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2007
Postcards are the silver bullet of direct mail. They're
comparatively cheap and almost always get at least a quick glance.
Yet successful postcard marketing has unique and challenging requirements.
You've got to capture the reader's attention in no more than a second, maybe
two - with a postcard that's usually about 4" x 6"!
Disappointed by your postcard marketing campaigns? Getting conflicting
advice about how to make them pay off with new business?
This quiz helps you hit home runs on your next postcard initiative.
1) True/False: You can get new customers with postcards.
False. Winning over potential clients generally takes more
information than you can - or should - squeeze onto a postcard.
Postcard campaigns are really best at lead generation - which is only Step 1
in the selling process. They're a great way to generate interest from
prospective clients and customers. And they're an excellent vehicle
for sending offers to your current customers - say, announcements of new
services or programs.
You can also use postcards as quick thank-you notes, gift certifications or
coupons, celebration of personal highlights like customer birthdays, and
invitations to events ranging from private sales to speakers and more.
2) True/False: It's cost-effective to send postcards to your entire
mailing list.
True. But there's a catch. Large print runs are often
cheaper, so the average cost of a single postcard will often be much lower
if you print thousands rather than hundreds.
However, you probably need to segment your mailing list to get the best
response. A postcard designed for inactive clients shouldn't be
identical to a postcard that targets current customers, for example.
Mailing everyone on your list - when it's perfectly obvious that many of the
recipients won't have any interest in the offer - just teaches them to
ignore communications from your business. And an extremely poor
response rate chips away at the financial benefit of a large print run.
3) True/False: A one-time postcard mailing is a good way to get
started.
False. Don't bother sending only one mailing. Plan on
multiple mailings.
If you don't have the budget to handle at least one mailing - either postal
mail or e-mail - every four to six weeks for three to five months, choose a
different marketing tactic. Repeated exposure is absolutely essential
when you use direct mail marketing.
4) True/False: Your business name and logo should jump out to the
reader.
False. You do need to include your business name and logo -
but they shouldn't dominate the postcard.
Your readers have extremely short attention spans - they'll scan your
postcard for only a second or two before deciding whether to toss it.
Focus on answering WIIFM for your recipients - "What's in it for me?" - by
including an attention-grabbing headline and a few very short bullet points
about the features or benefits that you're offering them.
You're also working with a very small amount of physical space even on an
oversized postcard. So don't waste it on a ludicrously large business
name and logo.
5) True/False: Your postcard's copy should be formal and
businesslike.
False. Dry and formal language is rarely appropriate for
health and wellness businesses.
Write in the same conversational tone that you'd use with your readers if
you were talking to them in person. Yes, you'll use a different tone
for executives, say, than you would for consumers. But in both cases,
avoid overly formal or persnickety language.
Use bullet-points and plenty of white space. Avoid long paragraphs and
sentences, tiny fonts and excessive detail.
6) True/False: You should choose your best postcard concept and keep
using it.
True. You should test several ideas, track results from each
idea, and choose the one that actually produced the best results.
What works well from the customer's view is often NOT what your management
team or ad agency thinks will be most successful. So monitor the
results from different concepts, and let those results drive your decision
about which ones to keep using.
7) True/False: Great design makes or breaks postcard marketing.
True. But only when combined with a well-chosen mailing list,
a strong offer or call to action tailored to recipients, and repeated
mailings of well-tested concepts.
Adequate design is a necessary - but not sufficient - condition for an
effective postcard marketing campaign. We've seen very effective
postcards with mediocre creative elements - boring clip art graphics and
poor use of color, for example. Great content can overcome lackluster
design.
However, great creative design will never overcome mass mailings to every
Tom, Dick and Harry of a poorly chosen offer or call to action.
8) True/False: Your postcard should give all the info needed to buy.
False. It's just a postcard! It simply cannot do all
your selling for you.
Use your postcard to get the reader's attention and create some interest in
finding out more about how your wellness business can help them. Focus
on their goals or anxieties and on the benefits you can help them realize.
Then, make it easy for readers to follow up on their interest. Include
multiple contact methods as appropriate for your business. Examples
include your website, instant messaging userIDs, email, direct and tollfree
phone numbers, fax, street address, and maps.
9) True/False: A subtle call to action is most effective.
False. Be clear and direct about what you want the reader to
do.
Vague suggestions are NOT calls to action. Avoid things like "Stop by and
say hi" or "Visit our website" or "Call for free consultation." Notice that
none of these answer the WIIFM question we described above.
Convert suggestions like these to a call to action by making them specific,
time-sensitive and adding a customer benefit:
"Visit our website for free healthy summer BBQ recipes" or "Visit before
Fri., 7/27 for tasty samples of GooGoo Juice."
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