Modern Postcard Marketing
By Bob Leduc
Copyright 2004
Postcards may be one of the best kept secrets of
modern marketing. They produce even better results now than in the past. That's probably
because postcards deliver information the way people want to get it today ...fast and
with little or no effort.
Use Postcards to Generate Website Traffic and Sales
Leads
A brief captivating message on a postcard with an
enticing offer sent to the right prospects will generate a flood of traffic to your
website - or a large number of sales leads.
Keep your postcard simple. Make it look at first
glance like a message from a friend instead of like an advertisement.
This creates a pleasant emotional response from readers even though they quickly
realize that it is a commercial message.
State the biggest benefit you offer to
customers. Then briefly add a few other advantages or features you provide.
End with a compelling reason for prospects to contact you ...or to go to
your website for more details. It's that simple.
Tip: Don't try to close sales directly from a postcard.
There's not enough space on a postcard to provide all the information your
prospects need to make a buying decision.
People Read Postcards
Almost everybody will read a postcard - even those who usually throw out other direct
mail without opening it. That's because it's almost impossible to throw out a
postcard without looking at the message.
This high rate of readership is the main reason why postcards produce a bigger
response than other types of direct marketing. With other types of marketing you
often lose prospects who would have responded to your offer - but they never saw it.
Tip: Postcards are an excellent low-cost alternative to email. People get so
much email today that even legitimate messages are getting deleted unread. But they get
few if any postcards. Your message is guaranteed to get their attention when it's
delivered on a postcard.
Postcards are Cheap to Produce
Postcards cost less than 2 cents each to produce if you print them using your own
computer. You can print postcards individually on blank 4 x 6 inch index cards or
print 4 postcards on 8 1/2 x 11 sheets of index card stock and cut each sheet into
quarters.
Editorial Note: You
can also save time and money by using USPS approved online services like Zairmail
Express Direct to launch a high quality direct mail campaign directly from your PC
in just minutes at a fraction of the cost of traditional methods.
Your postcards will cost between 4 cents and 9 cents each to produce if you use a
commercial printer ...depending on the number you have printed and the quality you want.
Postcards are Cheap to Mail
Even the postage for mailing postcards is cheap - 23 cents each to send them by
First Class Mail in the US. The only requirement for this special rate is that the
dimensions of your postcards must be at least 3 1/2 x 5 inches but not over 4 1/4 x 6
inches.
Tip: Always use a real 23 cent stamp on your postcards. It produces more replies than a
printed indicia (imprinted postage) ...probably because people associate a printed
indicia with junk mail.
Don't overlook postcards the next time you want to drive a huge amount of traffic to
your website or generate a flood of new sales leads. They're simple to use, highly
effective and very low-cost.
Bob Leduc is a Sales Consultant with 30
years experience in building successful businesses. Bob's marketing articles appear
regularly on AOL and in Home Business Magazine, Opportunity World, Wealth
Building and over 100 other publications online and offline. He just released a
revised and completely updated New Edition of his manual, "How To Build Your Small Business Fast With Simple
Postcards."
Email: BobLeduc@aol.com
Web: http://www.bobleduc.com/
Phone: 702-658-1707 (