Quick and Easy Marketing

  by Ann Barr

There is one simple and easy way to increase sales that many businesses are not taking advantage of.

There is an inexpensive marketing tool that can:

—Advertise your product or service

—Generate inquiries, responses or sales leads

—Bring in orders

 What is this marketing tool? Attractive, low-cost business postcards.

Postcards are among the most efficient, easy-to-create, and powerful marketing tools you can use. In minutes, you can create a postcard promotion that can generate up to a 10 percent response. If you have never tried postcard marketing, you may be surprised at how well it can work for you.

Five Tips for Success

To get the best response from your postcards, follow these tips:

--Use the fewest words possible. Space on a postcard is limited, so give the reader a benefit, a reason to contact you and an easy way to take action now.

--Give them an incentive to visit your location, call you and/or visit your website.

--Short, personal messages on postcards work best and generate the highest rate of response.

--For best results, always send postcards by first-class mail.

--Use a real 23-cent postage stamp. This achieves the personal look of your card.

Outside the U.S.

This is a tip from Bob Leduc, a postcard marketing guru (www.BobLeduc.com):

Postcards attract even more attention outside of the U.S. than they do in the U.S. Many countries do not have a reduced postage rate for postcards. Therefore, postcards are seldom used for business communications. Because postcards with a business message are rare outside the U.S., they attract a considerable amount of attention.

Easy to Create

In addition to offering tremendous flexibility, postcards are also quick and easy to prepare. Using the Microsoft Publisher New Publication Wizard, you can create a postcard promotion in minutes. Then, you can print the postcards in small batches on your desktop printer, or prepare files for a commercial printer to reproduce in large quantities.

Resources

One source for printing top quality postcards I have used is a company named “4over4,” at www.4over4.com. They will review files at no cost to see if there is anything that would prevent them from printing the postcard. Their postcards are attractive and professional.

Another good resource – and this one specializes in working with the office equipment industry—is How Corporate Solutions. The website is www.HowCorporateSolutions.com and the phone number is 410-418-5884.

Top Four Ingredients

Use the front side of your postcard to convey your message; it should be like a billboard that can be quickly read. Limit the front of your postcard to a few keywords and graphic images that communicate:

—What: Your main idea or offer, or a summary of your message in large text.

—When: The date of the sale or event (if appropriate).

—Why: Describe the main benefit that customers or prospects will enjoy if they take advantage of your offer.

—How: Explain how customers and prospects can take advantage of your offer (for example, call your office or check your website).

Quick and Easy-to-Read

Picture the recipient of your postcard opening mail over a trashcan. Letters that look like advertisements often end up in the trash unopened. When the reader gets to your postcard, it is already opened with your message ready to read.

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Ann Barr is a consultant and sales trainer who has

written eight books on sales and marketing
available on her web site www.sellingsupplies.com