How to Maximize Results from Marketing with Postcards

In this age of Internet marketing, postcards are still a viable alternative. Direct mail marketing has been proven over time to be effective, and despite the many advantages to doing your promotions over the Web, there is still much to be gained from a postcard marketing campaign.

Unlike doing an e-mail blast, mailing postcards or business flyers isn’t free, so you’ll want to make the campaign as effective as possible. Here are a few things to keep in mind.

Use First Class Mail. Bulk mail rates are cheaper, but you don’t get forwarding or address correction. Paying the extra for first class helps keep your list current and allows you to stay in contact with customers who may have moved since you last contacted them. Use an actual stamp rather than an inked impression for your postage because it helps to flag your postcard as a piece of personal mail, rather than junk mail.

Pay attention to postal regulations. If your postcards are too big, or printed on heavy cardstock that exceeds the standard for postcards, you will be charged the oversize price, which is significantly higher when you are sending out a large number of pieces.

Update the List. Using a list that is several years old will likely result in a lot of mail that does not get delivered. Make sure you do all that you can to eliminate bad addresses.

Choose Postcards Over Sealed Envelopes. Postcards get read more than any other kind of mail. Most people look through the mail and decide whether they want to take the time and effort to open each piece. Many envelopes end up in the trash unopened, but postcards are open when they arrive. There is no effort involved in reading them and they are already in hand, so most people go ahead and check it out right then. The size of a postcard as a mailer is a mixed blessing. Because it is so small, you really have to design carefully and not waste any space, but by the same token, since it is so small, there is no reason to put off reading it, which reduces the chance of it ending up in a pile of junk mail that eventually gets tossed without being read.

Make your Postcard Stand Out. Postcards are a visual tool. Design yours with something eye catching. If you aren’t the designing type, online printing services, such as 123print.com, come to the rescue. You simply go to their website and select a premade design, add your content, and order the cards. Many online printing businesses offer postcards, but 123 print has over 5,400 designs to choose from, so it’s a good bet that they will have just what you are looking for.

Don’t overpay. Running an overpriced marketing campaign can negate the results it produces. Check out online printing sources for your postcards (and any other marketing or office items that you personalize) and you will find a wide range of products available at good prices. Another advantage of the online printing services is that they typically have very fast turnaround times.