Storytelling in marketing campaigns serves to better connect you with your customers. It works like any other human connection. Storytelling is a way to get to know a person better, in this case, it’s a way for customers to get to know your business. When a customer is truly invested in an organization, their loyalty is always with that brand and they feel a part of that community too. The strength of this cannot be underestimated! So how can you use storytelling in your direct mail postcard campaign and what are the general do’s and don’ts?
Keep it Simple
You can tell a story through words and images. The latter is ideal if you’re sending a postcard direct mail campaign. With a postcard, you need to present your message with very few words but also really STRIKE out and connect with the customer instantly. A complicated brand story just won’t work if you’re trying to express it through a handful or even one main image. Think about the ways in which you can simplify your story without losing the context and hook of the storyline.
Emotive Stories Win
The stories we remember best are those that give us an emotional trigger. We remember things that make us laugh, make us feel empathy, or make us angry. The more extreme the emotional result, the longer something is remembered. Think about how you could use emotive words or images that would work for your story. For example, how can you play on those emotions through the use of colors?
Be Honest
The thing that makes your story unique is that it’s yours and only yours. If you don’t consider it to be that exciting compared to competitors’ beginnings and journeys to success, you might be tempted to make it up. This is never ever a good idea. It’s very possible to showcase a compelling storyline without being dishonest. Try focussing on the most exciting element of your story and be as creative as you can. Fabricating a story risks alienating your community.
A Call to Action
When telling your story, make it clear what you want the receiver to do next. Is it clear WHY you are telling your story?
Perhaps you’re an eco-friendly brand telling your story of passion for our planet. The call-to-action needs to fit with this, e.g, calling your customers to choose your sustainable clothing and become planet protectors with you. Don’t let the story overshadow what it is that you need the customer’s to do, and exactly HOW and WHEN they should do it. Everything else about delivering a successful postcard campaign should still apply.
Repeat, Repeat, Repeat
If we are going to tell stories with pictures we need to hit the customer with multiple impressions. When doing so, the brand and theme need to be the same so that the stories can be connected.
However, we often want to change up the visual content a little so it’s still well received and isn’t blocked out by the viewer.
Here’s an example: Fresh Step (kitty litter) campaigns switch their graphics up slightly but the story remains the same. The graphical representation remains interesting and attracts fresh attention. It can also re-enforce previous images.
Don’t forget that storytelling is an art, it’s a job for one of your creative team members to turn a message into a story that really connects. If you don’t have the resources to get creative right now we might able to assist. Our expert designers have worked with many of our clients to create postcard designs that individually reflect your branding and messaging in a way that stands out and packs punch!
Read more about smashing a postcard campaign right here: ‘Don’t underestimate the power of postcards when it comes to direct mail marketing. They are very efficient at delivering impact and getting results. So how can you ensure success when putting together your first postcard campaign?’
Zairmail (www.zairmail.com) is the fastest and easiest way to send (real) postal mail. Give us a call anytime at 888.898.0066, we would be happy to help with your direct mail needs.
