So how many Christmas cards or holiday greetings did you get this year? Is it down from years in the past? If your friends and business associates fall into the norm, they’re probably moving away from this tradition.
Some people don’t want to spend the time to send cards and others would prefer to save on the mailing cost, especially when they can simply send a greeting to everyone with the click of a button on Facebook.
Many businesses have used this downturn in mail as an excuse to discontinue mailers of any kind. But this drop in mail is actually the very reason you need to consider using postcards for your business.
5 Benefits of Using Postcards for Your Business
- Postcards are less expensive to mail than letters. If you’re only sending five postcards, the difference in the stamp cost isn’t very significant but if you’re sending hundreds or thousands of postcards, you can save quite a bit over mailing your entire brochure.
- Postcards stand out because they’re different sizes than your regular envelope. They also tend to be more colorful.
- You can grab someone’s attention immediately with a postcard because there’s nothing to open. Your message is right there in front of them.
- With the number of people using mail on a regular basis dropping, it is now easier to get ahold of someone in their real mailbox than their virtual one, which is cluttered with an average of 121 pieces of email a day.
- You don’t have to explain everything with a postcard. You just need to get their attention and pique their interest. Postcard copy is not complicated but it does have to drive action.
There are many ways you can use postcards in your business. here are just a few:
Ideas for Using Postcards in Your Business
- As an introduction. If you are new to the area or have just opened a new location, make people aware of it by sending a postcard. If you have a change in management or a new approach you can send a postcard.
- Announcing new hours. If you changed your operating hours, you want to edit that on your website and your Google My Business listing. You should also consider announcing it in a postcard or magnet postcard.
- Sending coupons. Postcards are a great way to get your coupons into the community.
- Advertise sales. If you’re hosting a special sale, use a postcard to ensure customers know about it. If you want to give them additional reasons to come in, you can create a postcard worth something such as additional merch or a hidden, secret discount just for postcard holders.
- Mini brochures. You can hit the highlights of your product or service in a postcard. Include a QR code so people can find additional information about you and your business easily.
- Trade show follow-up. If you exhibit at trade shows or conferences, you are likely given a list of attendees. While communication rules vary by event, if you’re given the ability to contact attendees, consider sending a postcard. It will save you in mailing costs. Your salespeople can personalize a quick note on it as well. You can provide a special post-show discount, which expires shortly thereafter in order to drive sales for those who are considering it.
- To introduce a new hire. If you recently brought on a rockstar or customers have a new point of contact at your business, you can send a postcard with this information.
- As a special campaign. If you’re doing something out of the ordinary, like a marketing campaign based on customer stories, one of the ways you can ask for their stories is through a postcard. If you do this, don’t use an offline method to collect stories. It’s best to direct them to an online location to share their stories with something like a QR code. Don’t rely on them to phone it in or to send it back via mail. Make it easy for them to share.
- Introducing a special, highly-visual element of your business. postcards work well with evocative images. If you are rolling out a product or service that can be captured visually (like a dessert or new cupcake flavor) consider announcing it on a postcard. People will see your striking image and want to try it for themselves.
- Invite people to give you a try. Part of the difficulty in getting business is first getting people to know you and second getting them to think about you when they have a need for your product or services. Use a postcard to invite people to give your products or services a try. Make it worth their while with a new customer discount.
- Keep your customers happy with a “just because.” Have you ever seen a discount or special advertised for new customers only? Does it make you mad when you’re a customer and yet all the best deals go to new customers? Make sure your loyal customers don’t feel taken for granted. Do something special for them with a postcard campaign and a “just because” offer.
- Host a contest. On one side of your postcard place an image of your mascot, the owner of the business, or some other person or character associated with your business. Then create a social media contest that invites people who receive this postcard to take the postcard “character” wherever they are and post pictures of them posing with the postcard. You can draw the winner at random from the entries, or allow them to be chosen by crowdsourcing on social media voting for their favorite, or awarding winners based on a specific theme like farthest traveled, most humorous, or other stipulated theme.
- A recipe. Postcards are the perfect size for recipes. If you have a product or service that lends itself to sharing a recipe, a postcard is a fun way to get your recipe out into the community.
- As an invitation. If you’re hosting a party or special event–in addition to posting it to Facebook–send a postcard invitation to current customers and those on your mailing list. While it’s easy to forget about something on Facebook, it’s more difficult when there’s a piece of paper in front of you.
- To announce a class. Experience marketing is becoming a big trend for businesses. Some businesses are hosting classes to further interest potential customers in buying. Companies like Home Depot offer DIY classes while hobby companies like Michaels offer crafting classes. If your business is hosting a class, send a postcard.
- Sharing a picture of changes to your organization. If you have recently unveiled a new wing, redecorated, created a more relaxing space, or added some other new physical facet to your business, you can share it with the community through a postcard.
- As a toy. You can use postcards as toys as well. Create a cut out of a paper doll, a mask, or a little character in your postcard. You can tie these things into your marketing as well. For instance, one marketing campaign was geared around making customers into superheroes by buying the business’ service. The postcard was a superhero mask that the recipient was invited to cut out. They were now a superhero to their organization as they “saved the day.”
When I suggest to businesses that postcards are still very much alive, some argue with me about the environment and how we don’t need to be cutting down more trees to send out announcements that will only be thrown away.
Hey, we get this.
That’s why we offer many different varieties of postcards including 100% recycled materials and postcards that contain seeds that can be planted once the information is no longer needed. You can also print a “please recycle me” comment on the postcard itself.
Many people will do as requested. If you’re still concerned about it ask them to bring the postcard in and return it so that you may recycle it. This works especially well with coupons and discounts when you have a brick-and-mortar location.
Need some help on what should go on your postcard? Contact the Think Quik team today and we’ll get your marketing ready for 2020.
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