6 Reasons Postcards Are So Powerful

There are many ways you can market your business that might take less time and even be less expensive, but none can quite match the effectiveness of postcard marketing. Here are six reasons postcards remain a great way to market your small business.

Electronic newsletters. Automated e-mail. Interactive web sites. With so many “high-tech” marketing weapons available to business owners today, why would anyone consider using the lowly postcard?

Quite simply… because it works.

Postcards are a staple of direct marketing because they’re economical, flexible and highly effective. They are indisputably the most inexpensive targeted marketing strategy available. Whatever your mission – to advertise, invite, brand, remind, promote or sell – postcard marketing will get the job done simply and affordably.

Why are they so valuable? Here are 6 primary reasons:

1. Cost-effective
For as little as a few hundred dollars, you can reach thousands of prospects and clients with multiple “touches”. No other marketing vehicle offers this level of reach for such a small investment. My last postcard order totaled less than $400 for 4,000 cards (2-color, 5-1/2″ x 8-1/2″).

2. Extremely personal
Don’t you feel like you’re talking with someone when you read a postcard? A postcard allows you as a business owner to get close to your prospect and communicate in a friendly, social environment.

3. High readership
The Postal Service suggests that postcards are more than six times as likely to be read as compared with direct mail letters – 94% versus 14%. They don’t have to be opened and you can add colors and graphics to quickly get your reader’s attention. And they don’t face spam filters like your e-mails do.

4. Versatile
With numerous options available to you regarding size and layout, you can design a card for virtually any purpose. Invitations, marketing messages, special sales, announcements, upcoming events, even mini-newsletters – all can effectively be accomplished with postcards.

5. Easily work with other marketing weapons
Postcards are a tremendous tool in tandem with other marketing activities. As an introduction before an e-mail or telephone call, or as a follow-up reinforcement after, they get attention. Properly designed postcards usually are the most remembered component when multiple marketing weapons are used.

6. Easy to track
The use of a special code on the card or a message included requesting the recipient to return it for value make postcard campaigns simple and easy to track. Leads and sales generated can easily be identified to determine the ROI for every mailing.

Postcards of course don’t guarantee marketing success. You’ve got to make good choices regarding the list, paper stock and size, colors, graphics, layout and copy. However, with careful planning and strategy, postcards can definitely increase your prospect and customer base, along with your profits.