Postcard marketing is an effective way to market your local business and increase sales and client contact. It's also very cost effective because studies show that this form of marketing works extremely well.

There are many different types of postcards you can use.

Postcard marketing covers:

• the postcards that fall out of your monthly magazine
• cards containing product order forms
• postcards with coupons
• cards containing a short survey
• custom cards that let your customer know that you thought about them.

Some sales people use postcards for all occasions, including for sending personalized messages to clients for holidays, birthdays and other special events.

Creating Your Image

One of the key aspects of marketing with postcards is getting the image right. Like other direct mail campaigns, this type of marketing will have a key message you want to convey and your image should support that message.

If you are sending a postcard to let customers know that you have updated your website, then a screenshot of your website makes a compelling image. If you are informing them of a discount available, then show the item being discounted. This will help to make your postcard more effective.

The other key area is the message itself. Because of the size of the postcard, you have only a small space in which to do this. That means you need to keep it simple and make it effective.

On the image side you will have a headline, and the text on the other side must support that headline. The headline is the first chance to get your customer's attention; the supplementary text gives you the chance to retain that attention and get them to take the desired action.

Increasing the Response Rate

To make your postcard marketing campaign more effective, make it as easy as possible for customers to take the action you want.

If you want them to sign up for a service or fill out a survey, designing a form that includes easy check boxes will make it more likely that you will get a response. Include your contact information and give them an incentive to respond.

Most of all, make it easy for your targeted customers by prepaying the return postage. If they can check some boxes, then drop your card in a mailbox, you are more likely to get the result you want.

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