective tool to get the word out about your business and draw customers in.  But not all postcards are created equal.  If they are to truly produce the results you want, postcards must capture the attention of the reader and create a clear and compelling call to action.  Here are five critical components to creating powerful marketing postcards and developing a campaign that will deliver your message and get results.

Know your audience.  How can you hope to reach your target market if you don’t understand who they truly are?  One of the simplest keys to successful marketing is finding a need and filling it.  By understanding who you are mailing your postcards to, you can better determine what is most likely to get their attention.  If you plan on purchasing a mailing list, be sure it includes demographics and other identifying information so you don’t waste your marketing dollars on a campaign that is unlikely to produce good results.

Keep it simple.  The beauty of postcard marketing, and one of the reasons it’s such a powerful tool, is that it can deliver a marketing message in a concise, no-nonsense way.  Unfortunately many businesses make the mistake of trying to cram as much information as possible between the four corners of a small piece of cardstock, which only serves to complicate the message and annoy the recipient.  Don’t fall into this trap.  Use as few words as possible to clearly and concisely deliver your message.

Make it attractive.  Choose a design that captures your audience’s attention and compliments your content.  Don’t overload your postcard with too many images or it will appear busy and overcrowded.  Just a simple image that goes along with the postcard’s message and your logo should do.  If you’re not sure whether your logo is up to par for your next marketing campaign, check out our article Is It Time to Upgrade Your Company Logo to find out.  Once you have your logo and image chosen, make sure it is laid out in a way that is appealing to the eye.  If you don’t know how, a professional designer can help.

Keep track of your results.  It takes a lot more than a trip to the post office to realize success with your postcard marketing campaign.  Once you’ve mailed them, you have to measure the results to determine how well your campaign is going.  Some companies include an identifying component, such as a discount code or keyword on their postcards.  In order to receive the special offer being advertised, the recipient must mention this code.  Others require that the postcard be presented in order to receive the offer in question.  Weigh the number of redemptions against the total number of postcards sent out to determine the success of the campaign.

Lather, rinse, repeat.  One of the keys to successful direct mail marketing is repetition.  Sending out just one batch of postcards may not be enough to produce the results you’re seeking.  To be truly effective, you’ll probably have to send follow-up and reminder postcards as well.  Remember, the squeaky wheel gets the grease.  That same concept also applies to postcard marketing.

By following these helpful tips your next postcard campaign can be a success!  Need help?  We can create an engaging design that will captivate your audience and get results.  For more information on this and other print media services we offer click here.