| Postcard advertising works for many businesses. | | | | tested.) |
| Which ones? | | | | 5) Use follow-up mailings to customers who respond |
| You have to test in order to find out. But it's not hard. | | | | to mailings so you can create your own in-house |
| And if postcards will work for you, then you'll probably | | | | mailing list. Then develop a relationship with these |
| save a lot of money on advertising - and get much | | | | individuals. Get them to "know you, like you, and trust |
| better results. | | | | you." |
| If you've got a local service business then postcard | | | | 6) Periodically send your "best" customers special |
| advertising might be a good way to begin direct | | | | offers or discounts, simply for being your "best" |
| marketing. One of my friends owns a tire-sales | | | | customers. |
| auto-repair business in Delaware. He began using | | | | 7) Always put a headline on your postcards. |
| postcards to attract new customers when he first | | | | 8) If you discover postcard advertising works for your |
| opened up his shop 7 years ago. | | | | particular business then do it regularly ... like clockwork. |
| He purchased a mailing list of new homeowners in the | | | | 9) Don't assume postcards only work for lower-priced |
| area and offered them a free-oil change with a | | | | items or services. One robotics company I read about |
| discount coupon towards other services as a gift for | | | | mailed 250 postcards to a very targeted group of |
| moving into the community. | | | | engineers and it resulted in a quarter-million dollars |
| He did this every month for about 3 years. Then he | | | | worth of sales. |
| stopped. | | | | 10) Postcard advertising can be used for sequential |
| Why? | | | | mailings in a full-blown direct marketing campaign. The |
| Because he couldn't handle all the work he was getting | | | | last one, for example, might contain a message like ... |
| from those mailings anymore. You see, he didn't want | | | | "This is your LAST chance to take advantage of this |
| to expand his business beyond the size it had grown | | | | offer." |
| into. He didn't want to hire any more people. And he | | | | 11) Keep the sentences in your postcard advertising |
| was content with his level of business and income. | | | | short and to the point. And only promote one major |
| The point here though, is that he built his WHOLE | | | | offer per postcard mailing. |
| business on the back of simple postcard advertising. | | | | 12) Use first-class stamps on your postcards. That |
| The lowly little postcard worked for him in a HUGE | | | | way, if anyone on your mailing list has moved, his or |
| way. | | | | her postcard will be returned. Remove those names |
| With this in mind, here are some tips for your own | | | | from your in-house mailing list to keep it clean. |
| postcard advertising: | | | | 13) Make sure you put all of your contact info - - |
| 1) Remember to use the rules of good sales copy -- | | | | including website - - on the postcard. |
| the primary one being your need to offer benefits to | | | | 14) Use postcard mailing services for convenience. |
| customers instead of just telling them about the | | | | Check out the U.S. Postal Service's Online Postcard |
| features in your products and services. | | | | Mailing Service, for some more ideas ... |
| 2) Always try to spell out a few outstanding benefits | | | | Why not give postcards a try? |
| on your postcard using bullet points. | | | | If they work for you then you may never have to think |
| 3) Offer a desirable gift or premium of some sort. | | | | about paying for pricey advertising space in a |
| 4) Make your postcards stand out. Use solar-yellow or | | | | newspaper or magazine ever again. If you'd like to |
| goldenrod color with black type. (A few direct | | | | profit thru postcards and want help then give me a call. |
| marketers I've spoken with say this generates higher | | | | I typically offer a strong guarantee on the work I do |
| responses than any other color schemes they've | | | | for my clients. |