Postcard Direct Mail Marketing Tips And Ideas -

Home
>
Marketing
>
Postcard Direct Mail Marketing Tips And Ideas

Postcard Direct Mail Marketing Tips And Ideas

Postcards are perhaps the least expensive way of reaching a large number of people with your sales message. Although they have their drawbacks, they are cost-effective at attracting new customers. But only if you follow some simple rules that professional direct mail copywriters follow.

Grab their attention on Side A
Side A is the side with the picture on it. One beauty of a direct mail postcard is that your prospective customer does not have to open it. There in the morning mail is your sales message, seen by all. So make sure you put something on Side A that arrests the attention of your prospect. Here are some ideas:

1. a wacky photograph
2. a photo of your product in an unusual setting
3. an outrageous (but true) claim
4. your unique selling promise stated in a clever or intriguing way
5. your prospect's problem (the one that your product or service solves), stated or presented in a compelling way

The only goal of Side A is to arrest attention and stimulate interest. OK, so that's two goals. You must motivate your prospect to turn your postcard over to read the other side. So make sure Side A is arresting and interesting but does not tell your whole story.

Sell them on Side B
Side B is the one with the address and postage stamp. Here you create desire and motive your reader to take action. You do not have much real estate upon which to give your sales pitch, so stick to your strongest benefit. Describe in clear, compelling language what your reader gets by buying your product or service. You don't have enough room here to say enough to make a sale, so just sell the next step.

Ask for the next step, not the order
The next step these days is often for the prospect to visit your website. That's a great use for a direct mail marketing postcard: driving potential buyers to a special page on your website (called a landing page) where you give the entire dog and pony show and give prospects a convenient way to part with their money, if I may put it that way.

The next step may also be for the reader to call you, or to visit your business. Both good uses of direct response postcards. So make sure you say enough, and in a strong enough way, on this side of the card to motivate a potential buyer to lift the receiver or start heading in your direction. Which brings us to your offer.

Make your offer irresistible
All direct mail pieces should contain an offer. The offer is what you dangle in front of prospects to motivate them to take the next step in giving you their business. What you are selling and what your offer is are two different things. For example, using direct mail, banks promote credit cards. That's what they are selling. But to persuade you to act today they extend you an introductory and time-limited interest rate of only 2.5% (some conditions apply, of course!). That's their offer. Their offer must overcome inertia. And so must yours. Make sure your postcard features a strong offer. For more information on crafting effective offers, read the many articles I've written on the topic, found at my website.

Alan Sharpe is a business-to-business direct mail copywriter who helps business owners and marketing managers generate leads, close sales and retain customers using creative direct mail marketing. Learn more about his services and sign up for free weekly tips like this at http://www.sharpecopy.com.

In The News:

State takes on drug companies' marketing
Rutland Herald, VT - 19 hours ago
By Louis Porter Vermont Press Bureau MONTPELIER â€“ Vermont has taken seriously the issue of whether the aggressive marketing of prescription drugs results in ...

DHL boosts operations appointing senior marketing professional
Al-Bawaba, Jordan - 14 hours ago
DHL Express Saudi Arabia today announced the appointment of a National Marketing Manager for The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), further consolidating the ...

intercontinental hotels group (ihg) appoints new area director of ...
Al-Bawaba, Jordan - 15 hours ago
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has announced the appointment of Daniel Ebo, as the new Area Director of Sales and Marketing for Africa. ...

Up-and-coming sports in need of a marketing makeover
Economic Times, India - 7 hours ago
LONDON: Marketers have long been hunting for â€˜the next big thingâ€™. While much has been written about innovation in categories such as food and drink, ...

Pledge of Allegiance: An enduring marketing gimmick
Monroenews.com, MI - 18 hours ago
To boost revenue, I might suggest a marketing campaign to persuade people to buy gift subscriptions to The Evening News for our soldiers overseas. ...

BBC News
Laying traps for ambush marketers
Calgary Herald, Canada - 19 hours ago
Multinationals have paid a king's ransom for their right to sponsor the Olympics and they are scanning the horizon for ambushes as they drive the marketing ...
Host China Restricts Use Of Olympic Logos In Ads; Bans Non ... AHN
all 228 news articles

Los Angeles Times
Builder incentives: Just marketing, or the real deal?
Los Angeles Times, CA - 19 hours ago
SUCCESS: Glen Biener took advantage of incentives and obtained a good mortgage on a home he bought in Tustin, but he says it wasnâ€™t easy, although his ...

Vanguard
Marketing palavar: NIMARK, CIMN set to settle, constitute committee
Vanguard, Nigeria - 1 hour ago
The long imbroglio pervading the harmonisation of the marketing profession in Nigeria may soon be over as the feuding bodies, Nigeria Institute of Marketing ...

Trade Marketing Manager
Retail Bulletin, UK - 1 hour ago
They currently have a great career opportunity for a Trade Marketing Manager working for the Food business sector. The purpose of this role is to develop ...

Marketing in these difficult times
Daily News & Analysis, India - 55 minutes ago
And the clarion-call in every marketing board room: Cut the advertising! In the bargain, brands suffer. Sales volumes may not take an immediate impact with ...

marketing - Google News