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The digital world is cluttered. Inboxes are overflowing with promotional emails and sifting through the spam can mean that yours goes unnoticed, or even unintentionally marked as junk. With recent studies revealing that consumers engage with 91% of all direct mail, there’s no doubt it’s still an effective tactic.
Postcard printing is an extremely nifty form of promotion; not only are they low-cost, but the recognisable A6 shape automatically triggers a positive feeling within consumers as they are usually sent by friends and family. Coming up with eye-catching postcard ideas can lead to great marketing materials that stand out against the crowd. As well as being a friendly method, they have a much higher read rate than letters as there's no envelope!
If you’re unsure how to start using postcards to promote your business, check out these five top tips, uncovering all the need-to-know postcard marketing secrets to get your business booming.
1) Use as Vouchers
The number one rule when sending postcards as promotional material is to stick to one clear message. This will have far more impact than a cluttered card that is overly salesy. The trick to an eye-catching postcard is to come up with ideas that are simple yet memorable.
One top tip that can draw in potential customers is to include a special offer for their next visit to your shop, or provide a discount code they can use online to gain free samples with their next purchase. Research shows that 39% of consumers try a business for the first time due to direct mail, so you could be helping drive traffic to your website. Just be sure to keep the code simple and easy to remember in case they misplace your card.
And the best bit about discount codes? They make tracking your mail campaign’s success super straightforward. Simply create a trackable code so you know who’s seen your postcard and redeemed the offer. This can help you to see whether you’re meeting your goals or not.
Image: Pinterest
2) Send an Invite or Ticket
Millions across the UK and beyond use social media daily, to the point that receiving mass invites online has become less sincere over time. If you want your event to be the most sought after on customers’ calendars, go old-school and send an invitation through the post. Not only will it make the occasion seem more exclusive, but the customer will appreciate the personal touch and extra effort made, making them more inclined to attend!
Designing eye-catching postcard ideas to send out to people is a sure way to rouse interest, and they can even be used as a high-quality leaflet to hand out to prospective guests.
Or why not go one step further and design your postcard to double as an official ‘ticket’ to your event? This is an innovative way of enticing your crowd to come along. Since tickets are usually bought, they’ll automatically feel special and valued, as thought they’re already on the VIP list! This is sure to encourage your party guests to attend.
If you’re a property business, it could be a good idea to mail your eye-catching postcard to local residents inviting them to an open house viewing or pop in-store for a chat on all things property. As printing and mailing is low-cost, this is a great option for spreading the word without breaking the bank!
Image: Pinterest
3) Give a Gift Certificate
Everyone loves receiving a gift or free sample, so why not spread some joy to your clients with a gift card this month? The A6 postcard size is ideal for creating perfectly branded and well-designed gift cards. You can offer them in your shop for customers, or have an option to buy one in your brochure or on your website.
As our eye-catching postcard designs have one writable side and one shiny side, they’re a great option for mail marketing. Create stunning graphic designs for the glossy side to personalise them for your customers, and use the writable side to send a handwritten message.
Read more about one of our clients who loves printing her own gift certificates with instantprint for customers.
Image: Pinterest
4) Say Thank You!
A personalised thank you shows how much you appreciate a customer, and will leave a positive impression to keep them coming back for more. You could include an eye-catching postcard with your product, or send it a few weeks after the purchase as a friendly follow up. A top tip is to sign the card from the business owner to make your clients feel extra valued.
Make sure to include a call to action as part of your postcard marketing campaign design. This could be to redeem a discount code you’ve included or to check out more of your product or service on a website landing page.
Image: Pinterest
5) Get Feedback and Responses from your Customers
Postcards are ideal for customers to communicate back to you, whether it's through a survey response, feedback questionnaire or even a competition entry! The A6 postcard has ample room for customers to write down their answers or ideas on one side.
Top tip: present your postcards in your shop for customers to quickly fill in and drop in a feedback box for you to read later. Alternatively, you could include the postcard in the packaging of your product with your business address and a stamp attached for the customer to send back to you. Offering a discount or free sample for their feedback will give your customers the incentive to pop it in the post-box for an even higher return rate.
This also works fantastically for restaurants. You can hand out the feedback cards at the same time as the bill. Fill in sections you can beforehand, such as the server’s name, to make it as quick and seamless as possible for customers to complete. And if you want to add an even bigger incentive to give feedback, make it clear that every response will be entered into a prize draw.
Now… Time to Get Posting!
Postcard printing is one of the most versatile and fun ways to market your brand and connect personally with your customers! Just make sure your postcard design is on brand with a clear message and you’ve got yourself the foundations of a successful marketing campaign.
We love seeing your print. So, before you send your eye-catching postcards off to your mailing list, snap a shot to send to us on Instagram or Twitter. Tag us @instantprintuk or use our hashtag #instantprintuk for a chance to be featured on our channel!
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