Postcard Design Process for a Successful Marketing Campaign

In today’s world of emails, digital flyers and online promo codes, it can be difficult for companies to establish meaningful connections with their customers. Direct mail marketing allows people to physically receive a token message from your company. They can hang it on their refrigerators as a daily reminder of your services or put it out on the kitchen counter for other family members to see.

One of the best ways to get in touch with your customer base is to print a promotional postcard. This handy marketing tool is both convenient and non-invasive due to its typically compact nature. Unlike full-page flyers or coupon booklets, postcards offer a quick snapshot of what your business offers. This format is ideal for busy households who may be overwhelmed by the amount of marketing and ‘junk mail’ they already receive.

From creating your message to streamlining the printing process, here’s our guide to designing an effective postcard.

1: Identify your goals

What do you hope to achieve with this particular direct mail marketing campaign? Are you trying to expand your customer base, or entice existing clients to spend more on your services? Identifying your goals will help make the postcard design process much easier. Your objectives will be useful in framing your content, allowing you to pare it down into a succinct message.

When flushing out your goals, here are some other questions to consider:

• What are your recipients’ needs, and what are their key motivators?
• How will you entice them to take the next step in the purchasing process?
• What will you do to retain them as lifelong customers?

Lay the groundwork for your marketing campaign before throwing ideas at a blank page. You can then craft your design and copy for either a bulk mailing or an addressed mailing by building off this foundation.

2: Decide what your postcard will say

Your content is an integral component in creating a successful campaign. Because space on a promotional postcard is limited, it must include only the absolute essential details. All the effort spent identifying your target market will be wasted if your message is muddled. Start by creating a broad message, and then continue refining and refining until it’s been pared down to a captivating sentence or two. This process is a difficult one and will take some time before getting it just right.

Here are some additional tips for crafting your content:

• Focus on the action you want potential customers to take after receiving your postcard
• Use copy that motivates readers to follow through as quickly as possible
• Additional content should only include pertinent details such as contact info and how customers can take the next step in purchasing
• Do not make recipients hunt for the promotional message as this will increase their chances of throwing your postcard out

3: Make sure your offer is enticing

If you want your recipients to follow through on a purchasing action, your offer must provide exceptional value. Consider offering a noticeable discount on one of your most popular products or services. You could even take it a step further and add on something free of charge, considering that everyone loves a freebie in direct mail advertising.

Ensure your offer is time-sensitive to maximize sales in a short period of time. Outline the benefits of purchasing from your company, and don’t forget to include a call to action that tells customers what to do next.

4: Have your postcards professionally printed

Never attempt to print your postcards using an office printer. Instead, hire a professional printing firm to handle this aspect of the project for you. A company like Troi Mailing Services will ensure your marketing materials are printed on quality paper stock. Professionals will also use digital or press ink to honour the vibrancy of your colour design. Although postcards can be small in nature, consider bulk printing them in larger sizes to grab attention at the mailbox and reduce your unit cost.

5: Mail them out

A reputable mailing house can streamline the delivery process for you. There is always room for segmenting and personalization, so make sure to identify which regions and demographics your direct mailing campaign will target beforehand. A postal indicia is required for all addressed mailouts, but not for Neighbourhood Mail (formerly known as Unaddressed Admail). An indicia is a marking that is usually seen in the top right corner of personalized bulk mail pieces in place of traditional postage stamps. Troi Mailing Services can take care of these postal specifications for you, so you can concentrate on other aspects of your marketing campaign.

Be prepared to experiment with different postcards, so you can determine which one performs best. Each campaign is an opportunity to A-B test to learn what motivates your customers more. Sometimes, a dramatic change isn’t even required. A simple headline tweak or a varying image is all that’s needed to realize a greater return on your investment. Once your mailing campaign is over, make the necessary changes to ensure your next direct mail fulfillment initiative is an even bigger success.

For more information on creating and printing a postcard mailing campaign, please call Troi Mailing Services in the GTA at 1-866-486-0423 or contact us here.