Postcard mailing campaigns provide more than just promotion
Author: Bill Laforme
November 119, 2009

When it comes to direct mail marketing, postcards are one of the most valuable - and versatile - tools.

With their small, manageable size, postcards have a higher readability rate, especially when paired with compelling graphics. Recipients do not have to open anything or flip pages, each of which presents an opportunity to lose readers.

A traditional 4"x6" postcard is effective as is, but businesses who want to set their mailings apart from the competition may want to consider non-traditional features such as alternative sizes or rounded corners.

When planning a postcard layout, businesses must decide whether they want the text to cover both sides of the postcard, or have one side be a billboard-style advertisement or a graphic that covers the whole page.

While the former will be more informative and provide more of an opportunity to sell to the customer, the latter will entice readers to read on or go elsewhere for more information.

Designing decisions will largely depend on the type of campaign the business wants to run, as postcard mailings can serve a variety of purposes.

One strategy is the informational campaign, which uses text-heavy postcards to build brand awareness. The business can - and should - use some graphics, but the emphasis should be on explanations of services, along with contact information for a sales or customer service representative.

When developing this kind of campaign, businesses should consider using trigger marketing strategies to target certain audiences and demographics, providing only information that they would find useful.

Another type of campaign is based on promotions, using postcards to either spread awareness about an upcoming sale or to distribute coupons.

This strategy is especially successful these days, with the recession forcing consumers to focus stretch their budgets. A recent survey by America's Research Group, for example, found that only 1.8 percent of consumers said they will pay full price for any item in their back-to-school shopping trips. These budget-minded consumers will likely be on the lookout for sales, so businesses that focus on advertising promotions are likely to see a high return on investment.

Feedback campaigns are also well-suited to postcard mailings, as businesses can use one side for advertisements or information and the other side as a feedback opportunity, complete with paid return postage. This type of campaign is especially important now that the spirit of web 2.0 has consumers expecting business-consumer interaction more than ever.

No matter the type of campaign, businesses must keep in mind consumer-relevant information and attractive graphics when developing their postcard mailings.