| One banking client asked if postcards still work for direct mail and how can we maximize our potential for success. Well, here is what you need to know.
We need to start by understanding exactly who our ideal customer is, the best way to engage with them, and what data/lists might be available. Only a small portion of the overall cost of direct mail is data or printing – the bulk of the cost is postage. In some cases this can represent 70% or more of the total cost. So, don’t penny pinch on the list, spend what is required to get a quality “targeted” list with the maximum number of deliverable addresses (undeliverable addresses pull down response rates and chew up profits).
The next step in any campaign (not just direct mail) is to understand your unique value (selling) proposition. What is it that you can do for the customer that they cannot live without – and that you can do better than anyone else? In other words, the customer has to have it, and you are the only one who can deliver it.
With those elements in hand we are ready to design a postcard. Most people sort through a pile of mail every day and don’t set aside much time for the task. They are going to spend 10 seconds or less with your card so it needs to get their attention fast.
You only have one and a half sides of a postcard to work with. One half of the front is set aside for postage, recipient address, return address, and postal bar code. The back side is all yours to tinker with.
Start with the back (image) side of the postcard. The graphic has to be eye catching. Use design elements (pictures) that capture immediate attention or evoke emotion. The right graphic will depend on your audience. But, if you have done your homework you will know what it takes to snap their eyes open – in a good way, of course.
Direct mail is usually not for brand advertising – we want people to respond. That requires a mind blowing offer. A friend of mine who is an expert in the industry says, “The customer has to think you are out of your mind to make that offer.” Of course, this offer should be tied to your unique value proposition AND it has to be something that you can deliver.
Your impossible-to-turn-down-offer needs to be the focal point for the “text” on the back side of the postcard. It also needs to compliment your image. The image and the offer work together – the role of the image is to you get noticed, and the role of the offer is to produce a response. If that offer doesn’t SCREAM OUT t you won’t get a response even if you get noticed.
Remember to make your response element (phone number, email address, web page, …) “pop” too. Include a call to action: “call now toll-free”, “get online now to get your risk-free quote”, … Make it big and bold. Do not make your prospects hunt for it. Include multiple forms of response – let customers contact you in the way that is most comfortable for them.
On the address side of the card there is room for additional text. Some people use a small font and cram this full of additional text – avoid this temptation. Use bullets to highlight the key points of your offer. Make it easy to scan and read. Include your call to action again. Put it in bold. Make sure it sticks out from the other text on the back.
With your winning piece in hand choose the right time to mail. We want to reach the mailbox when we have the least possible competition for attention. In general, arriving on a week-end is bad. If it is a business prospect they won’t be there, if it is a consumer they will have other things on their mind. If people choose not to take immediate action and set it aside they will forget about it. On Monday there is always pent up demand from the week-end. Aim for a Tue-Thu delivery.
The other thing to be aware of is that direct mail is seasonal. It is harder to get people’s attention in the early part of the summer or around the holidays. Also be aware of other events in the environment that could play a role: a snow storm or natural disaster, news stories that take over national consciousness or anything else that will dilute your message. The more noise in the environment the better we have to be.
The final thought is when in doubt, test, test, and test some more. Rather than risk your whole budget on a 50,000 piece hit or miss mega-campaign; break the list into smaller pieces and try a few different offers. Then, when you have something that gets traction, you can really step on the gas. Services such as Zairmail (www.zairmail.com) make it fast and easy to test and send direct mail before putting big bucks on the line.
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