NFIB

Save Money by Using Postcards in Your Marketing
03/ 14/ 2002

While a lot of today's direct mail comes complete with cover letter, glossy brochure and return envelope, you don't need to be that fancy -- or pay as much -- to get your message across. With the recent anthrax scare in the U.S. Postal service, many small business owners have started sending postcards for marketing purposes. Postcards are cheaper for the sender and considered "safer" by the recipients. Jeffrey Moses discusses in today's Workshop.

Postcards are less costly to produce and mail. The design and printing is usually much less, and while postage for regular mail costs 34 cents, postcards cost just 21 cents. When sending large quantities, the difference in price can be substantial.

If you're experienced in design and layout, you can easily create a postcard on your computer. Be careful when designing the front of the card. Consult with your printer to make sure that you allow adequate room for address labels or handwritten addresses. Most printers are able to provide sample designs for postcards so that you stay within accepted parameters.

The rest of the card is yours to do with as you wish. As a rule, postcards should be simple. Get right to the point with your copy. Write vividly and descriptively, and be sure to have a strong call to action that tells the recipient exactly what you want them to do: visit your store, call a toll-free number, renew their subscription, etc. Finally, don't forget to include all the ways recipients can contact you: phone, fax, address, email and Web site. Be sure to obtain a proof from your printer to examine and approve before going to final printing.

Postcards have an advantage over regular letters in that the message can be read at a glance. Recipients who might not have bothered to open an envelope will still see what you have to offer. Not only will sending postcards save you money, but they might prove more effective as well.

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