Bring Your 'A' Game When Marketing with Postcards

Marketing with postcards is one of the most lucrative strategies for small businesses trying to reach a well-targeted audience on a budget. ]]>Postcard marketing]]> is a science, so it is critical that you have all the elements in place in order to yield the best possible return on investment. Here's how to bring your 'A' game when marketing with postcards.

Get the list

You absolutely need to have a quality mailing list before you send marketing postcards to anyone. A great mailing list is comprised not only of those who are demographically aligned with your best customers, but also those who are likely buyers based on their tracked habits. This is paramount if you're marketing on a tight budget, so if you're not sure who your most likely buyers are you would be wise to conduct additional market research before you begin. Once you're confident you know your audience inside and out, compile a list of current best customers or create your own mailing list using the tools at PsPrint. Alternatively, you can hire a list broker to help you get a great mailing list. Mailing list tools and list brokers might seem an extra expense, but in reality they're simple investments toward a higher return on investment. When you choose a skilled list broker, you can rest assured you will get responses so long as all of your other elements are in prime position.

Make it worth while

You've probably received marketing postcards from companies introducing themselves to you. And you've probably thought to yourself, "so what?" Think from your customers' perspective to figure exactly what you need to do to make your postcard marketing pitch worth their while. Answer the question "what's in it for me?" to brainstorm a can't-refuse offer that will have your customers salivating with desire. The 40/40/20 rule of direct marketing dictates that 40 percent of your postcard marketing success is based on the quality of your list, and another 40 percent is based on the quality of your offer. If you get the first two right, you're 80 percent of the way to a highly successful postcard marketing campaign.

Dazzle and compel

Direct-mail response motivation comes in three phases: attention, desire and action. All three come through a combination of dazzling design, compelling copy and a relevant and incredible offer. Design, headlines and offer get attention; features benefits, copy and imagery create desire; and copy, along with a powerful call to action, motivate response. Make sure all three are top-notch before you send your postcards.

Track your responses

Unless you plan on being a fly-by-night company with no commitment to improvement, you need to track your marketing postcards responses religiously. Knowing what works - and what doesn't - will help you tweak future postcard marketing campaigns for success. In the long run you'll learn more about your customers' purchasing habits than you ever thought possible, and you'll be able to accurately predict your return on investment before you send your postcard campaigns. And knowing how much you'll profit before you send your postcards is powerful knowledge, indeed.