In today’s highly competitive market, businesses are looking for ideas to make their companies stand out in front of the competition and attract new customers. To get your business noticed, you must make a bold statement using fresh and exciting concepts. One of the most widely used direct mailers are the postcards, but using such mailpiece does not mean your direct mail campaign needs to be boring, or it cannot work as well as any other well thought and executed marketing effort. The most appealing and striking pieces are least likely to be discarded and have the greatest chance of attracting new customers.
Before you even start creating and making any design decisions, it is a good idea to pick the size of the card. A large postcard, even though it is a bit costly to print and mail, can go a long way toward your final goal. The larger the card, the more room you will have for your message and graphics as well as more flexibility in the overall design. The maximum size that qualifies for the letter-size postal rates is 6 1/8 x 11 inches; such large mailpiece will get noticed in everybody’s mailbox. Another common size is 4 1/4 x 6 inches, which is the maximum size to qualify for first-class postcard rate, crucial when mail time sensitive materials. In one of our next post, we will have more on the standard and not so standard
To go deep into the design, we are assuming that you already have the perfect copy in hand.
Start by laying out in front of you all the elements of your copy.
“Saturday and Sunday only Fashion Sale. (dates)
Save 20% to 40% on all women’s designer selections.
In-store or Online
Visit Our Website Today for Details and to Find Your Personal Discount Code! Use the QR Code for Quick Access.
If you are shopping on a budget, you shouldn’t dismiss Kerry’s Trunk as a shopping choice. A lot of great designer brands are always on sale or at great markdowns. Items and styles for everyone! Clothes, shoes, handbags and accessories.
Kerry’s Trunk offers a comprehensive, hand-picked collection of apparel and accessories from the industry’s foremost contemporary and designer labels. ”
The excellently written postcard copy with a great design can help your advertising considerably and have a growing effect on your business. Bold lettering and stunning graphics are essential for the success of your direct mail postcard campaign.
When you approve the text for your subheadline, keep in mind that the purpose is to give a quick direction and information about your particular offer and business. Don’t try to be clever or over descriptive. The recipient might discard your piece as fast as he or she picked it up from the pile of mail. Use position and font for the subhead, so it compliments your headline.
It has been proven that the recipients of a direct mail piece are a lot more likely to remember a picture on your card rather than a slogan. When designing your postcard, it is important to keep in mind that the images used should clearly portray your proposal so that recipient can effortlessly understand your message and get engaged.
The best postcards designs are colorful and filled with striking graphics to engage their readers. Take advantage of our award winning design team and inquire about Free artwork evaluation and creation at US Presort.
Many important factors come into play when choosing the right font and styles for the lettering. The font plays a significant role in getting your message across to the recipient. It is essential to pick a font that is bold and easy to read, instead of a font that appears cluttered and might make your postcard harder to follow. Take a look at your layout from a comfortable distance so you can make sure everything is understandable and no obstacles are taking away the attention of the reader from your message. Another way to make sure your postcard is at its best and is easily readable you could ask someone else to look at it so you can get a different perspective.
A lot of marketers, especially those who try to run their campaigns without professional help, miss or overlook the importance of the Branding. You have to have a logo, a way of printing your business name, set colors, etc. All brand attributes have to be the same throughout the entire campaign and similar overall. You have to be certain that your Brand is recognizable from only one quick glimpse.
Many marketers do not pay attention on the “Back” side of the card without even realizing that it could easily be called “Front”. Everybody browse through his or her mail with the addressed side up.
Midway Tip: Use the addressing side very wisely! Think of it as this is the “Front” of your card.
If there are several businesses in your area that are similar to yours, you need to figure out a way to stand out and be more prominent than the others. For your business to get ahead and stay ahead of your competitors, your direct marketing piece must give people a reason to choose your business over another one. If your postcards are well-made and exciting, they can engage people and keep them interested in your business. It is vital to advertise your business in a way that allows you to stay in the minds of potential customers. When you showcase your strengths, use bullets, accent colors or bolden the type to emphasize the most important component of the text.
Tell your recipients what you expect them to do. Do not assume they will figure this out! The most popular “Call to Action” phrases are: Call today ....; Visit us online .....; Scan the code.... Make it as easy as possible. If permissible, provide more than one way for your prospects to react to your offer.
QR or Quick Response Codes are becoming more and more prevalent in marketing today. By scanning the preprinted QR Code with a smartphone, the prospect is automatically directed to a designated landing page. On that page, you can include additional information about your offer as well as personalized details. For more information about different types and uses of the landing pages refer to the “cross-media” section of our site or call our marketing specialist.
Another point to have in mind when deciding on the QR Code use, which not many marketers know, is that a Digital Interaction set on a Direct Mail piece grants an additional 2% discount on postage when properly used during the USPS® Incentive Period.
Since our example falls into the category of “Event Promotion”, the central message and the offer are merged, it is essential to highlight on the sense of urgency: “Saturday and Sunday Only!” Many companies that mail postcards develop a schedule to send them out routinely every month or so. Some businesses promote upcoming special events or discounts. In any case, by using postcards as a direct mail piece on a regular basis, gives the recipient an impression that your company stays above the surrounding competition.
Don’t forget to include all your contact information, including a physical address if one exists. It is not necessary to make your phone number the biggest type size on your postcard, but prominent and apparent is mandatory. The physical address, unless a mortar store, is not required but recommended, especially if you rely on the possible return pieces to update your database.
There are many ways to make your mailpiece standout if your budget allows it. You can include Peel-Off Labels, Tear-Off Cards or Coupons, Detachable Magnets, Popout Designs, Scratch-Offs and a much more. In our sample, we have decided on the direct-to-digital interaction by including the QR Code which will lead each recipient to their personal discount number.
The first mistake when an inexperienced marketer starts designing any direct mail piece is to fill the space as much as possible, either with too much text or if the text is not enough to make everything so large that it crowds the margins. Avoid such dummy mistake by using “white” space and give your copy room to breathe. Such called “white” areas are not necessarily white, and they just provide extra air around your message which makes it easier to absorb and comprehends your message.
Postcards are very useful and valuable direct mail tool that must have a place in your marketing mix. The relatively quick setup, inexpensive print, and low postage rates make them irreplaceable for short notices, reminders, special events and just about everything if completed correctly!
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