Though internet marketing is common now, a real postcard can still make an impact. But to get the best results, these postcards need to be custom, interesting, and well-thought-out.
If you put a name and picture of a product on a postcard, you can expect disappointing results. In order for the postcard to be useful, the design aspects should stand out and make you want to take action. And there are a lot of postcard marketing strategies!
1. Use High-Quality Photographs
A postcard campaign can succeed or fail based on the quality of the photos used. With so little time to make a good impression, every detail needs to be perfect and efficient.
Bad photos that are pixelated, blurry, or taken by amateurs hurt the image of your brand.
Therefore, always pick pictures that have:
- Very good resolution: The look of your design is ruined by bad picture quality. Pick pictures that are at least 300 dpi. This keeps the picture from getting distorted or blurry when it’s printed.
- A good light: Photos with bright, even lighting can show details. Skip pictures that are backlit or dark.
- Excellent clarity: Pick pictures with sharp focus to show off the subject. Pictures that are blurry don’t look good.
- Relevance: The picture should show what your brand or message is. Stock photos that aren’t linked to your business look strange and unconnected.
- Effect on the eye: Bright colors, interesting angles, and exciting scenes are what catches the eye. Pick pictures that are interesting.
To take better photos, you need more than more. A single good picture says more than a group of average ones. So, postcards with professional lifestyle photos look more polished and improve the image of a brand.
2. Big, Bold Headlines Are Best
The cost of mail advertising resides in headlines that are very important for postcard design. They let the receiver know about your brand, and a catchy phrase will keep people reading and inspire them.
Think big and bold when writing the headlines on postcards. It needs to have big, bold letters in colors that stand out. It’s important that the title stands out. Type at least 30 points.
In headlines, use strong wording that calls people to action. Tell the person what your product is most useful for. This means, “Get 20% off your next purchase” or “Get your free catalog today.”
To get the reader to want to learn more, ask a question. E.g., “Tired of high electricity bills?“
Sentences that describe make us feel things. “Luxurious Egyptian Cotton Bedding.“
Make titles short and easy to read. You have a short time to get someone’s attention.
To find out what your audience likes, try out different title lengths and styles because top postcard headlines get people’s attention and make them want to read more.
3. Use Color Strategically
Your audience will see and react to your postcard design differently depending on the color you use. Designing must include using colors that evoke the right feelings.
| Using the right colors can help your brand’s personality and message by making people feel certain emotions: |
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When picking colors, think about color psychology and how you want people to feel. Vibrant, living colors are saturated, while soft, muted colors are desaturated.
Avoid using more than two or three colors in your design. Pick one main color that goes with your brand and one to two accent or complementary colors. Similarly, give the words enough color contrast to read.
Colors can make an arrangement look good, draw attention to important details, separate design elements, and direct the viewer’s eye. The headline or call to action should stand out against a gray background by using a bright color.
So you must make sure that you pick colors with care that can help you get people’s attention, set the mood, and make them feel something.
4. Offer Savings Or Special Deals
Postcards with special deals or discounts get people’s attention and help them buy.
Nielsen found that 77% of people who get mail will act on it. By getting people to act, incentives can increase reaction rates.
Some creative postcard deals are:
- People are more likely to buy before the deal ends when there are discounts of 10%, 20%, or 25%. The deal should be easy to see with big, bold letters.
- BOGO deals bring in buyers who want to save money. Text “Buy one ticket, get one free!”
- “Flash sales”- Ask people to act quickly by saying “48-hour flash sale!” Use big fonts and the color red.
- Samples for free Give people what they want. Include samples of the product and write “Free sample enclosed!”
- People talk about giveaways and raffles. Click “Win a free 1-year subscription!” Click “Enter to win a $100 gift card!”
- Discounts based on the season, like “20% off summer dresses!” Such as “Get 10% off your Christmas gift shopping!”
If you make the offer right, cards can stand out and help you make more sales. To get the best results, be creative with sales and deals.
5. Show Lifestyle Photos
You’re marketing in 2024, the age of technology and first-hand opinions. Hence, showing lifestyle pictures on postcards is a great way to get people to feel something.
When customers see pictures of people like them using your goods or services, they can picture what it would be like to be one of those people.
Pick lifestyle pictures that are right for your business and your community.
Think about the demographics and psychographics of your ideal customers. Display people who are the same age, family, hobbies, and values as you. Photos should look like real ones, not stock photos. Being real is important.
When advertising a local business, choose pictures that show what the area is like. If you’re going after an area, include local landmarks and scenery.
Background is also important to show people who are using your service or product.
So, on postcards, include pictures of people living their lives to get people interested and make them feel like they are a part of your business’s story. If you choose the right photos, direct mail marketing can be improved.
Bottom Line:
People who get your postcard should be so excited to open it and take the next step that your design should make them happy. One or more of these design ideas could help you make a direct mail postcard strategy that works for your business.
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