Avoiding Flimsy Postcard Paper Stocks

Postcards are one of the most economical and efficient - not to mention powerful - ways to market your business. Combined with a highly targeted professional mailing list, a great offer and strong call to action, few postcard campaigns fail. Postcards are judged by customers at a glance: How do they look, and what do they say that has value? Are they from a professional company? The latter is where paper stock becomes so important to the success of your direct-mail postcard marketing campaigns. Avoid cheap, thin postcard paper stocks for optimal response rates.

Cheap paper makes your business look cheap

Considering the fact that paper stock quality is so important to ]]>postcard marketing]]> campaigns, it's a wonder why some businesses continue to take the "cheap" route. Cheap postcards cheapen your company's image, and if you want to be seen as a strong, stable company you must use strong, stable postcard paper stocks. Your postcard should feel solid, smooth and flexible in your customers' hands so your company appears strong, efficient and likewise flexible - not rough, grainy and flimsy.

One of the most common misconceptions about postcard printing is that it is expensive. Some companies will even try to print their own postcards on desktop printers, which have the distinct disadvantages of smeared inks for a sloppy company image and flimsy, roughshod paper that easily tears. Also, printing postcards on a desktop printer is actually more expensive than having your postcards professionally printed.

Professional printing is cost effective

By the time you add up the cost of paper, the laborious hours spent trying to line everything up and cutting it and the expense of desktop printer ink, you'll spend more trying to print your postcards yourself. Alternatively, you can get 1,000 professional postcards printed on super-thick 16-point gloss paper stock from PsPrint for around $55 - saving money, time and your company's image all in one fell swoop. You can learn more about postcard printing options, such as 13-point recycled matte postcard paper stock with PsPrint's instant price quote tool.

Marketing is all about return on investment, but when you invest too much time and money it's difficult to get a good return. Postcard marketing commands one of the best returns on investment in nearly every industry, so it is one area in which businesses should never take shortcuts. The irony is that companies that try to shortcut the postcard printing expense actually end up spending quite a bit more money and lowering their returns on investment exponentially. For quick, affordable and - most of all - professional postcards that drive response, there's no replacement for high-quality postcard printing.