THE LATEST BUZZ | POSTCARDS!
Postcards are so hot right now!
Postcards may be one of the best kept secrets of modern marketing. They're highly effective, very low-cost, simple to use...and they work for any business. You're overlooking a profitable marketing tool if don't use them. It is no surprise in this economy that the postcard is IT.
AG creates postcards for realtors, automotive services, medical and dental offices, galleries, financial institutions, home and commercial service firms and many more business types. Most of our clients repeat their mailings monthly and have been doing so for years. Would they keep using postcards as their primary marketing tool if they didn't work? Nope.
Spark up some repeat business
The best marketing results we have ever had at AG was when we sent out a simple "We're Moving" card to our existing clients. The response was amazing and unexpected! You would think we had personally called each one saying, "How's business? Need anything?" Not only did we accomplish our goal of notifying people of our new contact information but we were booked for several weeks straight. As an added bonus, we even reactivated dormant accounts.
Existing customers are 5 times less expensive to get repeat business from than with new customers. Try sending a thank you, follow up, reminder, special or seasonal offer or updated information to existing clients.
Keys to a great postcard campaign
1. The List. Your mailing list is the most important factor to targeted marketing. Use your in-house list and a list broker to make sure your cards get to the best possible recipients for your business. AG has a great mailing and list source so we can get your mailings into the right hands.
2. Repetition. You need a postcard marketing campaign, not just a single mailing. It is the consistent repetitive mailings that are exceedingly more effective than a one-time mailing. This builds credibility and familiarity. Although it may take a number of contacts with a customer before it leads to a sale, the eventual increase in revenue usually far offsets the small cost of postcard printing.
3. Get personal. A pleasant, friendly and warm message is far more effective than a cold, formal message. If you are selling yourself as a "Family Dentist" it may be more effective to show a photo of a happy, smiling family rather than a photo of your new X-900Z Dental machine. I made up the machine name but you get the point.
4. The front. Trying to close a deal or including a sales pitch on a postcard is overkill. The goal is simple - get a response. What you really want is for your audience to visit your web site, call your office, respond to an offer, attend an event or visit your business. Use a short and catchy headline and an image on the front and they will be more likely to turn the card over to see your brief message section on the back. Think about this: if all of the packages in the grocery store were stocked with the heavy content laden back sides facing you, wouldn't you be a little overwhelmed and move on?
5. The back. Your postcard will probably garner a one to two second initial glance, so don't weigh down your chances of success with clever dissertations, jargon, or a laundry list of everything you offer. Use short complete sentences with well-chosen plain language and bullet points that will get the attention of the reader. Promote no more than one key item per card. A overly busy postcard is more likely to be filed in the trash than read because people simply don't have the time or patience to sift through a lot of details. Again, edit!
What can Accutype Graphics do for you?
Design, print and mail AWESOME postcards! We have original ideas, marketing know-how and everything needed to manage your entire marketing campaign - all for extremely reasonable rates. Call for an estimate - 916.419.6795 or email heidi@accutype.biz
Sources: Marcia Yudkin, Business Know-How