Despite questionble rental lists, poor industry response rates, and tiny real estate with which to put your message, marketers continue to use postcards.
I can't offer much help in the way of finding reputable lists, but I can help you avoid these classic DIY postcard mistakes:
Postcard DIY problem #1: Too much text.
Your postcard campaign is doomed if you think you can "squeeze in" everything you want to say by reducing font size and eliminating whitespace. What you'll end up with is a cluttered postcard that is impossible to read and difficult to comprehend.
Winning postcard copy contains a singular marketing message that is ruthlessly edited to make the message simple and concise.
Postcard DIY problem #2: Forgetting to reserve space for mailing information.
Hard to believe, but I've seen folks get so caught up in the design of their postcard message, they forget how their postcards will be delivered.
If you do the labels yourself, create an area approximately 2 3/4" wide by 2 1/2" high, just enough space for a 1" label, preprinted return address, and stamp.
Postcard DIY problem #3: No clear call to action.
Don't leave people guessing as to what you want them to do when they read your message. Tell them, and make it extremely easy to do what you want them to do.
Postcard DIY problem #4: No sense of urgency.
Let's say, for example, you want them to schedule an appointment with you for a carpet cleaning. If you don't give them a reason to act the moment they see your postcard, you'll be gone from their mind in the next five minutes.
To stimulate response, create a sense of urgency by designing a time-sensitive offer, including bonuses, or limiting the number of people that can take advantage of your promotion.
If you include bonuses, make sure the bonuses are tangible and without strings. If people have to pay to get your bonus, it's not much of a bonus, is it?
Postcard DIY problem #5: No way to measure results.
An uptick in sales or a growing customer base are the two obvious ways to measure success, but what if neither happens? How will you know if the message is wrong, the timing is off, or your price is too high?
To gain a clearer picture as to how your postcard campaign is working, tie the postcard back to your website. Give postcard recipients enough copy to whet their appetite and lead them to a website landing page (a.k.a. your postcard call-to-action) where they can read the details and act now.
Postcard DIY problem #6: Loving yourself more than your recipient.
Truth be told, people don't give a hoot about you and your business. Skip the "how great you are" language and offer them a product or service that will simplify, enrich, or ease their pain.
Postcard DIY problem #7: No credibility.
Okay, I lied: People do care about you, but only in the sense that they don't want to be burned.
If your recipients don't know who you are, inject credibility boosters into your postcards by including testimonials, guarantees, customer satisfaction ratings, or other information that shows them you're not a fly-by-night business.
