Postcard Marketing Strategy

For many people, the word “postcard” inspires images of swaying palm trees and tourist traps. But they are also a powerful tool in any direct mail marketing campaign.

Postcards are affordable and easy to design and send. As email boxes swell and people ignore online ads, direct mail like a postcard offers a fresh way to attract attention. They stand out because people just don’t get that much mail anymore. And a well-targeted postcard marketing campaign can drive great results, from revenue growth to subscriptions to event attendance.

Postcard marketing must be done right to be effective. Here are some ideas to help you create a profitable campaign.

Set a Goal

An effective postcard marketing campaign starts with a goal. Postcards are a great way to generate sales inquiries or get people to visit a store or restaurant. But because they’re small, they’re not so good at providing detailed information to close a sale.

Good goals for postcards include getting people to:

• Go to your website or social media accounts
• Visit a store or try a restaurant
• Make an appointment
• Request an estimate

Use your postcards to create interest and attract leads. Don’t try to use them to make immediate sales.

Know Your Audience

Profitable postcard marketing is targeted to a particular audience. Targeting saves money because you don’t send postcards to people who aren’t likely to ever become customers. It also helps you create a message that will resonate with your audience.

Find your target audience by identifying traits of your best or ideal customers. How old are they, where do they live and work, how much money do they make, what’s their lifestyle, what do they read, and what challenges do they face? Your ideal customers will be similar to the people who already buy from you.

Choose the right mailing strategy to reach only your target customers. Based on your marketing goals, you might decide to:

• Mail to people who have been customers in the past
• Rent or purchase a mailing list.
• Send cards to everyone in a zip code or postal area using Every Door Direct Mail.

Once you know your goals and who you will send cards to, you can set a budget and design a postcard that will have maximum impact.

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Postcard Marketing Tips

Deliver a Clear Message. The person who retrieves your direct mail postcard from the mailbox may only give it a quick glance before deciding whether to toss it in the recycling bin. That means your message must be short, clear and easily scanned. These postcard marketing tips focus on creating a message that attracts attention and encourages action.

Keep it simple. A postcard that’s cluttered with tiny text is hard to read, looks old-fashioned and feels like “junk mail.” Pare down your message to convey only what’s necessary. Remember, you’re trying to intrigue people, not give them all the details they need to make a purchase.

Be clear about the benefit you’re offering. Don’t just describe the features of your product or service. Tell people how it will help them. For example, a postcard for a lawn care company describes features when it says “Our organic products destroy weeds without harming the environment.” A postcard that focuses on benefits might say “Give your family a beautiful lawn without risking their health.”

Tell readers exactly what you want them to do. This known as a “call to action.” Calls to action include messages like “Call today for a free in-home estimate,” “Visit our website to download our free financial guide,” or “Use this coupon to get 25% off a large pizza.” Calls to action lead customers to the next step in the sales process. Without them, you might have readers, but they won’t become customers.

If you want website visits, make it easy. To get postcard readers to your website, they must read the card and then go to a computer or mobile device. Make this effortless by using a simple, easy to remember URL or QR code.

Personalize your message. A postcard that reads like a personal note have a much higher response rate than a more general one. Consider including the recipient’s name in your text. Colleges do a great job of this when marketing to prospective students, using headlines like “Steve – we’ve waived your application fee!”

You can get this level of personalization by using Variable Data Printing (VDP) which allows changes to copy, images or just about anything on postcards.

Use the back of the postcard. While the front of the postcard should contain your main image and text, clearly communicate your offer on the back too. Mail carriers must read addresses, so it’s likely that your card will be address side up when it’s retrieved from the mailbox.

Make it timely. It’s an old trick, but it works: create a sense of urgency with a time limit. Your offer might have an expiration date, or you might offer an additional bonus for those who act quickly. Postcards are the perfect way to get an urgent message to someone – they’re easily scanned, easy to keep, and can serve as a physical coupon.

Include an offer code or coupon. Offer codes and coupons build urgency, make the reader feel special because they’re getting a great deal, and help you identify who’s responding to your offer. This allows you to track your return on investment.

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Make Your Postcard Design Stand Out

The content of your postcard is important, but a great design will really grab attention and help you avoid the recycling bin. Like your written message, your overall design should be simple and uncluttered. Here are some specific design tips:

Use high quality images – but not too many. Remember, you’re trying to attract leads, not make a sale, so you don’t need to show every aspect of your product or service. Choose one or two great images that will intrigue people and make them want to learn more.

Use quality card stock. It isn’t expensive, and it makes a great first impression. Don’t try to save money on cheap card stock!

Use bold text. Postcards get noticed but you’ve only got a few seconds to make an impression stick. Make it easy to scan with bold text and high contrast colors. Create a professional-looking design. We can help you find an eye-catching, polished look that coordinates with all your other marketing materials. You can also use our postcard mailing templates to design your own.

Consider special papers and finishes. They cost more, but oversized postcards, specialty finishes and tear-off cards can be cost effective when they lead to a higher response rate. Consider what will bring the best response from your target audience, and test different materials to see what works best.

Of course, the final ingredient in a successful direct mail campaign is getting the postcards in the mail. At Printing for Less, we can handle that for you. Our printing and marketing services include addressing and mailing to a targeted list, or to a specific geographical area through EDDM. You don’t have to ship a single box.Need help with your printing project? Give us a call at 800-924-2041.

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Postcard Pricing Considerations

When you’re planning your postcard marketing campaign, you will need to consider your overall budget. While postcards are a cost-effective marketing channel, if you’re not planning up front you might find yourself facing a higher bill than expected.

There are several things that can impact postcard pricing.

Paper

The paper stock you choose for your postcard will affect the end price of your project. The 120# Dull/Matte Cover is slightly more expensive than the gloss and uncoated options. Custom papers would also be more expensive than our standard papers.

Size

The size you make your postcard can impact the final per-piece cost. While conventional wisdom would indicate that bigger = more expensive, that’s not necessarily the case. Different sizes will have a different per-piece price. For example, everything else being equal, an EDDM postcard print run actually has a higher per-piece cost for 6.25 x 9″ than 6 x 11″.

Quantity

With printing, quantity is probably the most significant price factor. Because the setup and prep are the most expensive components for an offset press run, printing smaller quantities tends to be more expensive. Economy of scale is the name of the game, and the more you print, the lower your cost per piece. So if you’re contemplating a run of 2500 versus 5000, you’ll always save in the long run by printing the higher quantity. With digital printing for variable data, the setup cost is minimal but there are no savings for higher quantities. These types of campaigns work best for small, distinct groups of customers or really high value returns where one sale makes a big difference.

Full Color vs Not

Want that postcard full color both sides? You’ll pay more for it. Want it full color on one side, black on the other? That’s less expensive. You can shave some cost by using one side for your bright, colorful image and use black to present your message and CTA on the other.

Custom attributes

Die cutting, foil stamping, embossing, or any other custom attribute will add additional costs to your postcard project. Like quantity, custom attributes deliver excellent economy of scale, so if you’re planning to incorporate custom printing effects think about getting the most bang for your buck with a larger quantity.

Postage and List fees

When you consider your postcard campaign, you’ll need to factor postage into the total cost. Targeted Direct Mail has different postage rates than Every Door Direct Mail. There may also be fees to develop a list for a targeted campaign. Postcard sizes will also impact postage, as the USPS charges more for postcards that fall outside the standard commercial postcard size ranges. USPS Marketing Mail (bulk mail) versus First Class Presort mail options are also different postage amounts, and all postage rates are subject to change based on the current USPS regulations.Price different options and quantities.
Pricing & Ordering

Don’t let the intricacies of postcard campaign pricing deter you from starting. We have teams of experts ready to handle the hard work of pricing all the details of your project, giving you a final, all-in price for your project. We’ll make it easy for you to deliver a smashing postcard campaign that you love. And with Printing for Less, it’s right, it’s on time, or it’s free. So contact us today and get started!

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Postcard Mailing Services

If you’re tired of spending your time messing with address labels, licking stamps or hauling heavy boxes to the Post Office, Printing for Less has a solution for you! With our state-of-the-art mailing software and addressing equipment, we not only save you time and eliminate the hassle, we can get your mailing directly to your customers faster and for less money.

If your mailing project will need inserting, collating or wafer sealing, please give us a call at 800-924-2041. Our Mailing Services Team will work with you to ensure your project is a success!

Want to grow your customer base? Printing for Less can help you identify your target market and find a targeted mailing list that will work for your business. Call us at 800-924-2041 for list information and costs. Or try EDDM^® for targeted saturation marketing for less money than postcard bulk mail.

Mailing Services Pricing

As your one-stop shop for printing and mailing, you can price and order your direct mail piece right on our ordering pages for postcards, brochures, newsletters, catalogs and greeting cards.

Current postage rates for First Class Mail postcards are 34¢ for up to a maximum postcard size of 6 x 4¼, and 50¢ for large postcards with a maximum size up to 11½ by 6-1/8.

1. On the product ordering pages, enter your print Quantity in our InstaPrice^® calculator and select your options.
2. Enter the quantity of pieces to be mailed and your preferred mail class in the Mailing Services section to get the price including mailing.