Despite, the fact that – ‘postcard printing’ is an essential part of major ‘direct mail marketing’ initiatives; many continue to question its relevance in a highly digitized world. “Why do I get the feeling that many marketers today look at direct mail the way people look at the Jurassic Period?” asks Steve Olenski on Forbes.com. “Well, to those marketers I would simply say beware …” he says, declaring that ‘direct mail is still alive and kicking!’As Tara Hornor, states on Business2Community.com: “Direct mail postcards are still one of the most cost effective methods of connecting with customers in a local geographic area. With even a small list of client names and addresses, you can send tailored postcards and keep your brand in front of potential customers.”
Postcard Printing and Mailing: The Best Way to Reach Target Markets
A ‘U.S. Postal Service’ study, has found that, ‘direct mail marketing’ techniques, like postcard printing and mailing, are some of the best ways for companies – to get their message across to target markets! “Every day, people throughout the country look forward to receiving their Mail…In fact, they can’t wait to see what’s in their mailbox,” the study declares. “Mail is usually sorted by the person in charge of managing household operations,” it informs. It further states, that – ‘home management; overseeing of finances; and most importantly-browsing for new and useful products and services to use,’ are “three jobs” consumers expect ‘commercial messages’ to help them with! If this be so, the real question then is- “In Which Way Must ‘Postcard Printing’ Be Done, To Help Customers Accomplish One or More of These?” Given below, are some useful tips and pointers!
Tips on Postcard Printing
A ‘Planned Approach’ Makes Postcard Printing Worth Every Penny!
Hornor views ‘postcard printing,’ as one of the most affordable and cost-effective ways of marketing, available today. “…even with the relatively low price for postcard printing and mailing, there are still some great ways to cut costs. The most important step in reducing the cost is a little planning – choosing the right marketing message and target audience will mean your postcards get a greater response rate,” she states. Olenski, in an article titled- ‘In This Land of Digital, Let’s Not Forget the Physical,’ explains why ‘direct mail marketing’ techniques like ‘postcard printing,’ are worth the investment. “Physical material involves more emotional processing, which is important for memory and brand associations,” he says, narrating the findings of a study.
Cost-Cutting Measures Can Make Postcard Printing Even More Affordable
If you are keen on cutting costs, when undertaking postcard printing “… create your own postcards” instead of hiring a designer; or “…use pre-designed postcard templates that you can customize using your software program of choice,” advises Hornor on ‘Business2Community.com.’ In her opinion, it is also “Better to stick with standard shapes, such as 4×6…,” and print “…on both sides of the postcards…” using the front to attract customer attention and the back “for details and a call to action!” This apart, “Order as many postcards as you need all at once; keep in mind that the more you print, the less your cost per piece is…” she claims. She also advocates -using the services of a ‘professional printing and mailing company,’ to ‘save time’ and “shipping costs.”
Have a Simple, Direct, Colorful, Concise and Clear Branded Approach to Postcard Printing
“All great postcards … are visually appealing, memorable and go straight ‘to the point’,” declares Saul Edmonds, an expert in the field of creative design and illustrations. In his opinion, ‘including photographs; displaying your company logo prominently; keeping your message direct and simple; and proofreading it thoroughly,’ are ways to achieve this! In addition, ‘check the quality of postcards you send out,’ he cautions. “Is the type of card used for printing suitable? Is it a heavy weight, high quality, durable card? Is it well finished with gloss or matt? Is the printing quality consistently high? These are important questions …” he states. Kaye Marks, an experienced writer on the subject, agrees with Edmonds, that ‘using the right material,’ and ‘colors’ in postcard printing – are all important! “Full color printing is the norm now these days, and it is only practical to follow this norm. Make sure that you are printing in full color. If not, you will suffer from real setbacks as people do not care much anymore for cheap black and white prints,” she states.
This article was written by Hugh Swift a marketing consultant and management expert, who believes that postcard printing can save you a lot of money!
Marty Huggins
