Used the right way and with the right audience, postcards often outperform their mailbox “competitors” in money saved and revenue generated (the competitors are sales letters, self-mailers, unaddressed flyers, dimensional mailers and catalogs). Here’s why postcards are so effective. QUICK
Postcards are quick to produce. You have only two sides to write on, two sides to design. And part of one side is taken up with the address and postal indicia. They are also quick to print and mail. AFFORDABLE
Direct mail postcards are the cheapest of all the direct mail formats next to unaddressed flyers (unaddressed flyers require no stamp). They are cheaper to write and design, and cheaper to print. NOVEL
Check today’s mail. You likely got a number of letters, maybe a flyer or two. Maybe a self-mailer. But you likely did not receive a postcard. Postcards are more rare, and, for that reason, they are a wise choice if you want to stand out in your prospect’s mailbox. IMMEDIATE
The greatest challenge facing direct mail copywriters like me is persuading strangers to open our packages. One great benefit of postcards is that there is nothing to open. They land in the mailbox with no clothes on. CONCISE
Postcards do not give much space for you to sell, so they force you to make your strongest selling promise right away, make your offer, and then ask for the order. That means they do not waste your prospect’s time, but deliver your sales message without delay. They are so quick to read that some prospects read both sides of the postcard before deciding to act on your pitch or pitch your card. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Alan Sharpe is a business-to-business direct mail copywriter and lead generation specialist who helps business owners and marketing managers generate leads, close sales and retain customers
using creative business-to-business direct mail marketing. Learn more about his services and sign up for free weekly tips like this at http://www.sharpecopy.com/newsletter. © 2005 Sharpe Copy Inc. You may reprint this article online and in print provided the links remain live and the content remains unaltered (including the "About the author" message).
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