Do you use Postcards in your marketing?

11 replies
I'd love to hear from other Warriors that have had success with PostCards. If you do, did you drive traffic to a website or phone number.
#marketing #postcards
  • Profile picture of the author Warrior Ben
    I haven't used Postcards... You're looking at a cost of $0.50 to $1.00 for each postcard mailed and that can really add up quickly.

    Some things I have heard around here is that if you do send a postcard, make sure to follow up with a phone call a few days later.

    I personally think you should just cold call the business directly and cut out the time and money that it costs to send postcards.

    -Ben
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    • Profile picture of the author iamchrisgreen
      I use them to get more local companies to come along to my seminars.

      It works a treat.
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    • Profile picture of the author Vagabond 007
      Originally Posted by Warrior Ben View Post

      I haven't used Postcards... You're looking at a cost of $0.50 to $1.00 for each postcard mailed and that can really add up quickly.
      $1 each? Where are you buying your postcards?!

      Postcard stamps, in the USA, are 29 cents. Printing isn't that expensive. Even better, print them at home. Saves even more money.

      When using postcards, marketing 101 applies here...

      • Send to a targeted market
      • Use a benefit filled headline
      • Have a clear call to action
      • Goal is to get them to either call you or go to your website, not sell whatever it is you want to sell
      • Don't mail the list just once
      • Don't forget to track and test
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      The Ultimate Sales & Marketing Mind Map (Just updated - now twice as big!) - scott_krech - "Quite possibly one of the BEST WSO's ever."

      www.UltimateMindMap.com


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      • Profile picture of the author sadiecopywriter
        Originally Posted by Vagabond 007 View Post

        $1 each? Where are you buying your postcards?!

        Postcard stamps, in the USA, are 28 cents.
        They might be using oversize postcards. Those cost the same as a regular letter. It also drives up printing costs as they have more surface. But people usally respond better to those.
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        Mercedes
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        • Profile picture of the author RRG
          Originally Posted by sadiecopywriter View Post

          They might be using oversize postcards. Those cost the same as a regular letter. It also drives up printing costs as they have more surface. But people usally respond better to those.
          Yeah, for $.44 (only $.16 more than standard postcard size) you can go all the way up to 6 x 11. True, costs more to print and mail . . .

          BUT . . .

          It doesn't really matter how much it costs . . . or what your response rate is.

          All that matters is Return on Investment.
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  • Profile picture of the author Michael Lambert
    If this about sending postcard to market ur clients then I'd like to know too.
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  • Profile picture of the author sdingram
    It costs a lot more to mail postcards in Canada (which sucks) so maybe that poster is Canadian.

    @iamchrisgreen, would you care to share with us what you put on your postcards? (Or maybe you could sell the template as a WSO??)

    My dh and I have just started doing local workshops and it's great! We love it. (The attendees think we're really amazing LOL) We are just marketing on facebook so far but I'm hoping to go into the nearby city and we don't have any contacts there... so I am thinking about postcards. But like I said, I'm Canadian so it's about $1 each. Eck.
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  • Profile picture of the author ThomScott
    I use the one-off, $1 per postcard (including postage) approach.

    1) I develop a highly targeted hit list - I know what I'm after.
    2) I do a screen grab from their site, Facebook page or mobile site emulator (that shows them what their site looks like on a smartphone) and paste it in my predone template.
    3) I send to my print/mail service that prints and mails overnight.
    4) I follow up with a call the next day - no selling, just letting them know I sent it and make sure they hadn't overlooked it.
    5) I follow up with one more call to those who hadn't called me back - to offer them a new client promotion ... like a $375 mobile site for $250 or a $250 Fan page for $199.

    Out of every 10 I send, I typically wind up with a $1000 net (after freelancer fees) .. and my foot in the door for back end work.

    For me, the offline world is better when approached with a sniper rifle than with a shotgun. The key is to know who exactly you're best at serving and having a great offer that helps them - then you're not selling, you're serving.

    Hope that helps!

    All the best,
    Thom
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    • Profile picture of the author midasman09
      Banned
      Here's a suggestion that WORKS, re: Sending PostCards to Potential Clients!

      Note: A "Customer" is a business that buys from you ONCE! (I call it, "Hunting For Food!)
      A "Client" is a business that buys from you....INITIALLY... and...keeps paying you a "Residual"
      So....with Clients...yeah....we go out "Hunting For Food"...constantly AND, when we "Bag a Client"....we collect FOREVER!

      (Scuse me...it's gettin' close to Huntin' Season!)

      Now....what I've found that WORKS to "Bag"...."CLIENTS" is....to run their existing website onto "IPhoneTester"....grab the photo and put it on your "Demo Web Page".....then....we make up a QR Code that brings people to our DEMO Site.....and....now pay close attention here....we PRINT the QR Code (light Blue background works best) onto a PostCard and send the Card to our prospects......for them (or someone in their office)...to SCAN IN THE QR CODE!

      Which takes them to our DEMO Site...where they see THEIR....UGLY site .... as it appears on a Mobile Phone....AND....they see our Sample of what their site COULD look like...on a Mobile Phone.

      Whala! I'm talkin' ATTENTION and INTEREST here!

      When the Office Manager of a Dentist's Office....scans in the QR Code on the PostCard she just got in the mail (from me)....and sees what THEIR website looks like ON HER MOBILE PHONE....

      ....her next movement is to FIND THE DENTIST ... to SHOW HIM what she has on her Phone....then....

      ...her next movement is to PICK UP THE PHONE and CALL ME!

      So....when selling Mobile Sites....think about;
      1) Creating a DEMO site...showing what existing sites look like and what they COULD look like...when they are "Mobilized"!
      2) Creating a QR Code that brings people TO your DEMO site
      3) Print PostCard with QR Code ON it and MAIL to your prospects

      Thanks for letting me post this,

      Don Alm...Marketing Guy
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    • Profile picture of the author dv8
      Originally Posted by ThomScott View Post

      I use the one-off, $1 per postcard (including postage) approach.

      1) I develop a highly targeted hit list - I know what I'm after.
      2) I do a screen grab from their site, Facebook page or mobile site emulator (that shows them what their site looks like on a smartphone) and paste it in my predone template.
      3) I send to my print/mail service that prints and mails overnight.
      4) I follow up with a call the next day - no selling, just letting them know I sent it and make sure they hadn't overlooked it.
      5) I follow up with one more call to those who hadn't called me back - to offer them a new client promotion ... like a $375 mobile site for $250 or a $250 Fan page for $199.

      Out of every 10 I send, I typically wind up with a $1000 net (after freelancer fees) .. and my foot in the door for back end work.

      For me, the offline world is better when approached with a sniper rifle than with a shotgun. The key is to know who exactly you're best at serving and having a great offer that helps them - then you're not selling, you're serving.

      Hope that helps!

      All the best,
      Thom
      What size postcard?

      Do you mind sharing who you use to print and mail them?

      I know of AmazingMail.com but they are really pricey if you do low quantities.
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  • Profile picture of the author kevanb
    Hi
    I found postcards very effective if used right especially in Local Marketing bothe for us as a marketing agency and for our clients.
    By that I mean use a mix of routes to a potential client / customer. Interleaving email with postcards as touch points to prospects works great - have a sequence.
    Email 1, email 2 Postcard 1, email 3, postcard 2 etc.

    You need to test and measure to get the most effective sequence for your target market - but to give you a top tip the sequence I listed is probably the best. Time your prospect touchs so that they are a few days apart.
    You can have links back on postcards and emails to apparently bespoke landing pages even with the prospects name if you add a ID code on the postcard.

    We have used this mixed-touch sequence many times to great impact and effect

    Cheers

    Kevan Butler
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