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Planning Your Postcard Campaign

Written by: Barbara Spagnola

Article Overview: Planning is the key to a successful postcard campaign. There are a number of questions you need to ask yourself beforehand. Your answers will help drive your campaign to success.

Planning Your Postcard Campaign

Planning is the key to a successful postcard campaign. There are a number of questions you need to ask yourself beforehand. Your answers will help drive your campaign to success.

What do you hope to achieve from your postcard campaign? Do you want more sales, brand awareness or do you want to announce a new product or service to both potential and current clients? Who is your target audience? The more specific you can make your target audience the more successful your campaign will be. How often do you want to mail these postcards? Keep in mind that repetition is helps with name recognition and what you have to offer.

Once you have answered these important questions, it is time to establish your goals. Establishing your postcard campaign goals is essential to evaluating the success or failure of your campaign. If one of your goals is to reach every resident and business within specific zip codes you need to make sure your mailing list contains those specific zip codes. If you are offering a buy one, get one free that is only available for a specific time period, you must allow enough lead time for printing and mailing the postcards. This time sensitive message also determines whether or not you use Standard Class (bulk mail) postal rates or First Class mailing rates.

Create a sense of urgency to respond such as an expiration date on the offer. You can also instill a call to action with offers such as “Only while supplies last” or “Present this coupon during checkout before December 15, 2006 to receive a 15% discount.” Timely responses help to determine the effectiveness of the campaign.

Also, it is important to outline the advantages you offer in comparison to your competition. Your audience wants to know how your services and products benefit them. Outlining these considerations during the planning helps to frame the content and message contained on the postcards. This process also serves as a guide for your selection of an attention grabbing headline, graphic or photograph. Remember, you only have a few seconds to get the attention of the reader.

Don’t forget the quality of the postcard is a reflection of your business. Plan the size and type of postcard to be used and make sure it reflects well on you. Remember, first impressions are lasting impressions.

Taking the time to plan your postcard campaign can save you time, money and effort. The Plan keeps your campaign congruent with the success criteria you established by asking yourself the important questions up front.

Related Articles
  Tracking Postcard Campaign Results
  Designing a High Impact Post Card
  Who is Your Target Audience?
  Repeat Mailings for More Business
  Postal Service Postcard Mailing Guidelines

Article Tags: brand awareness, bulk mail, campaign goals, class mailing, coupon during checkout, expiration date, failure, lead time, mailing rates, photograph, postal rates, postcard campaign, postcards, repetition, sense of urgency, target audience, time period, timely responses, zip codes



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Re: How do you make the most of your day? - Planning, To Do lists, and deadlines all help me. Also being self critical of my own time management helps me raise the bar. I still check email too often though.
Re: SES Toronto Next Week - In that case, how about the following? Track: Get Me Up to Speed * State of Search Marketing in Canada Track: Practical & Actionable * Beyond Linkbait: Getting Authoritative Online Mentions Track: Advanced * User Search Behavior * Social Media Success * Web 2.0 & Search Engines * Giving Credit Where It’s Due: Which Campaign Sold What?
Re: Success - I think it was Gary Player who said the harder I practice the luckier I become when it came to his success as a world class golfer. Planning and dedication to a task can make all the difference between success and failure. MichelleJ
Re: Quote of the Day - "If you hesitate, some bolder hand will s - Excellent quote, Evan. This reminds me of the saying, "The early bird catches the worm." It's important to act on impulses, rather than hesitate and plan. Planning isn't a bad thing and is warranted in certain cases, but those who act quickly will get a step ahead of the competition.
Nice List - Nice list, and I agree with everything you all have added! Planning is the biggest one of all! Look at everything from every aspect possible, and then ask others to look at it as well. It's extremely important that you consider everything before jumping into things, and it goes so much smoother! Also, some young entrepreneurs tend to have an unrealistic mindset (I can sell 4000 of this product in my first week!). Make sure you know what you're getting into, and don't expect something that won't ever happen. ~Marie


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