Over the years, the postcard has remained one of the best advertisement methods to use when promoting business. Although mail postcards are considered a traditional way of marketing, they attract more customers than other methods like online platforms or local newspapers. There are various advantages of using postcards, such as laminated or plastic postcards. In this article, we have explored some of the advantages of using postcards in promoting the business.
Advantages of postcards
1. Less costly
Every stakeholder will want to minimize costs and expenses incurred by the business. Marketing costs are part of these expenses. Choosing postcards to promote the business can save a lot on costs. The method is effective and affordable for any size of business.
Although printing and postage costs are involved, the method remains much lower compared to other methods on the market like sales letters and online campaigns. Most of these postcards cost only pennies to be sent to the recipient. Due to their sizes, printing can be within a day; therefore, no worries of delays when planning to launch product or business campaigns.
2. Easy to track postcard’s contribution
Postcards are sent to specific and exact recipients; it is easy to track the contribution to the campaign. Since they are sent out to known addresses, it is possible to determine how many postcards were mailed out and the expected lead generated out of that. This method of market promotion can also be helpful in test marketing since estimated sales can be determined from a certain number of post mails sent out in a single promotional offer.
3. Postcards are personal
Unlike other promotional methods with unknown recipients, postcards are addressed to friends and relatives who are known. And because they are addressed specifically to that friend or relative, they create a personal feeling for them. This makes them give more attention to the information on the card than if it was a general address. Customers who receive postcards may feel valued and considered for the product or business covered in that campaign. These direct postcard mails can turn some friends and relatives into long-term customers.
4. They Are Tangible
Unlike other forms of marketing strategy like online promotional mails, postcards can be tangible. The recipient can choose to walk with them around in the wallet or pocket as a remainder. Since electronic mails are not tangible and may arrive in the inbox with several other mails, it is easy to overlook them. They also risk being deleted without being read when emptying the inbox.
5. Postcards Are Multipurpose
Postcards, unlike promotional mails, postcards can serve several purposes. For instance, apart from being mailed to customers, a laminated postcard can be used as a hang tag, while plastic postcard mailers can make good oversized business cards. A good postcard can save on the cost of printing mini information sheets and flyers for the product when carrying out a promotional campaign.
6. They Utilize Less Space
Postcards are smaller in size. Recipients can conveniently walk with them or place them in their pocketbooks. To keep remembering the content and services on the postcard, some people prefer sticking them at the most frequent spots in the house, like on the refrigerator door. This increases the chances that such customers will fall for the promoted business idea.
7. Offer Room for Diversity
Business people may have more than one thing they want to inform their customers. With a postcard, passing across different information can be easy. For instance, one postcard may contain information about the product discount while the other provides advice to customers.
Best Postcards for Business Promotion
Business people can design and print their postcards or contract a professional designer to do the job. There are various types of postcards for business campaigns. However, some postcards are highly recommended on the market due to their ability to bring in more customers. Below are the top three postcards for business promotion:
Offer Postcard
Offer postcard is the common type of postcard used today. It is used to promote products in the market by advertising the incredible offer. It is meant to push a product and increase sales of the same product. Their contents include:
- a clear headline
- an offer
- features and benefits of the offer
- the offer timeframe
Like any other postcard, the offer postcards work well when sent to a specific audience. They can increase customer inflow in the business.
Newsletter Postcards (newscards)
This is another standard postcard used by many people to promote their business. Many businesses send newsletters to their customers, updating them about the new products and brands as one way of maintaining business-customer relationships. However, designing and printing newsletters regularly may become more expensive and requires more time.
Instead of newsletters, try postcard newsletters. They are economical because a full page can produce a number of them. Print one feature story on the postcard and include any special offer and business advertisement, then send them to customers. Different newsletter postcards with different features can be sent out regularly to stay in touch with the customers.
VIP Invitation Postcards
Some companies in business organize forums and meet their customers. The forums may be annually or semi-annually based on the company. Business owners will have to design and print VIP invitation postcards to invite the customers to the meeting. Postcards are similar to offer postcards. The only difference is while an offer postcard addresses the business offers on the product or services, VIP postcards only ask them to attend the meeting. VIP postcards are designed to make the attendees feel valued and special, thus converting them into business esteemed customers.
Conclusion
The postcard has many advantages as an effective promotional tool for small, medium, and corporate businesses. In many cases, a postcard may bring in more customers than other promotion choices. They save on investment and time. However, many types of postcards, offers, newsletters, and VIP postcards can work together very well and grow the business at a breathtaking pace.
