Writing postcards is something that no one really thinks about, either you hate the little postcard that clogged up your mailbox, or it caught your attention and you actually sought out the company. Either way, postcards have made an impact on you, even if you don’t realize it.
Postcard Marketing 101
There’s a rule with postcard marketing, if it doesn’t catch the reader’s attention in under 3 seconds, you’ve lost them. So that is why I created a foolproof formula to help you get the readers to turn into customers.
Rule #1
Have an Awesome Headline
Any marketer knows, all your copy needs to have an eye-catching, super fabulous headline. Headlines should be short and to the point, and should address one important thing: alleviating a problem your customer has. Whether that problem is needing a house painter, or needing a dentist, they have a problem and you are about to provide them with a solution.
Keep your headlines on one line and as short as they can be. For example:
Chipped tooth? (headline – addresses the issue)
Quality Dental Care is right around the corner (sub-headline – provides the solution)
versus
Do you have a chipped tooth? Quality Dental Care is a great dentist that is right around the corner.
The first headline addresses the issue – and provides a solution. All with short, concise text.
Rule #2
Have a Rockin’ Body
Now I don’t mean, have a six pack with a Nicki Minaj bum. What I mean is to be sure your body copy is formulated with thought and is not filled with fluffy buzz words.
A good body copy of a marketing postcard will flow like this:
Sentence about how you can help them. Sentence about your company. Sentence about how awesome your company is at helping with this person’s issue.
Then comes an important part. Give a bullet list of services you provide. Weird, I know, but trust me it works.
So after your few sentences of body copy you provide your services like so:
– Service 1
– Service 2
– Service 3
Limit your list to a maximum of 3 things. Pick 3 of your key services you want to highlight and make sure they are pertinent to the copy of the card. You wouldn’t put window tinting as a service when you are showcasing your oil change special, so keep the bullet list relevant.
Rule #3
Give ’em an Offer They Can’t Refuse
All marketing postcards need to contain an offer. No matter how small that offer is, you need to include it. Offer 30% off, $20 off, BOGO, anything, but always, always, always include a promotional offer.
The most successful cards I have written have contained anywhere from two to three offers on the card. Give your customers options and you’ll be who they come to for that service. You can’t expect someone to hang on to your postcard just because you say you’re the best, you need to give them a reason to try you out, and for most people – that’s with an offer.
Rule #4
The Ol’ CTA Razzle Dazzle
If you work in marketing you know what a CTA is, if you don’t, you need to head on back to marketing 101. A CTA or call to action is what you want your customer to do. Do you want them to call now? Do you want them to register for something? Do you want them to sign-up online? Your CTA is going to tell the reader what to do, so make it short, direct, and bossy.
A good CTA makes the reader act immediately.
Give these a try:
Call Today!
Don’t Wait – Register Now!
Stop Waiting – Take Action & Call Now
You see, I’m bossy, I’m brief, and I tell them what to do. A good CTA shouldn’t be some long drawn out phrase. Hit ’em with the quick 1-2.
Rule #5
The Grand Finale
Finish up your marketing postcard with these absolutely essential items. Your contact info. If you don’t include your information, how are they going to reach you? I know it may seem like common sense but you wouldn’t believe how many times I’ve looked at a postcard and had to guess how to contact them. Also, a logo is not contact information.
Necessary information to include would be:
Company Name
Phone Number
Website
Always include your website. Some people (like myself) don’t like talking on the phone for an answer I can just look up online.
Rule #6
I Shouldn’t Even Have to Say This
Please have branding. Have a logo (a professional logo, not one you created in your free trial of Photoshop), have company colors you follow, have a style guide of fonts, all of these things will set you apart from your competition. Why else would you invest in marketing if not to get more customers, so invest in yourself, create a company you would patronize. Branding goes a long way in marketing, you want to set yourself up as a front runner, an expert in your field; with a sub par logo and random branding, you look like an amateur.
Write & Highlight 