Helpful Tips to Generate Response from Your Next Postcard Mailer
An effectively designed, well-thought out direct mail postcard can net response beyond expectations. Create a postcard that’s going to stand out – rather than get tossed out – with these suggestions. (Note: incorporating some of these tips will depend on your goals and budget).
- Consider Going Big
There are a few reasons to consider an oversize postcard format:- A larger size naturally attracts more attention.
- Oversize postcards have been shown to perform better in terms of response rate, according to recent Association of National Advertiser reports.
- They are less likely to get lost in the shuffle.
- Extra space means more room for impactful design and messaging.
However, you’ll want to consult USPS mailing guidelines for postcards. Postcards that exceed 4.25-inches by 6-inches in size are classified as a letter mailing, and will cost more to mail.
- Design to Draw the Eye
To have any chance of competing for attention in the mailbox, postcards need eye-catching design that also works to support a campaign’s messaging and goals.- Avoid an overly busy design. Rather, design around a focal point using visual design hierarchy principles.
- If your postcard needs to feature several products (e.g., weekly sale items), use a grid layout to achieve an organized rather than chaotic appearance.
- Choose the Right Paper
Paper weight and texture can communicate volumes about the value of your mailing – something to think about investing a little extra in, depending on goals and audience:- A thicker weight feels sturdier and more dependable and will stand up to the mailing process.
- A too-thin paper risks coming across as flimsy and getting damaged in the mailing process.
- Textured paper adds a tactile element, another way to draw attention.
(Again, USPS guidelines are a factor: a thickness greater than 0.016-inch will cost more to mail.)
- Try Unusual Formats and Print Techniques
As with paper choices, these attention-grabbing features can increase project costs, so ROI will come into play when making these decisions.- Try a die-cut format for an unusual, eye-catching shape. Tie the shape into your company’s product or service offerings for added resonance.
- Perforated tear-off coupons can add sizzle to your offer.
- Including a simple giveaway (e.g., a magnet) will add noticeability and value.
- Printing techniques like foil-stamping and embossing can instantly draw the eye. They may be best used for higher-end mailings – think invitations to a new location’s open house, introducing a premium product or service, and other similar promotions.
- Make Copy Work Hard
The space constraints of a postcard mean you need to choose words wisely. Write to focus attention on the action message – what you want recipients to do.- Craft an attention-commanding headline that builds curiosity.
- Include very minimal supporting information – just enough to tempt recipients to follow through on the call to action, or take advantage of your offer.
- Use copywriting “power words” – words that spark interest and action. Check out a list here.
- Be clear, don’t confuse your readers, and be action-oriented: Tell recipients how to take the next step.
- Make It Personal
Relevant mail is far more likely to be saved and acted on. With the depth and breadth of data available today, the sky’s the limit regarding personalization. Here are a few pointers:- Personalize with an offer on products you know a recipient likes based on purchasing history, or include an image of a product recently viewed online.
- Include region-specific maps for your businesses closest retail location of office site.
- Use personal URLs (PURLs), a form of personalization that incorporates a prospect’s name into the landing page web address, to instantly capture attention.
Investing in marketing automation software greatly boosts efficiency and accuracy in executing a personalized campaign. Also, make sure to choose a printer with variable data print capabilities.
- Partner with a Direct Mail Expert That Can Tie It all Together.
Developing an effective direct mail postcard campaign becomes much simpler when you work with a vendor that provides professional design, printing and mailing services. With expert guidance on the creative points discussed above, plus someone else to handle the print and mailing details, you get more time to focus on big-picture goals and strategy. Plymouth Meeting, PA-based Strata Company specializes in data-driven direct marketing and technologies that help companies create more relevant, personalized marketing. A leader in direct mail marketing for nearly two decades, Strata has experience helping businesses create highly targeted multichannel marketing campaigns. Contact us to learn more.
Print On Demand Systems and Variable Printing Software
Printing fulfillment at many companies – particularly large or growing organizations – can be prone to several issues:
- Waste
- Redundancy
- Over-spending
- Delays to market
- Quality control
By implementing technology solutions to drive print processes, businesses realize significant cost savings, faster time to market and improved personalization. Higher-quality finished products are an additional benefit.
So how exactly do tech-driven printing approaches such as print-on-demand portals and variable printing software promote cost savings, quality and efficiency? Here’s the “fine print.”
Placing Print Orders in the Digital Age: Print as Ecommerce
A web2print system for print supply and distribution gives users all the ease of online shopping:
- User-friendly Print Fulfillment
Web-based portals store print jobs digitally. Users can easily search for and select the collateral needed, and customize according to approved modifications. The portal serves as an online catalog where users can “shop” for what they need in minutes rather than spend hours searching through multiple archives and folders to locate assets. A print-on-demand portal stores all job details: quantities, pricing, vendors, turnaround times, specs, logistics, etc. - Reduced Obsolescence and Tighter Inventory Control
The “ecommerce” approach provides back-end benefits as well in terms of tracking print orders and reporting on usage. On-demand printing eliminates the need for mass-quantity print runs, thus decreasing storage needs and wasted spend on obsolete materials. (This also prevents potential customers from receiving collateral that’s no longer relevant, which happens more frequently than you’d think.) - Centralized Approach to Procurement
A web-based print management system cuts down on the number of vendors a company needs to manage. This centralized approach opens up the opportunity to obtain lower price points by moving from individual transaction-based pricing to longer-term contract pricing.
Better Quality and Flexibility Means More Effective Print Marketing
- Maintain Brand Consistency
Compromising brand integrity can be a headache when it comes to customizing marketing materials. However, customization becomes much simpler – and controllable – with dynamic templates. Templates allow, for example, a local sales rep to incorporate regional information on a product brochure. It eliminates the dilemma of supplying local marketers with approved branding assets and crossing your fingers that they’ll use them properly. And corporate staff will thank you for the hours they gain back when they don’t need to constantly fulfill requests for customization. - Automate the Proof and Approval Process
You have greater control over the finished product, with real-time editing capabilities and instant, interactive proofs. Goodbye human error and backlogs, hello accuracy and streamlined approval processes. Project tracking features can eliminate the back and forth and days-long waiting periods involved in traditional print processes. - Variable Data Print Capabilities
Personalization is no longer the future of marketing – it’s arrived. Today’s leading marketers know that personalization is imperative to connect with targets and capture market share. Software that supports variable data printing can immediately pull in data to populate output, so you can fully leverage your customer data to create segmented mailings that support higher response rates and qualified leads. Beyond reducing costs, this aspect can actually contribute to the bottom line by driving higher response rates and sales.
How Can Technology Make Your Print Processes Smarter?
For more than 20 years, Greater Philadelphia-based Strata Company has helped clients leverage technology to save time and money. Our off-the-shelf software platforms and custom cloud-based solutions enable faster, more accurate print communications. We put the control over branding, workflows and ordering at your fingertips – and take the manual processes off your hands. Contact us to see how we can help.