Three Unique Types of Postcards for Marketing

If you're a graphic designer (or marketer or business owner) you know postcard marketing. You know that you print postcards, mail them out and if you do it right, you get paid at the end of the day. Nothing wrong there. But there's more than one way to print postcards - in fact, there are a myriad of ways to print and send postcards. Many are only familiar with one kind of postcard, so the following will hopefully enlighten you (or at least reinforce what you already know) about three unique types of postcards you can use to market for profit.

1. The offer postcard

This is the one you're probably most familiar with. You print this postcard when you have a particular product or service you want to push, and you sell it with an incredible offer wrapped in all kinds of great copy and design razzle dazzle. The offer postcard has a headline, an offer, features and benefits rundown, and a time-limited call to action.

The offer postcard works, and it works exceedingly well when you send it to well-defined, well-targeted audience. Your customers will respond, and you can get rich from the offer postcard. Use it.

2. The newsletter postcard

Perhaps you've never heard of a newsletter postcard, or at least you've never used one before. Newsletters are a great way to brand your company, stay in touch with your customers, and invigorate and excite prospects. The only problem is, newsletters are not always the most economical materials to produce, print and send on a regular basis - but postcards are!

Instead of coming up with four features and countless sidebar material for a full-length, four-page newsletter, instead send a newsletter postcard every couple of weeks with one feature story on the front and a couple of interesting tidbits on the back. Naturally, you'll include a special offer or advertisement for your services here and there.

Overall, writing a couple of stories for newsletter postcards - sometimes called newscards - takes up less time and investment. And to print 1,000 newsletters versus printing postcards is no comparison: You'll get more bang - and branding - for your buck with postcards every time.

3. The VIP invitation postcard

Offer postcards sell a product or service, newsletter postcards brand, but the VIP invitation postcard invites customers or potential customers to attend an event. This is similar to the offer postcard, yes, but you're not necessarily asking for anything other than attendance. The goal is not to convince the attendee of value so much as it is to make the recipient feel special, like a Very Important Person, so that they attend your event. That's where you'll do the selling.

Used in tandem, these three unique types of postcards can complement one another and help you grow your business at an exponential rate. Make sure you have each professionally printed in order to present your company - and your offer, your news and your invitation - with the best image possible. Once again, print postcards, and you're practically printing money!