« Smart Business: Create Promotional Postcards That Sell (5 Tips) »

These are the fronts of my successful 2010 TFW Co. self-promotion postcard series. Graphic design by www.palazzographicdesign.com. Concept and writing by www.tfwco.com. Click on the image to view both sides of each card.I rely on promotional postcards to help market my freelance writing and marketing project management business. I also have helped clients use postcards with good success on projects ranging from large insurance company marketing to small business marketing. The promotional postcards that work best have these characteristics: 

1. QUALITY PRINTING & CARD STOCK

Using cheap card stock and sloppy commercial printing can make even a great creative concept fail. Strive for a premium, heavy-duty paper designed to withstand the rigors of mailing, such as a glossy 12 pt. card stock. Your final piece should also include an aqueous coating for extra shine and durability.

2. PROFESSIONAL GRAPHIC DESIGN

For the best chance of success, your postcard should by a professionally designed. Amateur design increases the likelihood that the recipient will toss your card in the trash without looking at it. So, invest in a professional designer and trust his or her guidance on the look of your card.

3. GREAT CREATIVE CONCEPT THAT SELLS ONLY ONE THING TO A NARROWLY-DEFINED AUDIENCE

Postcards are like billboards in that you only have limited time and space to communicate a compelling message. Make sure the text is short and to the point. You can be clever as long as the concept clearly supports the one thing you are selling and is relevant to your narrowly defined target audience. The more targeted your audience, the stronger your message and, as a result, the greater your chance of getting a recipient to respond.

4. A SERIES OF CARDS MAILED AT REGULARLY SCHEDULED INTERVALS

In my experience, the postcards that work best are part of a series (2 or more cards). Each card in the series is a different design utilizing the same creative concept and selling the same one thing as the other cards. Consistency in theme, message and design/print quality are critical for a series of postcards to generate maximum brand awareness.

5. CALL TO ACTION THAT INTEGRATES TRADITIONAL & ONLINE CONTACT METHODS

These days your postcard must have a call to action that encourages the recipient to contact you by phone, email or through your website, Twitter account, Facebook business page, LinkedIn or any other online means you are utilizing to connect with potential clients. In my experience, a call to action that asks someone to complete and mail a reply card simply does not work anymore. But, postcards can be very effective in driving traffic to your website or other online destination.

What do you think? Please share your thoughts in the comments section.

BONUS TIP

Here's a tip on a terrific commercial printing resource for promotional postcards. I produce thousands of postcards a year. My favorite vendor for this type of work is ModernPostcard.com. Reasonable prices. Extraordinary quality. Fast turnarounds. Great customer support.