When you invest in a direct mail campaign, your worst nightmare probably has a little something to do with your recipients tossing it into the trash before they even realize it’s there. Or maybe you’re concerned that they’ll see it but toss it before they can fully understand what it is you have to offer.
Why your prospects didn't get and act on the message isn’t quite as important as the fact that they didn’t.
At Integra Graphics Synergy, we’ve been offering SynergyMail to help companies own their direct mail campaigns and increase their return on investment for over 18 years. We know what works and, arguably more important, what doesn’t.
If postcards are your next plan for a direct mail sendout, we’ve got you covered. Below, you’ll find eight tried-and-true strategies to make your postcards stand out to customers even when they’ve got a basket full of old mail and a busy day ahead of them.
1. Size Your Postcard Dimensions Appropriately
First, select the perfect postcard length and width for your campaign.
If a standard size postcard has the capacity to catch customer attention, think of how effective one would be if it had just the right length and width to stick out past the rest of each recipient’s mail. We’ve all gone for a handful of the daily mail from our box and felt that one piece before the rest. We’ve pulled the bundle out from the box and realized that our tactile sense was right — that one piece was bigger.
Extra-large postcards can either be folded over to achieve the standard USPS letter rate, or they can stand out past the rest like we’ve mentioned. Either way, the postcard itself will be larger, which means more information, more color and more pizzazz on every piece. Left as a flat, your campaign will run you more in postage alone, but people will feel it before most if not all of their other mail for the day.
From there, it’s only natural that we catch a visual while we’re checking to make sure we have everything the mailbox has to offer for the day. As long as you’ve made design choices that create visual interest, you’ll be golden. And what’s first among the critical factors for visual interest? You guessed it: Color.
2. Use the Right Colors in Your Postcard Design
Next, choose postcard colors that pop out and work with your branding.
Color is one of those things that can make or break the effectiveness of a campaign or piece of mail. Overdo it, and you look desperate for customers and probably a little bit spammy or scammy. Underdo it, and the large size won’t matter much — their eyes might be drawn to your postcard thanks to a larger size, but those eyes will drift off the second they see a bland design with little color.
So how do you get it right? You want something that will pop and grab your customers’ attention, but it should reflect the tone you associate with your company or event. No bright neon pink for a divorce lawyer (generally speaking, at least), and you should probably veer away from black and somber for a toy shop sale.
Aim for a good contrast between font and background as well. You don’t want to send out a postcard that people have to squint to read because the letters are too small or too close in color to their background.
3. Add Exciting Features to Each Postcard Front and Back
As long as you're okay with not getting the cheapest direct mail postcards, you can also add embellishments to catch customers’ attention.
Color and size can be boosted with nifty paper embellishments that just feel satisfying or intriguing. Have you ever run your fingers across a business card someone handed you and felt a raised, glossy surface where the company’s or individual’s name goes? It probably warranted a second glance, at the very least, because it lends an extra step to the tactile experience of handling someone’s printed piece.
The same goes for embossing on your postcards: You don’t have to settle for a traditional paper type and call it a day. Instead, make your name, logo or QR code stand out from the rest on your postcard with:
- Embossing: Give letters and numbers a visibly raised texture to emphasize the most important parts of your message.
- Debossing: Make letters and numbers depress into the surface of the postcard for a similar visual and tactile effect.
- Foil stamping: Provide a touch of luxury in your postcards with metallic or pigmented foil applied with a heated die, offering a level of sophistication that invites further interaction.
- Spot UV: Enjoy a high-gloss, slightly raised finish on specific areas of your postcard to create a striking visual and tactile contrast. Highlight everything you want to stand out on your postcard, and as a result, your postcard itself will stand out.
- Varnish: Take advantage of an oil-based gloss, satin or matte spot or flood finish on specific printed parts of your postcard to add moderate protection and help those elements stand out with a subtle sheen.
- Aqueous coating: Clear, fast-drying and water-based, this coating will offer greater protection over varnish. It resists fingerprints and smudges and comes in matte or high-gloss. Like varnish, it can be applied as a flood coating, covering the full surface of the postcard, or as a spot coating that has less gloss and less texture than spot UV effects.
4. Give Premium Add-Ons a Go on Your Postcard Designs
Bring your postcard marketing to the next level with inserts and extras.
Alright, so you’ve made your postcard as visually appealing as possible, given it the right size and texture and chosen the perfect color. You’re on fire. Now, you can bump your efforts up a few notches with premium options most customers haven’t seen before.
Premium options include inserts and interactive features such as:
- Scratch-off games: Lots of people love their lottery tickets — especially the scratch-off ones. The big deterrent is the risk of loss, so when you send your postcards out with a scratch-off people didn’t need to buy, but that might give them a discount of some amount, you can scratch that itch (see what we did there?) and give customers a chance to feel like winners.
- Key fob inserts: If you want to give your attendees a key fob of some sort, like updated access cards to go with their recently renewed gym memberships, you can create postcards with their key fobs inserted between two thin paper layers. It’s discreet, it’s convenient, and let’s be honest — it looks cool.
- Perforated cards: Anything that could be carried around and used by customers, from business cards for your company top reps to coupons for your products, can have a major impact as a perforated card. You don’t want to expect your customers to walk around with full postcard-sized mail in their pocket, but if they can easily tear along a perforated line and keep an appropriately sized card with them throughout the day, they’re much more likely to do so.
5. Act on the Consumer Facts for Any Direct Mailing
Make sure your direct mail postcards are reaching the right people in the right places.
When you focus carefully on factors like your mailing list and consumer data, the first effect you’ll notice is that you save money on your direct mail campaigns. But money isn’t all you’ll save. With your postcards going to the right people, your team can save time and effort with qualified leads that have high conversion potential.
This also applies heavily to the messaging you use on your postcard. Just because you can add more information on a larger postcard doesn’t mean you should fill every space with it. Opt for the crucial details and taglines you feel will stand out to your customers, stick in their memories and encourage them to act. Add calls to action that galvanize them to make the next move.
Personalized Postcards in Carefully Targeted Mailboxes
When you know your consumers well, you can also consider postcard personalization. There’s no shortage of information about consumer behaviors, so whether you want to mention someone’s exact distance from your location, bring up the last time they purchased with you or simply mention them by name, you can do so with personalized mail.
Personalizing in direct mail costs about 25 to 30 percent more overall, and the reality is that it tends to fall flat in a number of situations, so it should be used sparingly. A grocery store wouldn’t necessarily want to send personalized postcards with perforated coupons out to specifically named people, because just about anyone could and likely would use those coupons. Losing customers based on a mismatch between written and actual name would be a drawback in vain.
6. Watch Your Timing When You Mail out Postcards
Dial in the perfect delivery dates for your direct mail postcards.
Are you hosting an event? Opening a new store? Trying to earn new business after a competitor closes their doors? Whatever it is, they say “timing is everything” for a reason. If the people you need to reach aren’t home when the postcard shows up in their mailbox, or tend to need a couple of weeks to get excited about an event, you’ll need to build your campaign accordingly. You’ll also want to:
- Avoid major holidays that alter the mail cycle and many recipients’ availability
- Space your sendouts mindfully and usually somewhat evenly (A common standard is three postcards, three to four weeks apart.)
- Stay cohesive, making sure each new leg of your direct mail campaign builds on the last
7. Give Customers a Heads up With USPS Informed Delivery
Take advantage of USPS Informed Delivery to stand out on those alerts.
Utilizing USPS Informed Delivery in your direct mail postcard marketing can be a game-changer. This service sends daily email previews of incoming mail to registered users, giving them a heads up about your postcard before it physically arrives. It not only builds anticipation but also enhances your brand exposure, reaching users on two important levels — digital and physical.
Integrating digital marketing efforts with Informed Delivery can help you engage your audience on multiple platforms, improving the effectiveness of your direct mail campaign. By providing customers with a sneak peek of their mail, you can create a memorable impression, ensuring your message resonates even before your postcard lands in their mailbox.
8. Make Your Postcard CTAs Loud and Clear
When a new prospect opens their mailbox and finds your postcard, it should be mere seconds before they know exactly what the suggested call to action is. We know it can be tempting to put every possible action a customer might want to take on the card, just to net as much business as possible.
Avoid this temptation!
You want qualified leads taking the action you’re expecting from this particular campaign. Sending mixed messages will only confuse and frustrate customers, likely sending your postcard and hard work straight to the landfill. We know that’s harsh, but the most critical goal here is to get your customers to take action. And they’re a whole lot more likely to take action if they know what action to take.
Oh, and by “loud” we mean “large, bold and central.” We’re not crazy enough to think postcards can talk. Maybe someday, but for now, focus on drawing eyes to your CTA, saying it succinctly and giving readers a simple path to follow through.
Put All the Best Direct Mail Postcard Strategies Into Practice
The start of a direct mail campaign can feel a little daunting. People get mail delivered to their homes day after day, and much of it gets a single glance — and that’s if it’s lucky. But equipped with these strategies for high-impact direct mail postcards, you should be thinking of some pretty stellar campaigns that are bound to grab all the right attention.
So what’s next? Well, if this will be your first foray into the world of direct mail marketing, you might be wondering about the steps involved in setting up a successful campaign, including common direct mail mistakes to avoid.
If you’re a veteran direct mailer looking to increase engagement with your mailouts, perhaps you need a company that can work with you to put these design and strategy tips into practice. Integra Graphics Synergy would love to be that company for you. Click below to discuss your project with our team and decide whether or not we're the right fit for you.
Either way, you’re on the path to getting great mail pieces in the mailboxes of all your most promising prospects. In no time at all, you’ll be putting the “nail” in “snail mail!”
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