•    Postcards are a great tool for generating qualified leads.  Set up a mailing to a targeted list, and offer a free report or a free gift to anyone who responds.  The response can be visiting a website to opt in, calling in to your call center, or even filling out a reply card and sending it back to you.

•    You can also use postcards to keep your name in front of your clients and prospects.  Tell them what’s going on with your company, any special offers you have for them, or anything else you want to share; just keep in touch with them.  Your goal is to imprint your name and what you have to offer in their minds.

•    Additionally, postcards are an excellent tool to use for sequential marketing campaigns.  Put your offer in front of your target market multiple times, and each time strive to increase their level of desire.  You can even set up your traditional sales letter as a series of postcards and mail them one at a time.  Just be sure to put a call to action on each message – that is, tell them clearly how to get what you’re offering.

•    Postcards are also a good way to send notes of appreciation to your clients.  Tell them thanks for becoming a client, tell them thanks for being a client for so long, or even tell them thanks for participating in an event your hosted.  Your clients will remember you positively for taking the time to show them you value their business.

The best way to set up your postcards is to make the picture on the front of the postcard really stand out and use your own handwriting on the back.  You can do this easily by going to http://saritarecommends.com/socinfo.htm.  Humor works exceptionally well for marketing postcards, as do images depicting the ultimate result a customer can expect by purchasing your product or service.

Use informal language, and use your postcard marketing as an additional method to allow your clients and prospects to get to know you better.  As has been proven by millions of business owners throughout the years, people do business with those they know, like, and trust.

Put postcard marketing and other marketing strategies to work for you today.

•    Know who your ideal customer is

It’s impossible to create an effective marketing campaign if you don’t first have a thorough understanding of who is in your target market.  Take the time to learn about the people you would like to market to.  If your ideal client showed up in your office, what would they look, what would they be looking for, and what would they want to hear from you.

•    Know what to offer and when to offer it

Once you know who your ideal customer is, you can find out what they want most.  Do your research.  Spend some time visiting internet forums to find out what people are talking about.  Read columns and newsletters in your industry to find out what’s current.  Pay attention to people’s problems, and provide them with the solutions.

•    Know what your unique selling proposition (USP) is

Before you plan a campaign, ask yourself why the people who receive your mailing should listen to you instead of the other marketer they received a letter from today.  What makes you different from all the rest?  Do you offer more for the same amount of money?  Do you offer the same thing for less?  Do you have proven results that others can’t show?  Do you have a unique system that nobody else can teach?  Put some effort into identifying your USP – it will make a difference in the content of your marketing piece.

•    Know who your list broker is

List brokers will work with you to help you find the best mailing lists to which to send your marketing materials.  Get to know a few list brokers and select one who demonstrates a good understanding of what you’re trying to accomplish.  It’s also important that you’re able to communicate freely with your list broker, so don’t underestimate the importance of rapport.  Your list broker will put years of direct mail marketing experience to work for you, so know who they are and take care of them as they take care of you.

•    Know who is on the list you’re mailing to

This does not necessarily mean knowing the names and contact details for the people on the mailing list.  You need to understand, instead, where the names came from, how up-to-date is the list, how are demographics compiled, etc.  Working with the right list is key – you can offer a free $100 bill to the wrong list and they won’t respond.  Take the time to find out who you’re marketing to and be sure they match the profile of your ideal client.

Working with someone else’s mailing list can be extremely lucrative or it can be a complete flop.  As with all of your marketing efforts, be sure to test and keep track of your results.  Direct mail success is an art, and you would serve yourself well to spend some time getting educated on its complexities.

We’ve all received junk mail that we just immediately throw away.  Your goal is to put together an irresistible offer and get your message read.

How do you go about doing it?  Follow these simple steps:

1.    Select a highly-targeted market

With direct mail marketing, you can send to your own list or someone else’s.  You know what the people in your database are interested in, so tailor your offer to their needs.  When working with someone else’s list, ask the list owner what is most appealing to their clients.

It’s also possible to rent lists from other companies when you don’t have a relationship with the list owner.  Some companies, especially those like major periodical publishers, allow other companies to send mail to their clients for a fee.  This is done through list brokers.  There are many places to find lists and brokers, but two of the best are SRDS and Nextmark.

2.    Package your material correctly

Your packaging is critical if you want to get your mail opened.  A standard flyer or postcard might not get read, but a bright colorful one with a teaser headline might give you a better chance at getting a response.

One of the best ways to package your direct mail pieces is called “lumpy mail.”  Lumpy mail is mail that has something inside it, and it’s incredibly hard to resist opening it to find out what’s inside.  Simply add a 3-dimensional object to your mailing, and tie that object into the message, and you’ll more than likely explode your response rate.

3.    Make the content compelling

Use your package insert and/or headline to make the recipient desperate to know more.  Write personally, using simple language to get your point across.  With direct mail, all of the normal copywriting rules and guidelines you use in your marketing still apply – capture their attention, sustain their interest, intensify their desire, and lead them to take action.

4.    Include a call to action

In all of your marketing, you need to tell your prospective client what they need to do in order to take you up on your offer.  Give them explicit instructions using clear language.  For example, instead of saying, “Your free report is available at www.domain.com,” say, “Go right away to www.domain.com, enter in your first name and e-mail address, and we’ll immediately send you your free report.”

Your call to action must include action verbs.  Be very clear about what you want them to do, and give them simple, easy-to-follow instructions so they can get what you’ve offered.

5.    Follow up

Send your offer to the same list of prospects more than once.  People buy based on many different factors, including mood, work-related issues, and family obligations, so your first mailing may just catch them at a bad time.  Don’t be annoying, but do follow up with prospective clients and let them know you’d really value their business.

Test your direct mail marketing campaigns to find a responsive list and an effective approach.  Direct mail should be just one of the many marketing vehicles you use as your business grows.

Put direct mail marketing and other marketing strategies to work for you by implementing the techniques shared on this site.