Did you know that postcard direct mail is one of the most cost-effective direct marketing methods? While it shouldn’t be the only direct mail you use, postcard printing and mailing can produce surprising results. Here are 10 tips to help you do just that.
Postcard Printing and Mailing Tips
- Testing your direct mail is one of the most important steps when you are engaged in a campaign that uses postcard printing and mailing—or any other kind of direct marketing!
Direct mail allows you to easily test and track campaign factors and material elements on a continual basis. That way, you have the data available to make improvements on your next go round.Sometimes you can even implement the changes mid-campaign.
- Design templates are widely available. These tools have both benefits and drawbacks from a marketing perspective.
A template will allow you to design your own postcards and other direct mail materials, but your end design may not be as original or unique as it could be.
Naturally you want your mailer to stand out. But it’s important to note that the best direct marketing never re-invents the wheel; instead, it is based off of what has worked before. You simply have to strike the right balance.
- Quality versus cost is one equation that must be calculated with postcard printing and mailing. Of course you want to keep your costs down. But you also want great postcards that reflect well on your company and are attractive to your recipients.
Highlight why your product’s value is worth their consideration over lower-price options.
Source: Tim Donnelly
To make your campaign as successful as possible both cost and quality are very important and both of these must be balanced.
- Address your consumer directly, and speak to them in language that they will easily understand. Save the technical jargon and the industry speak for the white papers, these have no place in a postcard.
Use short sentences and a vocabulary that can be quickly and easily understood by the typical 8th or 9th grade student (even if your consumers are not), and you will reach more consumers and get better responses.
- Who you choose to handle your postcard printing and mailing can be one of the most important decisions that you make. The right printer can help your campaign soar, but the wrong printer could cause your campaign results to be disastrous.
If you do not already have a trusted printer, compare several to find one you can depend on.
- Before you can order postcard printing and mailing, you will need to have mailing lists available. Carefully select mailing lists based on their accuracy and relevancy to your campaign goals and objectives.
A good list provider will help you find lists that fit your current customer base, and also explore new ones.
- If you are going to the trouble and expense of postcard printing and mailing, then why not use both sides of the card? That way, you double the area available for text, images, and other elements. “The more you tell, the more you sell,” as the saying goes. How much more could you sell, if you could “tell” 100% more?
- Consider techniques on your postcards. Even though this will cost more up front, it might bring back a much better return.
Embossing, foil stamping, die cutting, lamination, and other specialized techniques will upgrade the way that your materials look and feel. Depending on your audience and your product/service, this will give you a better chance of interesting the recipient and getting their attention right off the bat.
- It is better to pay for professionalism if you want excellent results from your postcard printing and mailing. It is better to pay for professional help and get great postcards that are visually appealing and motivate the consumer than it is to save money up front but lose customers and sales in the long run.
- Personalization is vital for postcards that grab the reader and draws them in. When the reader feels like you are addressing them on a personal level they, are more likely to trust you and develop a relationship with your company. Address the recipient by name if possible. Take advantage of variable data printing techniques to personalize other elements as well.
What other tips and secrets have you learned about postcard printing and mailing that you can share?
