Sunday, October 29, 2017

Postcard Marketing Is Inexpensive And Effective

By Deborah Sullivan


It is not unusual for people starting businesses to worry about money and count every penny. They sometimes try to cut costs on advertising expenses, but this is always a mistake. A professional website is essential, and if your market is local, you will also need a way to contact potential customers on a personal level. Postcard marketing is relatively cheap and extremely effective, if done correctly.

For one thing, postcards are inexpensive to print and mail. Even over sized cards are still economical tools that can be extremely effective, if you have a good mailing list. You may not be able to afford a multiple page glossy brochure advertising your business, but you could interest your clientele with eye-catching postcards and bullet points describing your product or service.

Creativity is as good as money in many cases. If you use your imagination you can find uses for postcards beyond mailing them. They can be effective business cards when local shops allow you to leave them on counters. Punching holes in the tops turns them into hang tags. If you are offering discounts, passing them out at local community events are a way of extending the use of extra cards.

Since you aren't making a major financial investment in the postcards, they can be great to test your target market. Sending a few out and monitoring the response will give you a good indication of what a larger mailing will accomplish. You will have some misses with your marketing campaigns. By using inexpensive materials, you can minimize the investment in a bad idea.

Sending postcards are a great way to keep your competition from knowing exactly what you are doing until it is too late for them to counter your campaign. When you put ads in the paper or on your website, everyone has access to the information. Don't be fooled. Your competition will be watching. Sending mailers makes it harder for them to compete.

Advertising is a long term investment. You can't expect to send out something one time and sit back and rest. Keeping your name and information in the public eye demands consistent and determined effort. It will take time before you begin to develop an effective brand.

Since postcards don't take up much room, potential customers are more likely to keep them, especially if you are offering a discount when they present them at the time of a purchase. They will also keep them if you have a code to enter on your website for a drawing or special limited time offer. Everybody loves a deal, and the cards are a great way to present yours to the general public.

Starting a business is hard, and a lot of people fail. Many times they fail because they don't spend the money to effectively get the attention of potential customers. There are inexpensive ways to maximize your exposure, if you have enough imagination.




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