Postcards are an engaging tool for any direct mail marketing campaign.
With high visibility and low printing and postage costs, postcards are a cost-effective, personalized way to boost return on investment (ROI) and ensure campaign success.
According to a 2018 analysis by the trade group Direct Marketing Association (DMA), direct mail outperforms all digital channels by an astounding 600%.
We recommend these industry best practices when leveraging the power of postcards to take your marketing initiatives to the next level.
One of the best things about postcards is that they inherently stand out from the pile of envelopes at the mailbox.
Whether you’re selecting small (4.25” x 6”), standard (6” x 9”), jumbo (6” x 11”), or extra large (9” x 12”) postcard sizes, this direct mail staple is sure to command attention.
Better yet, after the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) made 9” x 6” presorted postcards available for first-class mail rates, they're an even more cost-effective campaign addition!
When selecting your postcard’s copy, you should keep things simple.
Stick to bold headlines, engaging and carefully selected language that reflects your valuable offer, and a CTA that excites and converts.
By giving your prospects less to sift through in every sense, you draw attention to your offer and encourage more responses.
Target audience is everything.
You might have a compelling message, but honing in on the right audience to receive it is a determining factor for campaign success.
Luckily, support exists for curating the perfect, highly specific target audience to focus your next campaign efforts.
Namely, the USPS Every Door Direct Mail® (EDDM®) tool maps the ideal zip codes and neighborhoods to concentrate your strategies by leveraging filters such as age, income, or household size from U.S. Census data.
The free, online service enables you to plan your mailing, map your routes, and chart direct mail delivery.
By utilizing tools such as this, you can ensure your compelling messaging makes it to the right audiences and generates the desired response.
These two simple practices alone of refining your messaging and your intended audience are already a recipe for commanding attention at the mailbox.
However, two additional detail-oriented tips are sure to blow your next campaign ROI off the charts.
The latest innovative technologies transform a simple, ritualistic afternoon opening mail to an explosion of color, scent, experience, texture, and so much more.
Interactive mail is the next big thing in the industry.
As the USPS describes, it “excites customers’ senses” by adding unprecedented tactile components, scent infusions, or even edible features.
Whether textured varnishes and finishes or quick response (QR) codes, these cutting-edge updates to interactive mail drive already significant direct mail response rates and ROI even higher.
Postcards are the perfect medium for implementing these elements of interactivity, such as near field communication (NFC), augmented reality (AR), embedded social media, and many more.
With already low postage cost and high visibility, the addition of an interactive element is sure to surge user response, engagement, and therefore, ROI.
Modern advancements in variable data printing (VDP) and state-of-the-art inkjet tech make personalization nearly effortless.
It’s no secret in the direct mail industry that adding three points of personalization to your pieces is key for ROI and responses.
However, today’s revolutionary innovations demand that users do more than simply add a prospect’s name to your mailpieces.
Implementing stunning graphics, head-turning varnishes, customized text, and any of the other endless capabilities available through modern VDP captivates your audiences and makes a memorable impression.
Better yet, high-volume production inkjets such as the HP PageWide Web Press T250 HD promise stunning, personalized designs at unrivaled speeds without ever breaking the production flow.
These cutting-edge advancements make it more possible than ever for marketers to deliver the highest-caliber print quality across the broadest range of media, and make a strong impression at the mailbox.
Few direct mail providers boast the decades of industry-leading experience and investment in today’s latest tech of Design Distributors.
President Adam Avrick was recently elected Chairman of nonprofit trade association the Printing Industries Alliance (PIA), and was a repeat keynote speaker at the 2022 Inkjet Summit, an invitation-only industry event attended by more than 120 top professionals throughout the industry, along with cutting-edge printing equipment and software providers.
Such extraordinary honors are testament to his company’s decades of expertise and consistent commitment to leveraging modern advancements, such as its newly upgraded HP PageWide Web Press from a T240 to T250 HD.
When strategizing the details of your next postcard marketing campaign, look no further than Design Distributors!
Offering stunning prints, timely mailing, fulfillment, and so much more, Design Distributors is the one-stop shop for leveraging the incredible power of direct mail marketing.