7 Tips for Successful Postcard Marketing

Simple low-cost postcards have become a valuable business tool for modern marketers. They can produce a surge of traffic to your web site or a flood of high-quality sales leads.

The following 7 tips will help you get the maximum response from postcards at the lowest cost.

Tip 1: Focus on the Mailing List

Make sure your postcards go to prospects likely to be interested in your offer ...and who also have a proven history of acting on offers that interest them.

For example, send them to customers of non-competing businesses that sell to your targeted market, subscribers to publications read by prospects in your targeted market or to prospects who previously requested information about products or services similar to those you offer.

You can get all of these lists from most mailing list brokers.

Tip 2: Be a Friend

Set up your postcard to look at first glance like a message from a friend instead of like a magazine ad printed on a postcard. It will boost the number of replies you get.

A postcard that looks like a friendly message produces a pleasant emotional reaction from readers instead of the harsh emotional reaction most people have to advertising.

Tip 3: Ditch the Sales Pitch

Don't try to close sales directly from your postcard. You don't have enough space to provide all the information most prospects need to make a buying decision. Instead, use your postcard to generate sales inquiries.

Begin your postcard by briefly stating the major benefit(s) you offer. Then use the remainder of your postcard to motivate readers to get more information from a source where you can close sales ...such as at your web site or from a phone number they can call.

Tip 4: Get Right to the Point

Postcards are delivered "ready to read". Take advantage of this. Get right to the point to capture the reader's attention immediately. This makes it difficult for prospects to avoid reading your postcard - especially if your entire message is brief and easy to read.

Tip 5: Go First Class

Send your postcards by First Class Mail. It costs only 23 cents in the US if make them at least 3 1/2 by 5 inches but not over 4 1/4 by 6 inches.

This gives you all the benefits of First Class Mail for just a few cents more than Standard Mail ("bulk rate mail") ...and it produces a lot more replies.

Tip 6: Watch Your Timing

Send your postcards so they arrive on Tuesday or Wednesday. The volume of mail delivered in the US on those days is usually light and your postcards won't have to compete with a lot of other mail delivered at the same time.

Try to avoid having your postcards delivered on Monday. It's usually the biggest mail delivery day of the week and a very busy day for most people.

Tip 7: Economize on Designing and Printing

Don't spend a lot to design and print your postcards. Using an elegant layout with colorful graphics can be expensive and it rarely improves your reply rate - unless you are selling those services.

Simple postcards designed to look like a message from a friend can be printed on your own computer for only 1 or 2 cents per card ...or you can have a commercial printer do the job for as little as 4 to 7 cents per card.

The next time you want to drive a surge of traffic to your web site or generate a flood of new sales leads - send postcards. And be sure to follow the 7 tips revealed in this article to get the maximum response to your postcards for the lowest cost.

Copyright 2005 Bob Leduc

Bob Leduc spent 20 years helping businesses like yours find new customers and increase sales. He just released a New Edition of his manual, How To Build Your Small Business Fast With Simple Postcards ...and launched *BizTips from Bob*, a newsletter to help small businesses grow and prosper. You'll find his low-cost marketing methods at: http://BobLeduc.com or call: 702-658-1707 After 10 AM Pacific Time/Las Vegas, NV

---

Developing A Focused Marketing Strategy

You want all of your marketing messages to have a... Read More

Spring Cleaning: How To Do It In Your Business To Make More Room For Success

With the arrival of Spring, I decided to get outside... Read More

Joint Venture Marketing: What and Why

What is a Joint Venture? A joint venture is an... Read More

After The Mailing Is Done, What Happens Next?

If you're doing any sort of marketing effort, whether it's... Read More

How to Start a Big Mail Service

A BIG MAIL SHOULD CONTAIN:At least three to four Mail... Read More

Money-Makers Secrets to Renting Profitable Mailing Lists

As an entrepreneur involved in selling and/or promotion... Read More

The Importance of Interpersonal Communcation Skills

Interpersonal Communications is the transmission of information from one person... Read More

Getting Paid to Promote Yourself

We all know we can pay a magazine or a... Read More

An Easy Start to Mail Order

Listing names of Big Mail Requestors, and sending out packages... Read More

Meaning and Marketing - The Hurricane

I step outside my back door and look at some... Read More

Big Money With Folios

One of the easiest, if not the easiest, ways of... Read More

Business Card Design - How to Stand out and Get Noticed

One of the most powerful, yet over looked weapons in... Read More

Five New 5 Ps!

NO! When I say "5 P's", I'm not talking about... Read More

After Your Postcard Mailing: Follow Up with Finesse

I've heard a lot of people lament the fact that... Read More

The Mighty Marketing Brochure

"Brochure" is French, and it comes from brocher, meaning to... Read More

When, Why, and How to Use Mailing Lists

Mailing lists may be the cause of more heartbreaks than... Read More

Grow Your Business By Getting Your Customers Buying From You More Often - 35 Ideas

35 Ideas to Spark Your Creativity:There are 3 ways to... Read More

Marketings Nuclear Weapon

Three seconds. That's what you have to convey your message.... Read More

Marketing Lessons from Santa

If a nonexistent man can change the world and millions... Read More

Four Essential Marketing Plan Components

Preparing a Marketing Plan for your product or service is... Read More

How Much Is Your Popcorn Worth? Powerful Lessons In Marketing & The Psychology Of Selling - Part 2

NB: You can read part one here: ... Read More

7 Cheap & Easy Ways To Get Prospects

Here are some quick techniques you can put into place... Read More

Are You Playing Checkers or Chess?

When you think about how to attract more clients for... Read More

Pricing Strategies in Marketing

Price is an often overlooked marketing strategy, as many tend... Read More

Marketing: Are You Focused?

In early 1992, President George H.W. Bush was riding high.... Read More

Marking Your Territory

We all know the familiar adage "if it walks like... Read More

Is It Time To Kill Your Marketing Program?

Ouch . . . sounds pretty drastic I know, but... Read More

Stay in Touch with Leads and Get More Closes

How many leads have come into your business since the... Read More

10 Powerful Marketing Tips

1. Print your best small ad on a postcard and... Read More

Corporate Branding and Trade Shows - 8 Tips for Marketing Managers

Trade shows are part of the marketing mix and the... Read More

A Jack Of All Trades Is Often The Master of None

You've heard variations of that saying your entire life. Consider:... Read More

The Greatest Business Tips are FREE

The best way for someone to hang on to a... Read More

The Value of a Good Sales Letter!

Regardless of how many forms of promotional material you create,... Read More