Postcards are an inexpensive and effective way to market your business or organization via direct mail. People are paying more attention than ever to postcards that they receive in the mail, and are responding to offers at higher rates. Postcards have a higher read rate than other forms of direct mail because:
It’s something that is tangible you can touch.
It’s a pleasant break from an e-mail blast.
There’s no envelope, so when it arrives in the mail your message is seen immediately.
You can create a postcard campaign without a big investment in time or money, and they can be used to accomplish the following goals: re-contact non-responders to your previous mailings and urge them to act; create an inexpensive monthly marketing campaign; drive people to your web-site with a special offer; tease prospects, by letting them know that they should be on the lookout for something valuable coming in the mail; thank customers for their business, or to remind them to do something.
Key elements that you should remember when designing your direct mail postcard campaign to assure that you get the best “bang” for your buck and return on your investment are:
Plan ahead and create a specific purpose for your postcard campaign.
Make your post card eye-catching. This can be accomplished by including high-quality photos or images, graphics and color or using oversized cards.
Use short bold headlines, and keep your message simple.
Make the most of both sides of the postcard. The non-address side should have the biggest, boldest photos and colors. The other side should carry your offer, contact information and other details.
Think multi-faceted. Postcards can be used for many purposes, including reminders, gift certificates, coupons, new product announcements, opening discounts and tickets.
Why a Postcard?
Tangible
It is something that is tangible you can touch and feel. Triggering an emotional response to the piece.
Different
It is a pleasant break from an email blast.
Immediate
There is no envelope, so when it arrives in the mail your message is seen immediately.
Consider Valtim as your next campaign partner.
We love our clients and do our best to go above and beyond. If your campaign needs an additional element to increase your return of investment, Valtim may be a great fit. Valtim has 30 years of experience and multiple industry touchpoints including the following:
Direct mail is a fantastic way to win more members and encourage existing members to continue supporting your mission. It is crucial to consider your design and what your message says when preparing your mail piece. A successfully administered direct mail campaign can boost your brand awareness and spread your mission. Unlike other forms of marketing, sending direct mail to a physical address ensures that your message and branding reach your target audience’s hands.
In a time with extremely saturated digital media, direct mail allows modern non-profit organizations to add unique and personal components to their marketing campaigns. Let’s explore the ways your non-profit can expand its reach and improve the effectiveness of your marketing strategies with direct mail.
Your organization must first identify your typical member and tailor your marketing to build a solid foundation. Targeting a specific market doesn’t mean you are excluding people who don’t fit your criteria. Target marketing empowers you to direct your marketing budget and brand message on a pinpointed market that is more likely to interact with you than other markets. A direct mail target market effort is an affordable, efficient, and effective way to reach prospects and grow your membership.
Postcards are a direct mail campaign’s best friend. They are a visually attractive way for you to engage with your members. Postcards are something tangible that people can touch. They are more pleasant to look at than an email blast. Postcards also don’t need an envelope, so your message is seen instantly.
Postcards don’t just have a higher read rate because of the reasons listed above, but they are also an inexpensive option for your organization to market its mission. A postcard campaign doesn’t involve a significant investment. You can implement a postcard campaign with minimal funding and time investment.
Why You Should Use Postcards
Postcards are a quick and memorable way to reach out to someone. They truly shine when applied to marketing campaigns. Postcards are an inexpensive and effective way to communicate with both prospective members and your existing membership. They are unique and easy to produce.
One of the best benefits of custom postcards is how easy they are to incorporate in your organization’s direct mail marketing campaign. You can use postcards to share promotions or incentives or share reminders or calls to action. People can store postcards on bulletin boards or refrigerators, which keeps your brand in front of your member’s eyes. Well-designed, visually appealing postcards are even more likely to be kept around, which extends their effectiveness and your return on investment.
Postcards are Visually Attractive
Designing postcards is an uncomplicated and straightforward process. It can be as simple as printing your best-looking ads onto a postcard and mailing them to a list of potential prospects. Postcards are most effective when they are both eye-catching and when the message is short. Making the message appear to be from a friend can also enhance the postcard’s effectiveness because recipients will be eager to read the content.
Members are more likely to read postcards due to the design you incorporate and the quick, reader-friendly message you can insert. Even members who don’t usually read their mail will read a postcard because they don’t need to open anything to see the content.
Building Your Postcard
Unimpressive postcards are more likely to get dumped in the trash before getting read. Here are some ways to make your postcard visually attractive.
Craft a Strong Headline
Your headline is the most crucial part of your postcard text. It needs to grab the reader’s attention, create interest, and inspire the recipient to read the rest of your postcard. Some postcards can display special offers and sum up the entire message in a single line. Strong headlines will either create excitement, solve a problem, promise a benefit, intrigue with a question or deliver a special offer. Think about your target audience. Based on what your audience wants, you can create your winning postcard headline.
List Your Benefits
Your headline draws the potential member into the rest of your postcard text. You need to list the benefits to create intrigue and reinforce the message you present in your headline. Bullet points are a good approach to help draw a reader’s attention and keep the text simple to process. Bullet points are easy to read and understand. You can highlight your unique goals that differentiate your organization from the others.
Deliver Your Offer
You grab your audience’s attention with your headline and benefits. Now it’s time to deliver your offer. Provide a special offer that motivates members to take immediate action. Include a deadline to take advantage of the offer. Using a deadline encourages faster responses. Deadlines help reduce the number of people who put the postcard aside and forget about it.
Add a Call to Action
Finally, your postcard needs to feature a powerful and compelling call to action. Your call to action can reiterate your primary benefit or deliver your deadline. It can also restate your offer, or tell member’s precisely what to do next to take advantage of the offer.
Create Your Next Postcard with Valtim
Postcards are a very efficient and flexible marketing tool. You can apply postcards to almost any organization with an unparalleled targeting approach and broad reach. No organization should leave out postcard marketing. Valtim can provide you with the tools needed to create a personalized and unique postcard to promote your offer and mission. Our postcard selections are cost-effective, and you can send them to your desired targeted audience.
