2020 has been a tough year for businesses of all sizes. It has forced us to rethink how we attract consumer attention. One way that we have found to be particularly effective is through the use of postcard marketing. Postcards are a classic form of marketing and have worked their way back in to relevance especially during this unusual business climate.
Announcements
The easiest way to use postcard marketing is to use them for making announcements about your business. This is a great way to let people know that you are still open and what you are doing to protect your customers during these times. One of the major problems businesses are facing is that people are not out and about like they used to be. This is drastically cutting down on your business’s visibility. If people are no longer walking or driving by your doors, then you may be out of sight out of mind for them. Obviously, your outdoor signage is still important but consider all the customers that are not driving by your signs anymore. This is a huge market of people that you still need to attempt to reach. A postcard can be a perfect way to let them know you are open and ready for business.
Brand Recognition
Similarly, postcards are great ways to build brand recognition. With people not seeing your outdoor signage as often as they used to, a postcard can help you stay at the front of their minds. People are online more than ever now and their attention span for ads is the shortest it has ever been. This means that your digital ads are competing with countless other companies and people are paying less and less attention to them. On the other hand, mailboxes are receiving far less mail than they did in the past. This offers you the opportunity to put your message directly in to the hands of potential customers and have their entire attention for a few moments.
Sales
A tried and true strategy for postcard marketing is to use them to inform customers about sales. Using a postcard as a coupon or simply to let them know about a store wide sale has been a very strong strategy. You can set up your design to either drive customers to your store or to encourage them to check out your website for exclusive offers. You need to do something to get more eyes on your business and postcards might be the perfect way to make that happen.
Design
Now a little bit about the actual design of your card. If possible, have a professional help you out on this part, not only will they know how to lay the card out correctly, but they will also know what works and what does not. One simple rule to follow is that less is more when it comes to postcards. Take advantage of the space on your card to show off a picture or graphic. It is tempting to fill up the card with information about your business, but this has been shown to have a negative effect on your audience. People respond more favorably to a colorful picture or graphic then a block of text.
Sizes
When doing an EDDM (Every Door Direct Mail) Postcard there are size requirements that must be met. We have found that the most popular size is a 6×11 inch card. This fits the parameters and has had success in marketing plans. If you decide to mail to your own list instead of blanketing an area, then a 5×7 postcard is the most common. When providing your own list you have far more flexibility on the sizing and shape of your cards but it can cost a little more than doing an EDDM.
Hopefully, you found some of these tips useful and you can incorporate them in to your marketing plan. We wish you luck on growing your business and staying healthy!
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