Your marketing dollars need to go as far as possible. We all see ads stating you must use this digital tactic or that one. Or that the only way to grow your business is to use the latest new shiny social media trick. Digital communication has become far more prevalent than ever, hitting your inbox and social feeds as much as 150 times a day. But this does not mean that traditional printed advertising cannot still make a big impact on your company’s bottom line. In fact, effective design and print can be a very profitable tactic for your business. Postcards can prove to be an effective marketing tools to get your message literally in the right prospects’ hands. Minuteman Press Calgary Shepard has lots of suggestions for how to incorporate postcards into almost any multichannel advertising campaign.

What is postcard marketing?

Postcard marketing is a form of direct mail that helps you reach your targeted audience with promotional print pieces. Examples include coupons, announcements, or even as a retention tool in the form of a thank-you card for existing clients. Since the prominence of digital marketing, creating tangible, vibrant, and memorable print marketing pieces your customers and prospects can hold to can actually make your brand stand out. In fact, a study conducted by USPS showed that 86% of consumers take the time to read through their mail. Postcards can also be used as a fantastic trigger re-marketing tactic after a prospect interacts with you online. It creates quite a “wow” factor to receive a message from you directly in their mailbox a handful of days after visiting your website.

How do I start designing a piece for postcard marketing?

When choosing a design, follow the KISS (keep it simple, stupid!) principle. A cluttered appearance can detract from your message. Keeping the look streamlined with a straightforward message can grab and keep your reader’s attention. When choosing what will be printed on the cards, it can be useful to consider how to make the most of the available space. As Shakespeare wrote, “brevity is the soul of wit”, so keep your message to the point. There won’t be room to make a full sales pitch, so go straight to the solutions your offer solves for. It should then have a clear call-to-action (CTA) directing the reader to a trackable website, phone number or address where they can get more information.

Who should I send it to?

Your mailing list is responsible for almost half of the overall success of your mailing. If you have lots of bad addresses, your direct mail goes nowhere. If you send it to people who have no interest in your solution, it goes straight to the trash.  If you’re using your own customer list, be sure you have ‘scrubbed’ your list and eliminated any bad addresses – or updated any addresses that have changed due to customers moving, etc. Experienced printers use software to check your address format and that the addresses on your list are valid. These services are a small investment but is definitely a worthwhile step in the process.  Cleaning up your list costs far less than printing a bunch of postcards that can’t even be mailed. If you are renting a list for your mailing, make sure that the source is a good source that will provide good, ‘clean’ addresses that will get to the intended audience. Most reputable list sources are constantly updating their lists and records. They too know how important good, clean lists are to the overall success of the mailing.

Post-Press

Postcards are an effective and profitable tactic for many businesses just like yours. Looking for a local printing company that can design, produce, and print an impactful postcard that stands out from the rest? Let Minuteman Press Calgary Shepard handle your project from start to finish—we will even handle your direct mail campaign and send it off precisely to the homes or businesses of your choice. Ready to get started? Request a Quote today to learn more!