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Other Added - 55 Tips for Postcard Marketing Success
You can collect those past due receivables. All it takes is a little planning and a commitment to follow the plan. A sale doesn't take place until the money is in your bank account. Past dues can put a clamp on many aspects of your business as it chokes off its very lifeblood…cash.Your past due problem can be brought under control in a matter of days or weeks, with the proper design and implementation of a collection "system." When I refer to "system" I am not referring to a machine, but a step-by-step process that is followed with all of your accounts.Several years ago, I had problems with my accounts receivable. As I look back, it was because I treated them nonchalantly in the beginning. I might send out some letters or pick up the phone when I had some time or when cash flow became a concern. Unfortunately, at that point, I was already in a stressful situation and it had a clear detrimental effect on my eff
39. Design your postcard in a way that enhances your message and makes it more readable. Don't ever let the design obscure the message.
40. Create the kind of eye-catching postcard that bursts from the mailbox.
A Strong Offer
41. Create a strong postcard offer to motivate your readers and improve your response rates.
42. Build an offer that's related to your product or service in some way. Avoid offers that will attract unqualified prospects and "freebie hunters."
43. Make sure your postcard offer is relevant and valuable to the reader (your target audience).
44. Whatever you are offering, position it in a way that showcases its value.
45. Offer something different / better / more unique than what the "other guys" are offering.
46. With the offer in mind, revisit your headline to make sure it relates to the offer. Make the entire message cohesive and focused.
47. Follow your offer with a specific call-to-action (next item).
Evoking a Response
48. Tell people what to do next. Use your call-to-action to move the reader forward.
49. Make your call-to-action stand out from the copy around it.
50. Repeat your call-to-action on both sides of the postcard (using callou
Many business owners opt to incorporate their business to protect themselves and the business from unanticipated losses and liabilities. Both small as well as large businesses can be incorporated. It is possible to incorporate businesses in any state in the United States, regardless of where the business is operated. Many business owners choose to incorporate their businesses in Delaware or Nevada, as they are very corporate-friendly. Nevada has highly favorable corporate laws. Many new business owners and small business owners lack adequate knowledge about the corporate laws prevailing in Nevada. The most frequently asked questions about Nevada corporations, include what are the different types of corporation entities, the process of incorporation, and what are the advantages of Nevada corporations.A corporation is considered as a separate legal entity. If the corporation is sued, the business owners and the offic
But as with any form of marketing, you only get out of it what you put into it. To help you get the most from your postcard marketing efforts, I've assembled 55 tips for success.
Obviously, some of these tips will not apply to your particular postcard marketing needs, but with 55 of them ... there's bound to be something in there for you!
Upfront Considerations
1. To keep yourself on track through all of the steps to follow, create an overall postcard marketing plan. After reading this article, you'll know exactly what to put into it.
2. To save yourself time, headache and hassle, turn the logistics over to a professional postcard printer.
3. To find the company that's best for you, create a list of postcard service providers and begin comparing them on the points that are most important to you (cost, services, easy of use, etc.).
4. Begin thinking about the various elements of postcard marketing and who will handle them (the copywriting, the design, etc.).
5. Track down some colleagues who have used postcard marketing in the past. Buy them a cup of coffee and pick their brain about lessons learned, vendor recommendations, etc.
6. Start reading up on direct mail marketing in general, and postcard marketing in particular.
7. Create a postcard marketing budget that allows for multiple mailings.
Goals and Objectives
8. Gather your marketing folks together to define your marketing goals.
9. Avoid generalizations. Be specific with your postcard marketing objective. Determine the type of response you want, as well as the volume of response.
10. Set realistic goals and objectives. Get an idea of what postcards can do for marketers, and set your goals within those parameters.
11. Set objectives that are based on some form of response (as opposed to branding, awareness, or some other immeasurable trait). Postcard marketing is a response generator, not a brand builder.
Powerful Ideas
12. Create a reason for sending postcards before you send them (a promotion, a special offer, a news flash or announcement).
13. Come up with a big idea that will get people's attention. Avoid mediocrity at all costs.
14. Strive to be different from other postcard marketing messages you've seen in your industry.
15. Build value into your message and your offer...
16. Just realize that true value starts with the product or service, not the postcard.
17. Make it your goal to make people say, "Gosh, I'm glad I got this postcard."
18. Don't rely on yourself to come up with a big idea. Get your top "thinkers" together.
19. Seek outside input on your ideas. Run them by some of your best customers. Make sure that what you think is a "wow" isn't really a "yawn."
List Considerations
20. Obtain your mailing list from a reputable source.
21. Find out how often your list provider updates their data. Make sure your list is as current as possible to increase deliverability.
22. If plan to use your in-house database, check the list for accuracy, duplications, etc.
23. Divide your mailing list into segments to allow for a more targeted message (current customers vs. prospects, for example).
Your Target Audience
24. Create an audience statement that outlines the people to whom you are mailing your postcards.
25. Expand your audience list to include their wants, needs, fears and concerns — everything you can think of that pertains to your audience.
26. Write down the various ways you (or your product) can satisfy their wants and needs.
27. Keep your audience statement handy as you develop your >postcard message (next item).
Marketing Message
28. Pull out your audience statement from earlier. Craft your message in a way that bridges the gap between your audience and your objective.
29. Take your big idea from earlier (item #13) and inject it into your message.
30. Remember, the better your product (or the bigger your idea), the easier it will be to write about.
31. Create a message that solves a problem, presents a solution, and offers value.
The Postcard Headline
32. Create a direct mail headline that directly identifies your primary audience. Call them by name, if necessary.
33. Offer a strong benefit with your headline. Describe the value of the message and offer that follow the headline.
34. Write your headline clearly and honestly. Avoid the use of jokes, puns and complex language. Keep it simple so people get it right away.
35. Make your headline interesting. You can't bore people into contacting you.
36. Whenever possible, use numbers and other eye-catching specifics. Avoid generalities.
Postcard Design
37. Hire a professional graphic designer to create your postcard design. At the very least, start with a well-designed template and then customize it. Don't ever mail a postcard that reflects poorly on your organization.
38. Be original. Create a "purple cow," not just another brown one.
39. Design your postcard in a way that enhances your message and makes it more readable. Don't ever let the design obscure the message.
40. Create the kind of eye-catching postcard that bursts from the mailbox.
A Strong Offer
41. Create a strong postcard offer to motivate your readers and improve your response rates.
42. Build an offer that's related to your product or service in some way. Avoid offers that will attract unqualified prospects and "freebie hunters."
43. Make sure your postcard offer is relevant and valuable to the reader (your target audience).
44. Whatever you are offering, position it in a way that showcases its value.
45. Offer something different / better / more unique than what the "other guys" are offering.
46. With the offer in mind, revisit your headline to make sure it relates to the offer. Make the entire message cohesive and focused.
47. Follow your offer with a specific call-to-action (next item).
Evoking a Response
48. Tell people what to do next. Use your call-to-action to move the reader forward.
49. Make your call-to-action stand out from the copy around it.
50. Repeat your call-to-action on both sides of the postcard (using callout
Every community has 'em. Fast talkers who roll into town with a clever idea to sell to people in business.Many times the ideas are clever and cute but you should weigh the ups and downs of every offer before you dig out the checkbook. Most of these in-town-for-a-day people want their cash up front.Some of the common flim-flams are:Coupon BooksThey offer to put you in a giant coupon book to be sold for the needy charity or Lions Club. Books are sold on the phone for $29 and delivered by the Boy Scouts. Watch out for errors and missing expirations once the operation has moved to another town.Telephone Book CoversThey wrap around the book and the callers see your ad every time they reach for the book. Might be OK if you own the wrecker service, locksmith or funeral home, but run the other way if you have a grocery, Mickey Dees, or bank.City MapsYour ad goes
6. Start reading up on direct mail marketing in general, and postcard marketing in particular.
7. Create a postcard marketing budget that allows for multiple mailings.
Goals and Objectives
8. Gather your marketing folks together to define your marketing goals.
9. Avoid generalizations. Be specific with your postcard marketing objective. Determine the type of response you want, as well as the volume of response.
10. Set realistic goals and objectives. Get an idea of what postcards can do for marketers, and set your goals within those parameters.
11. Set objectives that are based on some form of response (as opposed to branding, awareness, or some other immeasurable trait). Postcard marketing is a response generator, not a brand builder.
Powerful Ideas
12. Create a reason for sending postcards before you send them (a promotion, a special offer, a news flash or announcement).
13. Come up with a big idea that will get people's attention. Avoid mediocrity at all costs.
14. Strive to be different from other postcard marketing messages you've seen in your industry.
15. Build value into your message and your offer...
16. Just realize that true value starts with the product or service, not the postcard.
17. Make it your goal to make people say, "Gosh, I'm glad I got this postcard."
18. Don't rely on yourself to come up with a big idea. Get your top "thinkers" together.
19. Seek outside input on your ideas. Run them by some of your best customers. Make sure that what you think is a "wow" isn't really a "yawn."
List Considerations
20. Obtain your mailing list from a reputable source.
21. Find out how often your list provider updates their data. Make sure your list is as current as possible to increase deliverability.
22. If plan to use your in-house database, check the list for accuracy, duplications, etc.
23. Divide your mailing list into segments to allow for a more targeted message (current customers vs. prospects, for example).
Your Target Audience
24. Create an audience statement that outlines the people to whom you are mailing your postcards.
25. Expand your audience list to include their wants, needs, fears and concerns — everything you can think of that pertains to your audience.
26. Write down the various ways you (or your product) can satisfy their wants and needs.
27. Keep your audience statement handy as you develop your >postcard message (next item).
Marketing Message
28. Pull out your audience statement from earlier. Craft your message in a way that bridges the gap between your audience and your objective.
29. Take your big idea from earlier (item #13) and inject it into your message.
30. Remember, the better your product (or the bigger your idea), the easier it will be to write about.
31. Create a message that solves a problem, presents a solution, and offers value.
The Postcard Headline
32. Create a direct mail headline that directly identifies your primary audience. Call them by name, if necessary.
33. Offer a strong benefit with your headline. Describe the value of the message and offer that follow the headline.
34. Write your headline clearly and honestly. Avoid the use of jokes, puns and complex language. Keep it simple so people get it right away.
35. Make your headline interesting. You can't bore people into contacting you.
36. Whenever possible, use numbers and other eye-catching specifics. Avoid generalities.
Postcard Design
37. Hire a professional graphic designer to create your postcard design. At the very least, start with a well-designed template and then customize it. Don't ever mail a postcard that reflects poorly on your organization.
38. Be original. Create a "purple cow," not just another brown one.
39. Design your postcard in a way that enhances your message and makes it more readable. Don't ever let the design obscure the message.
40. Create the kind of eye-catching postcard that bursts from the mailbox.
A Strong Offer
41. Create a strong postcard offer to motivate your readers and improve your response rates.
42. Build an offer that's related to your product or service in some way. Avoid offers that will attract unqualified prospects and "freebie hunters."
43. Make sure your postcard offer is relevant and valuable to the reader (your target audience).
44. Whatever you are offering, position it in a way that showcases its value.
45. Offer something different / better / more unique than what the "other guys" are offering.
46. With the offer in mind, revisit your headline to make sure it relates to the offer. Make the entire message cohesive and focused.
47. Follow your offer with a specific call-to-action (next item).
Evoking a Response
48. Tell people what to do next. Use your call-to-action to move the reader forward.
49. Make your call-to-action stand out from the copy around it.
50. Repeat your call-to-action on both sides of the postcard (using callou
The main purpose of a headline is very simple. You want to grab the attention of your ideal prospect so they’ll read the next sentence in your advertising copy.Easy to do. Right?Well... not so fast.It’s possible. That’s the good news. But you have to do your homework first. There are books written on how to write a great headline. If I said you'll find everything you need to know in this article my nose would grow like Pinocchio’s. But I can help you get started in the right direction.A headline should have the full attention of your prospect in 5 seconds or less. If it doesn't the rest of your copy probably won’t get read.Many copywriters think the headline is the MOST important part of the copy because it’s read 5-8 times more than your body copy (on average). In short, your headline must get the job done. This is where the homework comes in.I’m assuming you’ve already don
17. Make it your goal to make people say, "Gosh, I'm glad I got this postcard."
18. Don't rely on yourself to come up with a big idea. Get your top "thinkers" together.
19. Seek outside input on your ideas. Run them by some of your best customers. Make sure that what you think is a "wow" isn't really a "yawn."
List Considerations
20. Obtain your mailing list from a reputable source.
21. Find out how often your list provider updates their data. Make sure your list is as current as possible to increase deliverability.
22. If plan to use your in-house database, check the list for accuracy, duplications, etc.
23. Divide your mailing list into segments to allow for a more targeted message (current customers vs. prospects, for example).
Your Target Audience
24. Create an audience statement that outlines the people to whom you are mailing your postcards.
25. Expand your audience list to include their wants, needs, fears and concerns — everything you can think of that pertains to your audience.
26. Write down the various ways you (or your product) can satisfy their wants and needs.
27. Keep your audience statement handy as you develop your >postcard message (next item).
Marketing Message
28. Pull out your audience statement from earlier. Craft your message in a way that bridges the gap between your audience and your objective.
29. Take your big idea from earlier (item #13) and inject it into your message.
30. Remember, the better your product (or the bigger your idea), the easier it will be to write about.
31. Create a message that solves a problem, presents a solution, and offers value.
The Postcard Headline
32. Create a direct mail headline that directly identifies your primary audience. Call them by name, if necessary.
33. Offer a strong benefit with your headline. Describe the value of the message and offer that follow the headline.
34. Write your headline clearly and honestly. Avoid the use of jokes, puns and complex language. Keep it simple so people get it right away.
35. Make your headline interesting. You can't bore people into contacting you.
36. Whenever possible, use numbers and other eye-catching specifics. Avoid generalities.
Postcard Design
37. Hire a professional graphic designer to create your postcard design. At the very least, start with a well-designed template and then customize it. Don't ever mail a postcard that reflects poorly on your organization.
38. Be original. Create a "purple cow," not just another brown one.
39. Design your postcard in a way that enhances your message and makes it more readable. Don't ever let the design obscure the message.
40. Create the kind of eye-catching postcard that bursts from the mailbox.
A Strong Offer
41. Create a strong postcard offer to motivate your readers and improve your response rates.
42. Build an offer that's related to your product or service in some way. Avoid offers that will attract unqualified prospects and "freebie hunters."
43. Make sure your postcard offer is relevant and valuable to the reader (your target audience).
44. Whatever you are offering, position it in a way that showcases its value.
45. Offer something different / better / more unique than what the "other guys" are offering.
46. With the offer in mind, revisit your headline to make sure it relates to the offer. Make the entire message cohesive and focused.
47. Follow your offer with a specific call-to-action (next item).
Evoking a Response
48. Tell people what to do next. Use your call-to-action to move the reader forward.
49. Make your call-to-action stand out from the copy around it.
50. Repeat your call-to-action on both sides of the postcard (using callou
Not only is new home purchases and existing home purchase fallen for the past year or so the mortgage industry has seen brokerages collapse. I believe the pattern to continue this way for some time to come. I also believe there is something you can do about it to survive these times.Right now online networking and marketing is how many real estate professionals are getting ahead. There are many ways to go about your online networking. Online forums are helpful when it comes to new marketing ideas. You can also blog away to help get your word out.If you have your own website, I am sure you have heard of link exchanges. The thing about link exchanges is that you have to know where to put them. I have spent countless hours on my SEO tool trying to figure this out. I have searched keyword after keyword after keyword and have had some success, hey after only 3 months if you go to msn search and type in Minn
28. Pull out your audience statement from earlier. Craft your message in a way that bridges the gap between your audience and your objective.
29. Take your big idea from earlier (item #13) and inject it into your message.
30. Remember, the better your product (or the bigger your idea), the easier it will be to write about.
31. Create a message that solves a problem, presents a solution, and offers value.
The Postcard Headline
32. Create a direct mail headline that directly identifies your primary audience. Call them by name, if necessary.
33. Offer a strong benefit with your headline. Describe the value of the message and offer that follow the headline.
34. Write your headline clearly and honestly. Avoid the use of jokes, puns and complex language. Keep it simple so people get it right away.
35. Make your headline interesting. You can't bore people into contacting you.
36. Whenever possible, use numbers and other eye-catching specifics. Avoid generalities.
Postcard Design
37. Hire a professional graphic designer to create your postcard design. At the very least, start with a well-designed template and then customize it. Don't ever mail a postcard that reflects poorly on your organization.
38. Be original. Create a "purple cow," not just another brown one.
39. Design your postcard in a way that enhances your message and makes it more readable. Don't ever let the design obscure the message.
40. Create the kind of eye-catching postcard that bursts from the mailbox.
A Strong Offer
41. Create a strong postcard offer to motivate your readers and improve your response rates.
42. Build an offer that's related to your product or service in some way. Avoid offers that will attract unqualified prospects and "freebie hunters."
43. Make sure your postcard offer is relevant and valuable to the reader (your target audience).
44. Whatever you are offering, position it in a way that showcases its value.
45. Offer something different / better / more unique than what the "other guys" are offering.
46. With the offer in mind, revisit your headline to make sure it relates to the offer. Make the entire message cohesive and focused.
47. Follow your offer with a specific call-to-action (next item).
Evoking a Response
48. Tell people what to do next. Use your call-to-action to move the reader forward.
49. Make your call-to-action stand out from the copy around it.
50. Repeat your call-to-action on both sides of the postcard (using callou
I receive many jokes in my inbox. Jokes are brilliant because not only do they make you laugh, but if you pay attention, you can usually find an imbedded lesson. The fascinating aspect is that the same joke can impart a different message depending on the recipient’s head space and time.In my training and coaching practice, we often start with assessments. Let me share this joke with you and then I’ll describe the lesson I learned from it with relation to assessment tools.A woman brought a very limp duck into a veterinarian’s office. As she laid her pet on the table, the vet pulled out his stethoscope and listened to the bird's chest. After a moment or two, the vet shook his head sadly and said, "I'm so sorry, your Duck Cuddles has passed away!"The distressed owner wailed, "Are you sure?"Yes, I am sure. The duck is dead," he replied."How can you be so sure," she protested. "I mean, you ha
39. Design your postcard in a way that enhances your message and makes it more readable. Don't ever let the design obscure the message.
40. Create the kind of eye-catching postcard that bursts from the mailbox.
A Strong Offer
41. Create a strong postcard offer to motivate your readers and improve your response rates.
42. Build an offer that's related to your product or service in some way. Avoid offers that will attract unqualified prospects and "freebie hunters."
43. Make sure your postcard offer is relevant and valuable to the reader (your target audience).
44. Whatever you are offering, position it in a way that showcases its value.
45. Offer something different / better / more unique than what the "other guys" are offering.
46. With the offer in mind, revisit your headline to make sure it relates to the offer. Make the entire message cohesive and focused.
47. Follow your offer with a specific call-to-action (next item).
Evoking a Response
48. Tell people what to do next. Use your call-to-action to move the reader forward.
49. Make your call-to-action stand out from the copy around it.
50. Repeat your call-to-action on both sides of the postcard (using callout boxes or starbursts as needed).
51. Make it as simple as possible for people to respond. Give them more than one way to respond.
52. Restate the reason they should respond. Restate the value of your offer.
Testing and Tracking
53. Make sure you have a way to track and test your postcard response rates. You can't improve your results until you know what they are.
54. Try to learn something from each and every postcard you mail out. Change one element at a time to measure the difference in response. This is how you create "super postcards."
Further Education
55. Spend some time on the website below to further your postcard marketing education.
* You may republish this article online if you retain the author's byline and the active hyperlinks below. Copyright 2007, Brandon Cornett.
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