Marked by their simple effectiveness and affordability, postcards have carved their own niche in the world of marketing with a number of valuable applications. First, they allow you to hone your target demographics to a specific, usable cross-section of what is first a looming amount of data. Next, Postcard Printing establishes an instant connection with prospective clients and customers because postcards aren’t hidden or encumbered by envelopes like their direct mail counterparts. These benefits, however, will only befall the marketing entity that knows how to effectively market their products and services on a postcard. Without a definitive direction, specificity, and a powerful image, it is very difficult even for postcards to avoid the waste bin.
Establishing Your Direction
Before diving into the tonal elements of the picture itself, you must first establish a definitive direction. This is based on the reaction that you want your postcard to have on the consumer and as such should act as a guide for the rest of the decisions involved in production of every aspect of your marketing message. Whatever your exact approach is, the general goal is that the consumer is intimately acquainted with your brand or brands, and will contact you or physically come to your store.
Offering an Incentive
Once a distinct direction is established, you must positively condition potential customers to complete the above mentioned steps by offering incentives to do so. The exact nature of how this is done can vary depending on your customer base but adheres to a general structure.
If the goal is to get customers to call, for example, you can offer free quotes, discounts, special offers and so on depending on your products if the customer calls the number on the postcard. This can follow with the other contact methods: in person and on the Internet. If you just want to impress your brand, however, you can create an emotionally powerful appeal to your brand in the postcard. Humor, dramatic appeal, and national morale are all examples of powerful, emotionally charged elements that will make your brand stick.
Design Points to Consider
When it’s time to begin drafting the design for your postcard, there are several considerations in placing the text and the image to elicit the most powerful reaction from the consumer, from font size to color tonality. The easiest way to approach this rewarding challenge is by working with each element of the postcard separately and then blending them into a cohesive presentation.
As it concerns the text, you do not have the room for lengthy or wordy declarations. A simple, powerful, and concise message is always best for postcard marketing. The text should not be heavily stylized, as that is an unnecessary distraction, although a subtle theme is very effective when done correctly.
In drafting the image itself, balance is pivotal. Learn what colors complement each other, how angles create tension and emotion, how to add textural elements to a picture, and where to place the image relative to the text.
Feedback and Adjustments
Finally, it’s time to get your postcards out there. Don’t be discouraged if your first efforts aren’t booming successes. In fact, each failure will return valuable insights about how you can tweak your design to attract more attention. Depending on the nature of the feedback, you can also take a closer look at your demographics to see if you are maintaining a strong appeal. In assessing each mailer, then, do not just reflect on failures but ask yourself why it happened and how it can be avoided. Eventually, your receptivity and optimism will yield results. It’s simply the way the process works. If all of the above considerations have been seriously addressed, your efforts in Postcard Printing will be met with success. For an even better start, ColorFx’s design downloadable printing templates will empower your postcard messages to get the return that your business has fought to earn.