Determine the demographic of your likely buyer and use customized mailing lists to zero in on the exact person you want responding. Consider the person's age, location, hobbies, profession, and interests, and use these to create a list perfect for your product or service.

Have a Strong Offer

The most effective direct mail has a strong offer. If the recipient responds to your postcard, what will you do for them? As you've defined your audience, develop offers that will attract them to respond. Here are some possible ideas;

Bring in this card and redeem it for a gift
Stop by and put your card in the box and we will be awarding $100 worth of free merchandise, etc.
Call for a free consultation
Register online and get free samples
Visit our website and download a valuable case study or white paper.
Order now and receive 30% off your first purchase.

Clearly state the desired action on the card, and make it stand out.

Get Creative

Make sure that your message stands out on the kitchen counter or the office desk. Use imagery and benefits that will resonate with your audience, and that they would be proud to display. A handy tip: brightly colored cards get better responses than dark, moody cards.

You don't have to get too elaborate, either. Simplicity is key, because you only have a few seconds to get your message across. Begin with the end in mind... and now that you've figured out what you want people to do, urge them to do it!

Test the Response

Test your advertising response, by making multiple versions and keeping track of which gets the better response. This requires that you be able to tell which card someone is responding to, so be sure to use a unique phone number, address or offer code so that you can trace the responses. Also be sure that you test an adequate quantity to have a valid test. (Usually 5000 of each. Anything less than 1000 or so is not statistically valid.)

Remember these steps and you'll be well on your way to effective marketing with postcards.

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