The standard #10 direct mail
package is the workhorse of direct marketing, but since 9/11 and the anthrax
scare, self-mailers have seen a resurgence -- most notably the magalog for long
copy and the standard postcard for short copy.
Because
of limited space for graphics and copy, and lack of a response form, postcards
work best when the following conditions exist:
1.
The product is familiar to the reader or, if not familiar, simple in nature and
easy to explain.
2. The marketing objective is to generate a lead or inquiry, rather than to generate mail orders accompanied by checks and credit card payments.
3. The offer features a
premium or other free item the prospect can send for, such as a demo disk, CD,
catalog, or brochure.
Why
use postcards instead of a traditional DM package, tri-fold self-mailer, or
other formats?
·
“Postcards offer immediate impact,” says Perry Frank of Modern
Postcards. The message is immediately visible, with no envelopes to open.
“Postcards stand out in the mail with a brief, to-the-point message. Even when
someone is sorting incoming mail over the trash can, the postcard will get
noticed and read – even if it’s on its way to get tossed.”
·
You can bypass lingering concerns about anthrax. “With the recent
anthrax scare, people are leery of opening envelopes from businesses they don’t
recognize,” writes Sean Lyden on Entrepreneur.com. Furthermore, he notes, the
envelope is a barrier to your message because you need to convince the
recipient to open it and read the letter inside.
·
Creative and printing costs for postcards are much less than for a
full-blown direct mail package, because there are no envelopes, letters,
brochures, buck slips, or other inserts. The cost to mail a standard size (4
1/4 by 6-inch) postcard first class is 23 cents vs. 37 cents for a 1-ounce
first class letter. That’s a postage
savings of $140 per thousand.
·
Ease of production. With no folding, bindery, or packaging,
postcards have only two sides – the front and the back.
·
Postcards offer an affordable option for testing offers and
creative prior to launching a more costly campaign. They can also be used to
qualify prospects prior to mailing catalogs and other, more expensive DM
packages. A postcard announcing that a new catalog will be mailing gives the
recipient a chance to opt-out from future mailings, saving the marketer
production and mailing costs by updating their list.
·
Many postcards wind up on the refrigerator or walls of cubicles in
the office, giving them greater visibility and “shelf life” than regular DM.
“Mail someone a postcard that really grabbed their attention, and chances are
they’ll hang onto it, says Frank. Copywriter Roscoe Barnes adds: “Some
postcards are collector’s items. They are designed to be kept and praised. To
work, however, they must have a striking drawing, painting, or photograph.
Using the works of a famous artist helps.”
·
Postcards are extremely versatile. They can be used for coupons,
invitations, announcements, save-the-date reminders, thank-you cards,
follow-ups, special offers, inserts in
magazines, admission tickets, mini-newsletters, bookmarks and quick-reference
guides.
·
Postcards can drive response to a Web site URL or toll-free phone
number. Add a perforation with a tear-off business reply card to create a
“double postcard,” and you can generate mail response as well.
·
Postcards also offer a quick, affordable way to create clever
campaigns with a consistent theme. “We see many of these mailing on a regular
basis to the same audience with trivia questions, creating anticipation for the
next mailing,” says Frank.
What
marketers have used postcards with success in recent months? Let’s look at five
examples.
Case study #1: Haag Engineering Company.
Haag
Engineering Company specializes in failure and damage consulting -- the
analysis of why a structure, such as a bridge or building, collapsed. Clients
include manufacturers, insurance companies, and law firms.
Accredited
in several states to provide continuing education, Haag recently mailed 20,000
postcards to promote their seminars. Recipients of the card are driven to their
Web site to view course offerings and locations.
The
card can also be kept as a reminder: while visiting a client, one of Haag’s engineers
saw that the client had the postcard pinned to their wall. Response rates,
according to Cheryl Markstahler, marketing manager, average between 10 and 25
percent.
Case study #2: The USA Rice Federation.
The
USA Rice Federation is a trade association promoting the eating of rice.
They
recently mailed a postcard promoting September as National Rice Month to 6,800
food professionals. The postcard offers free brochures, posters, recipes, and
other materials, driving response to a phone number or e-mail address.
Because
the federation is in the business of promoting rice, they have an extensive
library of beautiful food photographs in stock, allowing them to produce
high-quality postcards inexpensively. With limited staff and budget, postcards
are both cost-effective and time-efficient.
“Postcards
work extremely well in establishing or maintaining relationships and keeping
rice top-of-mind among our target audience,” says Kimberly Park, Director of
National Consumer Education. The postcards generated a response rate of almost
3 percent.
Case study #3: Coopersmith List Consultants
(CLC).
Coopersmith List Consultants is a “boutique” list consulting firm. They
specialize in working with business-to-business marketers who use direct mail
but are not “direct marketers” per se; e.g., industrial manufacturers and
technology firms.
These companies often need
highly specialized niche lists that are difficult to find. But they typically
mail in quantities too small to command much attention and personalized service
from larger list brokers.
I
wrote the copy for this postcard knowing this niche intimately, having come
from a background in industrial marketing. The postcard educates these
“non-direct marketers” on basic facts I knew they were unaware of: (1) list
brokers exist, (2) they do not charge for making list recommendations, (3) you
do not pay more when you rent the list from a broker vs. from the owner
directly.
This is common knowledge to
readers of Inside Direct Mail, but a
revelation to recipients of the CLC postcard, which told them all these facts
and encouraged them to call or go online for free list recommendations.
A previous mailing of 1,000
pieces had pulled only 2 inquiries with no new clients -- a 0.2 percent
response rate. The new “educational” postcard pulled 250 inquiries from a
mailing of 10,000 pieces -- 2.5 percent response, more than 10 times the
previous effort. And more important, many of the inquiries converted into new
clients.
“The postcard as a format
is, by its very nature, short and to the point,” says Gail Coopersmith,
president of CLC. “It is terrific at uncovering an initial requirement.”
Case study #4: Peter Miserendino.
Peter Miserendino is an
acoustic guitarist who wanted to promote his critically acclaimed CD, “Well
Strung & Solo.” He believed that sales would most likely come at live
performances.
To get quality bookings,
Peter, who is also a professional illustrator and designer, designed his own
postcard and sent it to high-end clubs. Recipients are asked to phone or e-mail
for information on booking Peter as a performer.
Peter mailed this postcard
three times, with three weeks between mail drops.
Only three days after the
first drop, calls came in inquiring about dates. The same held true for the
second drop, and the third, even though the club managers had received the
exact same postcard each time.
“This confirms that
consistency and frequency are a major component of direct mail strategy,” says
Miserendino. He also attributes his good response rates to the right design,
succinct copy, and four-color printing.
Case study #5: Apogee Rockets.
Apogee makes model rocket
kits for hobbyists and enthusiasts. They did a small test mailing of 500
postcards to sell a Saturn V rocket kit.
Postcards were printed on a
digital press. The back shows a four-color photo of the rocket. On the front,
the digital press allowed each card to be personalized.
“I wanted to make each
postcard look like it was handwritten,” says Tim Van Milligan of Apogee.
“That’s why I selected the font used. I also changed the line spacing on each
paragraph, and skewed paragraphs because it would look less perfect.”
For the short run of 500
cards, the digital printing cost $1 per card. The kits cost $200 each. Of the
500 recipients, 25 people ordered the product -- a 5 percent response.
“Would I do this again?
Yes,” says Tim. “From the response I got, it appeared that the recipients did
think the postcards were handwritten.”
About the author:
Robert
W. Bly is a freelance copywriter and the author of more than 50 books including
The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Direct
Marketing (Alpha Books). His e-mail address is rwbly@bly.com and his Web site address is www.bly.com.
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