Keys To Creating A Better Postcard

Direct marketing does take a certain set of skills but luckily they are skills that can easily be taught, researched and used.  One of the tools you’ll likely come across when you’re working a direct marketing plan is utilizing the postcard.  Consider the following key ways to making your postcard marketing brilliant. 

Carefully Consider What You’re Offering

Take a solid look at what you’re planning to send out… Is it clear and stated simply? If there are tons of offers, clauses and other contingencies then your response rate will drop.  Have you made it clear what the reader should do?  When you’re offering a product make sure to have clear details on how your reader can get the product easily and for a great price. 

If your postcard is sent with the intent to sell take a look at the product or service.  Is it unique, a top seller or does it represent your merchandise accurately?  Keep this in mind especially when sending to new client potentials. 

Take A Look At Content

The content is the heart of your postcard.  You’ll want to make sure you have headlines that sizzle and that pull readers in.  They are the most important part of the postcard so should be well-written and visually ‘popping’ to get the most attention. 

In addition to great headlines, your content needs to be concise and easily understood.  Bullet points instead of paragraphs and short, descriptive sentences are best.  Content should also be specific in its design, telling your reader what he or she stands to gain when responding to the post card. 

A little repetition can go a long way.  Repeat your offer to your reader at least twice so they are sure to understand what you’re promoting as well as seriously consider what it can do for them.  Following these few, simple marketing rules can increase your postcard response rate and help to grow your business with minimal hassle.  

7 Keys To Getting Better Responses From Your Direct Mail

Utilizing direct mail marketing is an important part of getting you company out there and seen by potential clients.  In order to get the best responses from your marketing plan it’s essential that you consider utilizing some of the most important tools of success such as the following:

      1.       Problem Solutions Vs. Products

Regardless of whether or not you are selling a product, people want a solution to their problem.  Make sure to talk about what you’re offering in a manner that illustrates the problems it can solve.  Once a person sees a product or service as capable of solving problems they will be more likely to want it.  

      2.       Give ‘em What They Want

Making sure you’re marketing to a group of people that have a need for what you offer will certainly help your efforts.  

      3.       Emotionally Appealing First & Then Reasonable

Sending out logical info that involves numbers and statistics won’t excite your clients.  Set it up by appealing to them emotionally then speak to their logic.  

      4.       Use What Works

Don’t try to break the mold.  When it comes to direct marketing find the forms that work and use these.  

      5.       Content Is Critical

Don’t worry so much about formatting and the looks of everything-worry about what you will give your clients by way of content.  

      6.       Make It Direct

There are basically three elements to all direct marketing messages- offers, acceptance of offer immediately and a way to respond to the offer.  

      7.       Sales In One Of Two Steps

The first step of a sale is when you get an order without extra communication and effort.  This is ideal as it provides the best potential for highest profit.  The second step is generating inquiries and then converting sales from these responses.  This can be a little harder but with the communication can work very well. 

11 Reasons To Send Your Clients Postcards

When it comes to making and staying in contact with your customer base there isn’t much that can be substituted for a postcard.  These reasonable, easy to print-off cards are an essential part of any marketing plan for a successful business.  

       1. Value: Sending a postcard is less expensive than other traditional mailing options. 

       2. Quick Read: A postcard only takes a second to read which means people usually do.

       3. First Class Mail: Post cards that are sent first class only cost 20 cents.

             4. Privacy: A post card is one of the ways you can notify clients of a private sale just for your best customers. 

      5. Reminders: Getting a notice out to your clients that an item is past due or that you’re having a sale has never been easier than using a postcard.  They are great ways to let people know about new items or to simply get them to RSVP for an event. 

      6. Gain Referrals: A postcard that is double sided is a great way to generate client referrals. 

      7. As Gratitude: A postcard is an excellent way to tell a client thank you for stopping by, signing up or making that purchase- and it keeps them thinking about your company. 

            8. Invitations:  Sending postcard invites are fantastic ways of letting people know you have something going on. 

      

      9. Preview A Sale: Giving your customers a chance to take a peek at sales you are having is an excellent way to get them to stop back in.  Giving them the first shot at what you’re putting on sale is another key way of keeping them excited about your business. 

      

      10. Apologizing For A Mistake: Sending a postcard to your client to let them know what is going on is the perfect way to apologize.  They will appreciate finding out about the mistake from you.  Mistake happen to the best of us and making sure we do what we can to let our clients know a.s.a.p. is the right course of action. 

Even With Economic Slump Direct Mail Marketing Is Steady

Our current economic conditions are problematic, there’s no doubt about that.  With these issues, more and more business are working doubly hard to insure that they are marketing effectively.  One method that pops up in discussion often is direct mailing programs and what they have to offer.  If you’re looking to promote your business then direct, postcard marketing should be one of the first methods you consider.

Advantages Of Direct Mail Marketing

When you use directly marketing to your clients you are choosing a method that some people feel is outdated.  This couldn’t be further from the truth and that is because of the distinct advantages to direct marketing.  With this mail, a person has to physically touch what you’ve sent.  This means they will look at it without fear of a computer virus.  It is still considered a marketing workhorse for the simple fact it is physical and a person will look at it even just to toss it.  When designed effectively, they will look at it and keep reading it. 

Still The Consumer’s Preference

With studies being done in 2008, 2010 and 2011 consumers have consistently reported they prefer to have a marketing message received in traditional mailing format.  This means they will already be more open-minded to any marketing message that comes to them by way of direct mail versus email. 

One Mail Box

A key advantage of direct mail marketing is that there is generally one mailbox per home.  When it comes to email, an individual can have multiple address and a home will have multiple individuals.  This may mean to market to four people living in a house you would have to send an email to four email addresses and even more when some don’t get checked.  Why go through this extra work when one postcard can be delivered to a mailbox that services multiple people?

Postcard Marketing Is Still Profitable To Any Business

Once, postcards were used as a cost-effective business promotion, with a little personal touch to reach the heart of customers.  Internet marketers have so many venues in the modern age, but this can be a difficult thing to manage.  The internet provides a quick statistic tracking method.  However, with so many methods of marketing, your advertising may become diluted or lost.  The important thing here is to pinpoint your market.  With digital marketing methods, are postcards effective?

The initial investment can be off putting, as postage prices have increased to thirty-three cents in 2013.  Despite that there are plenty of statistics pointing to the effectiveness of a well-crafted postcard campaign. 

• Despite what you think a postcard campaign is still relevant.
• Studies show new customer support is as much as 34 percent more with direct mail.
• 54 percent of postcards are read when received.
• Response can be up to 39 percent. 

There are large amounts of recorded evidence that direct mail is the most successful, in fact.  How can you translate this to your business?

For example you have a web-based market service that costs $240 per year, and 70 percent of recent members stay with you for 12 months.  Your single sale profit is $180 dollars.  Printing 10,000 postcards, receiving 39 percent return yields 399 new customers.  Your gross profit for the campaign is $71,821.

Now remove the costs of postage and printing, approximated at $4,000, your total net profit is a little over $67,000.  Any added fees for rentals must also be calculated.  Delivered directly to your market and customers must having to at least glance at your advertisement, are fantastic examples that postcard marketing is still relevant and effective, even in our digital age.

If you’re looking for fantastic information on postcard marketing, call Guest Contact today for guidance.