Small Business Information

Postcard Marketing - Low Cost Visibility


You need to be visible to attract customers, right? But how do you get that visibility when you're short on cash? Here's an idea that's worked for many businesses. It's postcard marketing, and it's very affordable.

You can design your own postcards or hire a designer. Print the cards on 67# card stock to meet USPS requirements. Two or four cards will fit on an 8 ½" x 11" sheet so you'll have to use a paper cutter. Postage is just $.23 a card.

Here are some ways to use postcards:

  • REFERRALS - Send postcards regularly to your best contacts asking for referrals.

  • ANNOUNCE EVENTS - Send postcards to let folks know about events like classes, seminars, sales, open houses, etc.

  • PROSPECTING - Send a series of postcard mailings to identified prospects to "soften them up" before you phone them.

  • BUILD WEBSITE TRAFFIC - Use postcard mailings to tell people your site is there and when you make significant additions.

  • GROW YOUR NEWSLETTER SUBSCRIBER LIST - Postcard mailings can publicize your newsletter to new audiences.

  • MAKE AN OFFER - Do you have a booklet to give away? Are you offering a special discount? Postcard mailings can get out the word.

  • SAY THANKS - Use postcards to say thank you for business, referrals, or information.

    Of course, for best results you need a good list. Make sure your mailings are going to the right people. Also, you'll get a better response if you offer something of value.

    Finally, repeat, repeat, repeat! As with any marketing, repetition is critical. A single mailing may get a disappointing result. Don't be surprised or discouraged. Keep at it with a consistent look, message and audience, and over time your message will sink in.

    A response rate of 1-3% is the average, but you may be able to generate significant sales from those responses. Referral mailings can yield business that's three or more times the cost of the mailing.

    Copyright 2004 Clairvoyant Communications, Inc.

    About The Author

    Claire Cunningham, president of Clairvoyant Communications, Inc., has 20+ years' experience developing and implementing successful marketing and communications programs. Sign up for Claire's monthly newsletter, Communiqué, at http://www.clairvoyantcommunications.com Claire can be reached at 763-479-3499 (Fax: 763-479-2809, e-mail: claire@claircomm.com)


    MORE RESOURCES:

    UPDATE 1-HBOS to provide small business support package
    Reuters - 1 hour ago
    HBOS also said it would guarantee pricing on Bank of Scotland small business customer overdrafts for 12 months from the date of arrangement for new loans ...


    PR Web (press release)

    Intuit Aligns Organization to Strengthen Small Business Ecosystem
    MarketWatch - 16 hours ago
    today announced it has formalized the structure of its small business ecosystem by aligning three business units under one new division. ...
    Special Delivery to bring $5000 to One Lucky December Baby MarketWatch
    all 24 news articles


    RE2, Inc. Named 2008 Army Small Business Innovation Research ...
    MarketWatch - 14 hours ago
    RE2 was selected based on the Company's Small Robot Toolkit (SRT) Phase II Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program and innovation provided to the ...


    Small Business Owners Shouldn't Fret Over Stocks
    BusinessWeek - 13 hours ago
    But for most of us small business owners, this loss doesn't matter as much as people may think. My company sells business software to small and midsize ...


    What a Guest Worker Program Means to Your Job or Small Business
    Associated Content, CO - 14 hours ago
    By Sylvia Cochran, published Dec 02, 2008 The United States Chamber of Commerce gears up to lobby for a guest worker program that affects high tech sector ...


    NASA Awards Contracts to 382 Small Business Research and ...
    Trading Markets (press release), CA - 3 hours ago
    The awards are part of NASA's Small Business Innovation Research Program, known as SBIR, and the Small Business Technology Transfer program, known as STTR, ...


    Metro reports working with more small, minority businesses
    Bizjournals.com, NC - 13 hours ago
    Metro’s office of Minority and Small Business Assistance reports the number of approved small businesses registered to compete for city contracts has ...
    Small businesses eligible for Metro contracts skyrockets Nashville City Paper
    Eleven named to Ritter’s small biz panel Bizjournals.com
    all 11 news articles


    World Trade

    Small Business Takes to Export
    World Trade - 2 hours ago
    And now is the moment for small business—the little guys who have typically shied away from export—to get into the action. Exporting is critical to EJ Ajax ...


    Women of color emerge as new face of small business
    Diverse, VA - 4 hours ago
    Some colleges and universities work in collaboration with small business centers, Blockson says. “But most of these centers provide more general resources ...


    TransWorld Benefits International Inc. Launches Innovative Small ...
    MarketWatch - 21 hours ago
    NEWPORT BEACH, Calif., Dec 02, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- TransWorld Benefits International Inc., (Pink Sheets:TBII) now doing business as 7G Companies, ...

    Small-Business - Google News

  • home | site map
    © 2006