EDDM Postcard Marketing Tips

EDDM postcard marketing is a perfect strategy for reaching local customers with a powerful, yet affordable, message. EDDM – Every Door Direct Mail – postcards allow you to blanket a targeted geographic area with your marketing pitch without the need for a mailing list or expensive postal sorting. That makes EDDM postcard marketing perfect for small businesses that thrive on local sales. The following details what you need to know to make your EDDM postcard marketing campaigns successful.

Set your campaign goal

Start by setting your EDDM postcard marketing campaign goal. Be specific; instead of saying you want to make sales or earn leads, say you want to make 100 sales, earn 100 leads, or earn an ROI of five percent. You should also incorporate your customers into your goals. For example, you might want to make 100 sales from new customers, or from customers in a specific neighborhood (which is what EDDM marketing is all about). The goals you set now should be measurable so you can determine the outcome of your postcard campaign: success or fail?

Select your mail routes

The USPS offers a ]]>nifty tool]]> that allows you to choose which postal routes you want to mail postcards based on city/state or zip code. You can use the tool, which visually maps individual postal routes, to pick your postcard distribution areas. You can have your postcards mailed to every single door within a given area (up to 5,000 per EDDM order); or, you can choose to have your postcards delivered only to commercial or residential addresses. Before you decide on a given postcard mailing distribution, determine the purpose of your campaign. Do you want to send a special offer to neighborhoods whose residents are frequent customers, for example, or do you want to expand your reach into new neighborhoods? Once you've determined the purpose of your campaign, you can develop a promotion well-targeted to your customers and easily make campaign decisions based on achieving your end goal.

Develop your promotion

The 40/40/20 rule of direct marketing states that 40 percent of your success is dependent on the quality of your mailing list, another 40 percent on your offer, and the remaining 20 on everything else. When it comes to EDDM postcard marketing, the first 40 percent is largely taken care of – which means you have to develop a special offer targeted exclusively to your mailing list in order to maximize your return on investment. Decide what you want to sell (or what incentive you're offering to earn leads), then create a time-limited offer that targets the neighborhoods you're going to mail postcards to. Are there common demographic characteristics shared by the people who live in those neighborhoods? Can you take advantage of local landmarks or local issues to hit home with your message? Do you offer unique benefits exclusively for local customers? Consider how you can make your offer relevant and attractive to your customers, and then develop a promotion incorporating those themes.

Design and print your postcards

Once you know your goals, who you're sending your postcards to, and what you're offering them, it's time to design and print your postcards. Start by selecting which size postcard you'll use; EDDM allows six standard sizes ranging from 6.5-inch by 9-inch to 8.5-inch by 14-inch. You can download a free postcard layout template that's already preformatted in the proper size and resolution, and also contains useful guidelines for bleeds, cuts and a safe area. Pay special attention to EDDM postcard layout guidelines, which dictate the placement and set-up of your Indicia and address label. One of the reasons EDDM postcard marketing is so cheap is that you're responsible for meeting Post Office guidelines, which saves time and effort from the Post Office's end. Next, craft a compelling design and draft persuasive copy designed to motivate customers to take the next step in the purchasing process. Your postcards should feature:

• Attention-getting graphics, images or illustrations.
• Colors that match your brand and the mood or emotion of your brand, products, services, and offer.
• A bold headline that introduces your offer, creates desire, or intrigues with a question or statement.
• Clearly listed benefits that demonstrate why customers should purchase from you.
• A time-limited and attractive offer to motivate immediate response.
• A powerful call to action that tells customers exactly what they need to do next in order to take advantage of your special offer.
• A way to track response, such as a coupon or coupon code, so you can measure your results.

Once your postcard is designed, you can upload it for printing. Decide what paper stock you'll print you'll print your postcards on, which can heavily influence customer perception. Glossy postcards can help you seem modern and cutting edge, while matte finishes lend a sense of tradition and trust. Velvet postcards signify elegance, while heavier postcards feel good in customers' hands and can help your brand seem tangible, valuable, and trustworthy. Add UV coating for an ultra-smooth, thick finish; and decide whether to print your postcards on C2S or C1S stock (coated two sides or coated one side), the latter of which allows customers to write on your postcards. Finally, you can opt to have your postcards bundled in 100-piece sets, which makes it convenient to deliver your postcards to your ]]>local Post Office]]>. Once you've made your selections, send your artwork to be printed. Your postcards will then be printed and shipped to your location, packaged for Post Office delivery.

Mail and track your postcards

Once you receive your postcards, all you have to do is take them to the post office and send them via EDDM. Then, wait for customer response – and always track it so you can determine whether you've met your campaign goals. If you have, great! You have an excellent control piece you can use to reliably boost business time and again. If not, determine where you went wrong, make adjustments, and try again. Keep in mind that repetition is critical to maximizing your direct mail marketing success – the more your customers see your brand, the more likely they are to respond to your offer. EDDM postcard marketing can be a great way to boost local business. Follow the steps outlined here, and your EDDM postcard marketing campaigns will be primed for success.