Ninja Marketing Tactics - Postcards

These days, you cannot have a marketing conversation without the term “Online marketing” taking center stage. Online marketing is a great promotional vehicle for businesses but it isn’t the only way to market. Many entrepreneurs are simply seeking a low-cost, easy-to-implement, “tech-less” way to reach out to their customers. Well, the answer lies in postcard marketing. Even large technology companies like postcard marketing. Intuit, which makes accounting software, recommends postcard marketing to its accounting firm clients.

Why?

Postcards can be an irresistible way to get someone’s attention. Postcards can:

• Generate sales leads
• Promote special offers or coupons
• Introduce a new product or service
• Keep in touch with existing customers
• Drive traffic to a website.
  

Almost all postcards are read and the reason is simple. Unlike mail that’s sent in envelopes, nothing has to be opened in order for the recipient to read the message. With tradition direct mail, people often look at just the envelope and decide they are not interested. And just like that, you’ve lost the opportunity to connect with that person.

A postcard is already “opened”, ready to read, and at the very least, the message will be seen by the recipient. It offers you at least 15 seconds to capture someone’s attention.

You can create, print and mail postcards without a big investment of either time or money. Lots of companies offer free design templates, including PsPrint. Or you could have a talented friend design a card for you. Printing is very inexpensive and can take as little as a day. And bulk mailing is available for quantities over 200, making the mailing price at about $0.18 cents.

The ingredients for a successful postcard campaign include:

• Color. Make sure your postcard is attractive! Add a high-quality photo or other image. Children and animals are the most eye-catching according to the direct mail experts at the USPS.
• Concise. Simple bold headlines work best. “Spring Fashions Are In” or “Buy one book, second is free” capture attention and get your prospect thinking of their need for your products or services.
• Timely. Messages such as “50% off this weekend only” or “Your Contract is about to expire” work as a call to action.
• Utilize both sides. Consider treating the front like a poster and the back to provide a few details. Make sure you leave the proper room needed for addressing and other post office regulations.
• Staying power. Have you postcard serve as a coupon or gift certificate. You want to present information in a manner that makes the recipient want to hang on the postcard.

Marketing your small business does not have to be expensive—just effective. A direct mail postcard marketing campaign could be exactly what you need to help jump start your sales in 2008.

Provided by PsPrint.com