Postcard Marketing – Top 5 goals of direct mail postcards
by Jeffrey Dobkin
Here’s why I like postcard marketing campaigns: Short crisp and to the point, direct mail postcards are one of the fastest and lowest cost ways to make your phone ring. This is the first of 4 articles by Jeffrey Dobkin on how to make your post card marketing campaign get more phone calls and generate more response.
Post cards are not necessarily good marketing tools for the straight-up, out-and-out closing of a sale where the reader needs to send a check or credit card number. Post cards are great for pre-selling products and services, building brand awareness, and can be used most successfully for creating customer loyalty. I saved the best for last: post cards are great for generating phone calls.
A postcard campaign can make your phone ring with maximum response when you use the right combination of intriguing headlines, smooth transitions, compelling copywriting, lively graphics, and an irresistible offer presented with a solid call to action.
Even further: a SERIES of direct mail post cards can generate an explosive response, build customer loyalty and stimulate brand awareness. Post cards remain one the easiest to manage direct mail marketing campaigns.
Even though postcards aren’t the best for closing sales – because of their short format and open architecture no one can enclose a check to pay for an order, or write a credit card number like in a direct mail letter package – response can still be astoundingly high. Here are several of the most important goals of using post cards in any direct mail marketing campaign.
1. Generate phone calls.
The number one objective of most post card marketing campaigns is to generate phone calls. Ninety percent of the post cards I create for clients are written to fulfill this single objective: make the phone ring.
The way to make the phone ring is very straightforward in this short postcard format: offer something for FREE, show a big phone number, and ask for a phone call several times.
“Call for FREE Booklet!” Is one of my personal favorites. And the way to express this is to offer a FREE booklet of valuable information. Notice the word FREE is in all capital letters? Would you rather have a free booklet, or a FREE booklet. Yea, see what I mean?
Most importantly make the title GREAT by using the Jeff Dobkin 100 to 1 Rule, and you’ll be amazed at the response, and how many people will call you to get your FREE booklet.
Consider making these free offers:
“Call for a FREE review!”
“Call for FREE analysis.”
“Call for FREE quote.”
“Call for…” well you get the idea.
Ask readers to call you enough times in your post card copy, and they will.
Every time a reader calls, you have the opportunity to provide excellent service, and increase client loyalty and longevity. And increase your sales and revenue.
And oh, yea… did I mention post cards can increase your sales and revenue. Yea,I guess I just did! You can do that, too. Keep in mind most post card don’t sell products, the objective of the post card is to generate a phone call. When people call, YOU make the sale. The post card generates the call, but YOU do the heavy lifting: make the sale.
With the single objective of making the phone ring, you don’t have to worry about selling anything in your post card copywriting. You just need to make the phone ring – which is a much easier proposition than selling something off a piece of paper 90% of the post cards I create have the objective to generate a phone call.
2. Build brand awareness.
The other 10% of the postcards I create build brand. By mailing postcards frequently, you can stay in the top of your client’s and prospect’s minds. So when your clients need anything that relates to your business – whatever you’re selling – they immediately think of you and call you first.
3. Create Instant Success.
Post cards can generate immediate response if your offer touches a timely trigger point. Figure out what your prospect’s immediate need is and address that in your card. Then, simply ask for the call.
4. Build relationships.
Sure, you can – it’s easy! But not with a single postcard. You need to create this direct mail campaign sustained over time, with a series of postcards. Mailing postcards every two weeks is ideal. Even if you did this for an entire year, the total cost would be only ($.50/card x 26 weeks =) $13 dollars for the whole year. The keys to success? Your list, relevancy, and your offer.
5. Don’t sell your product.
The final objective is to realize that you don’t need to sell your product from the post card. That’s right – you don’t need to sell your product — but you do need to generate phone calls and inquiries.
Then when the person calls, YOU sell your product or service. Now you see how it’s much easier to achieve a goal of generating a phone call with your direct mail post card than trying to get an order. Getting an order – to actually make someone to put money in an envelope and wave goodbye to it – is a really tough goal for a post card.
Postcards are Easy to handle. Postcard campaigns are so much less work than other direct mail marketing campaigns which consist of mailing letters, brochures or anything that needs to be stuffed into an envelope, folded or stapled. So much less fuss and muss – just address and mail. Postcards are easy.
These are the “goals” and objectives of your postcard marketing campaign. The next two parts of this 4-article series by Jeffrey Dobkin continue with 12 WAYS TO MAKE SURE your postcard campaign is successful.
Then – since this post card marketing article series was originally written for an insurance magazine, the final marketing article installment shows you 15 specific offers you can make on a postcard if you are in the insurance industry.
Hey, if you actually are in the insurance industry, this article series is an awesome reference in marketing; but wow – get a life: insurance is pretty boring stuff.
The good news? You make a lot of money, you get to meet a lot of people and you get to go on some nice travel junkets. The bad news? You go with other insurance agents.
If you’re not in the insurance business, you’re probably much better off, and besides, most of these offers will still work for you anyhow. Read the complete article set at www.jeffreydobkin.com
Jeffrey Dobkin will now take your questions. Call him on it: 610-642-1000 rings on his desk. Write to him at The Danielle Adams Publishing Company · Box 100 · Merion Station, PA 19066. Dobkin has written 5 books on increasing response in your direct mail and direct marketing campaigns. Titles include “How To Market A Product for Under $500,” “Direct Marketing Strategies,” and “Uncommon Marketing Techniques.” Please order his books at Amazon or download Dobkin’s e-books on this website at our bookstore. Not only are they amazingly great, but he needs the money.
Postcard Direct Mail Marketing – 5 ways to increase postcard response
By Jeffrey Dobkin
Post cards are one of the easiest direct mail marketing campaigns to create. No folding, stuffing, sealing, stapling, affixing – just print, address and go.
Postcard postage is cheap compared to the rest of direct mail, and delivery is fast because mailing first class can cost less than bulk mail when post cards are bar coded and mailed in zip sequence.
The first article in this series outlined the goals and objectives of a postcard campaign.
In this, the second of four articles on creating highly responsive post cards, author Jeffrey Dobkin discusses how to design and write postcards specifically to make your phone ring with maximum calls, maximum response.
In the third article in this series on direct mail marketing with post cards, Dobkin examines the final seven ways to create maximum results with your post card marketing campaign.
In the fourth and final article – which was written for the insurance industry, you’ll learn 15 specific offers to make the phone ring.
If you sell insurance, you’re in luck – these offers were written specifically for you. If you don’t sell insurance, ummm… you’re probably better off, selling insurance is boring. And, most of these offers will work for you anyhow. Hey, don’t go into insurance on our account.
Here are the first 5 ways to make your post card direct mail marketing campaign even more effective by increasing your response rate.
1. Paint a picture with your postcards.
Postcards show clients you are on your toes and just waiting by the phone to help them. Fast quotes, industry research, business help, referrals – whatever they need just call: direct mail campaigns using post cards should continually point clients to the phone: “Hey, just pick up the phone and call us right now.” Even if you just offer some inside industry information, it’s empowering your clients to have all your information right there at their fingertips – if they just call right now and ask.
2. FREE Quotes.
One of the best offers to make on a postcard is to offer a FREE quote or a FREE estimate. Most business you receive starts out this way anyhow – someone calls for a quote, estimate, free booklet or for information. Offer this on your card for maximum response.
Since many service jobs start out with a phone call asking for a quote, why not center your postcard marketing campaign on asking for the simple opportunity to quote. This allows clients to tell you of their specific need while it generates a phone call for you. Isn’t that exactly what your postcard marketing campaign is all about – finding a need and offering to fulfill it; and generating a phone call to start the process?
Please note: when making an offer for a FREE quote on a post card the word free should be in all capital letters. Would you rather have a free quote or a FREE quote.
3. Generate referrals.
Postcards are GREAT for referrals. Include a line on the bottom of ALL your direct mail marketing postcards saying “Thanks so much for all the referrals – we appreciate them. Thank you!” This implies some people have been giving you referrals, and stimulates referrals from all other readers.
By the way, if you print “Save this card” in small letters on your postcard, people will – increasing the longevity of the card and assuring your phone number will be at their fingertips when they need it.
4. Offer a FREE LUNCH.
Or, offer a free breakfast on your postcard. Maybe dinner. Put a dashed border around the post card and make it a fun coupon. Hey, you need to meet with clients anyhow, to make sure they know who you are.
Lunches build loyalty and longevity into your business and face to face time creates and solidifies a real relationship. Let them call you and take you up on this FREE offer whenever they like.
Remember, the bottom line of the post card campaign: once someone calls you, the post card worked. 100% success. Once the phone rings, it’s up to YOU to fulfill your objective –whatever it is. Once the reader is on the phone with you you can build loyalty, build trust, introduce new products, ask for referrals, cross sell, upsell, or simply close the sale.
If you market insurance or financial services like many of my clients, the phone call is also a great chance to offer a review all their policies and/or their financial portfolio over a meal. Hey, I didn’t say it wouldn’t be a working lunch.
5. Offer a FREE BOOKLET.
The number ONE way to entice people to call – in my humble opinion – from your post card marketing campaign (or any direct mail campaign, really) is to offer FREE information.
Information, booklets and white papers are cheap to print and their value is in the information they contain – and it can be tremendous (especially if you keep the level of relevance high.) It’s up to you to make sure the information is regarded so highly they’ll just have to call to get your free booklet.
Here’s the most important tip in this article series.
To increase response of your direct mail marketing campaign: the title of the FREE booklet you offer on your postcard is entirely responsible for the quality and quantity of response.
In any lead generation campaign offering information – a free booklet or white paper – the title is the key element, and to a large part responsible for your post card success or failure. As in most direct mail offers, the better the booklet TITLE, the greater the response. Simple as that.
To come up with a great booklet title, use the Jeff Dobkin 100-to-1 Rule: write 100 titles, then go back and pick out your best one. Hey – I didn’t say you’d like it, I just said it’s the best way to write an effective booklet title. Read the complete 100-to-1 Rule article in the book, “Uncommon Marketing Techniques,” from the Danielle Adams Publishing Company.
This is the second of this 4-article set by Jeffrey Dobkin on creating effective post cards that 1. get read 2. enjoy high readership and 3. make your phone ring — which is the primary objective of most every post card campaign. The third article continues with 6 more ways to ensure your postcard campaign is successful by creating a better response and making even more people call you. Wow – there are 8 numbers in this paragraph. I wonder if I can get 3 more, including 9 and 10.
Since this article was originally written for an insurance magazine, the final article in this series shows you 15 specific offers to make people call you if you’re in the insurance industry. If you’re not in the insurance industry, some of these offers will work just as well for you anyhow. Read the complete article set at www.danielleadams.com.
Jeffrey Dobkin will now take your questions, call him on it: 610-642-1000 rings on his desk. Write him at The Danielle Adams Publishing Company · Box 100 · Merion Station, PA 19066. Dobkin has written 4 books on increasing response in your direct mail and direct marketing campaigns including the cult classic, “How To Market A Product for Under $500!” Other titles include “Direct Marketing Strategies,” “Successful Low Cost Direct Marketing Methods,” and “Uncommon Marketing Techniques.” Please order his books at Amazon or call directly, or download Dobkin’s e-books CLICK HERE. Not only are they amazingly great, but… he needs the money.
Direct Mail Postcards – 7 tips for more successful postcard campaigns
By Jeffrey Dobkin
This is the third in the four-article series by Jeffrey Dobkin on creating an effective direct mail marketing campaigns with post cards.
The first article listed 5 objectives and goals of your direct mail post card campaign. The second article on post card marketing highlights 5 ways to create your postcard campaign to make your phone ring with maximum response.
This article continues with 7 more new ways to increase response from mailing post cards. I’ll start off with my favorite:
1. Offer a FREE BOOKLET of valuable information.
When you offer a FREE booklet in your post card, make sure Your Booklet Title is Fantastic.
Remember, the opposite of Fantastic is “very good.” A booklet title of “good” and “very good” just isn’t nearly good enough.
Your booklet titles need to be spectacular. Examples: “How to Stop Your Roof Leak by Friday!” “10 Things to Check before Calling a Tow Truck.” “12 Ways to Lower Your Insurance Premiums by the end of the day.”
Make sure your booklet title is AWESOME way beyond a shadow of a doubt – and will drive every reader to call. The better your booklet title, the more calls you’ll receive.
2. Mail Frequently.
While a single postcard can certainly hold it’s own with a hot headline, crafty copywriting, tight transitions, and irresistible offers, postcards campaigns – like most other direct mail marketing campaigns – they work best when you mail with frequency and regularity.
Consider a 5 or 6 postcard campaign to stay in top-of-mind awareness of your best prospects and customers, or to build loyalty and exposure for yourself through multiple brand impressions.
Cost to mail 6 cards? Just $3.
Cost to mail to customers or prospects every two weeks for a full year? $13.
For a longer sales campaign over time, or for products with a long sales cycle, continue mailing with regularity. If you mail postcards every two weeks for a full year, the cost of this direct mail post card campaign is just $13 (26 x $.50). If you have a big list, include a budget for a mailing house and double the cost of the campaign: $26. Marketing for an entire year for under $30 dollars. Wow – it doesn’t get much better than this. Actually, well… it does. But it has to do with vacation, warm beaches, a strip club and pole dancing. Oh, sorry – I got a little carried away.
When mailing a sequence of postcards, place the sequence number on each card to let readers know each card is an integral part of a full postcard marketing campaign. Print “Postcard Series, Card Number 5 of 20” or whatever the card number.
If you don’t know how many postcards will be in the marketing campaign, just say “Postcard Series, Card Number so and so”. This adds credibility to your firm and your direct mail marketing campaign. It lets readers know you’re not a “single shot in the dark” kind of company, or a one trick pony. Of course, you can always start out with one card and write on it “Card Number 5” and people will wonder if they’ve missed the first four.
3. Postcards are cheap to mail and are delivered fast.
Postcards get a special rate from the post office. And since they are easy to handle you can get a mailshop to address your card, image the barcode automatically and mail first class – and the postage savings will usually cover the cost for the mailing house to do all the work: the ink jet addressing, sort in zip sequence, and mail.
Even with a mailhouse doing the work, your first class postcard campaign will still be cheaper than mailing postcards bulk mail. The cost for the mailshop is offset by the savings in postage. Delivery will be faster, too – your postcards will arrive in just a day or two.
4. Mail to a Great Mailing List.
Any – and every – mailing is only as good as your list.
By tightly specifying the right mailing list you’ll have no wasted advertising expense. Your ad is precisely targeted and delivered to the tightly qualify recipients on your direct mail mailing list. With the correct selection of a direct mailing list, you can mail to only the most highly qualified prospects, past, and present customers.
With a precision, hand-selected mailing list, virtually 100% of your postcards reach your best targets in your marketing campaign. The better your mailing list, the better your response — the more your phone will ring.
RESOURCES:
An excellent resource for how to tightly specify your mailing lists can be found in the book, “How To Market a Product for Under $500!” from the Danielle Adams Publishing Company. The chapter on direct mail is almost 100 pages.
This book dedicates over a dozen pages to the correct selection of direct mail mailing lists. It emphasizes how to tightly specify mailing lists, how and where to find the best mailing lists, how to test mailing lists, and the technical in’s and out’s of negotiating a mailing list purchase. “How To Market a Product for Under $500!” is one of the world’s best marketing books – or at least it’s the best marketing book I’ve ever written. And that’s not just my opinion, it’s… it’s… OK, it’s my opinion.
Another source for specifying and purchasing mailing lists is my one hour audio, “How to buy a great mailing list!” Jeffrey Dobkin is interviewed by internet wizard Markus Allen. This audio is available in MP3 format on the website www.danielleadams.com. Learn exactly how to specify a mailing list, and buy a mailing list like a pro — in just one hour. You can order this as a download by CLICKING HERE.
Additionally, in the book “Uncommon Marketing Techniques,” is a chapter similarly titled “How to Buy a Great Mailing list!” is an excellent resource in mailing list specification.
You are only as good as your mailing list – make sure you spend additional time in finding a great direct mail mailing list. It’s impossible to spend too much time investigating which mailing list is the best list to test and mail.
5. The size of your postcard campaign
How many postcards do you mail? Here’s what to mail in your postcard marketing campaign: Micro business? Mail postcards to your top 1,000 prospects, and your top 200 customers. Midsized business? Mail postcards to your top 10,000 prospects, top 2,000 customers. Large business? Call me and let’s talk. BTW, when I write and design postcards for clients, I always use oversize postcards that are 5-1/2” x 8-1/2”.
6. Yes, you can reuse the same post cards.
Suppose you create ten post cards, and you have a heavy mailing schedule – like you mail every two weeks. To complete this direct mail marketing campaign it would take you almost half a year. While you know your postcards by heart and are probably sick of seeing most of them so many times through the writing, editing and design process, your customers got them and glanced at them in a heartbeat before they called you, then tossed them out or filed them away. They won’t remember them. Feel free to repeat the cycle starting with card one.
Better news: if customers remember one or two of the postcards – this means you received excellent recognition and brand retention. Congratulate yourself. Good job. OK, party’s over, now get back to work. Continue mailing the rest of your post cards, or create new ones.
7. The value of your post card campaign.
What’s a client worth to you? $500? $1,000? $5,000? Maybe $500 a year? $5,000 a year? Here’s a proposal: suppose you sent prospects a postcard every two weeks – or 26 postcards a year. Your cost? At 50¢ each, that’s $13 bucks. And if you get one client from this postcard marketing campaign? Success! Don’t forget all the while the rest of your postcards are still hanging around generating calls. And if they are also written and designed correctly they can be building a relationship of loyalty and trust.
Is it worth a $13 postcard direct mail marketing campaign to entice a prospect to call you? How about spending $13 on postcards to keep clients active and thinking about you (and how great your service is) all year long?
Is it worth $13 a year to use postcards to build loyalty and trust into a lasting relationship. Let me put it to you this way… How much does it currently cost for you to get a new client? Now how does that figure compare to $13?
This is the third in the 4-article series on using a direct mail postcard marketing campaign to make your phone ring. To read the complete article set, and to read additional articles on direct marketing with post cards please visit www.danielleadams.com.
In the fourth and final article in this series, Jeffrey Dobkin shows you 15 offers you can make on post cards to get your phone to ring. Since these articles were written for the insurance industry, offers are for insurance agents. Fortunately, if you’re not in the insurance field, most of these offers will still work pretty well for you anyhow.
Jeffrey Dobkin will now take your questions, so call him on it: 610-642-1000 rings on his desk. Write him at The Danielle Adams Publishing Company · Box 100 · Merion Station, PA 19066. Dobkin has written 4 books on increasing response in your direct mail and direct marketing campaigns including “How To Market A Product for Under $500,” “Direct Marketing Strategies,” and “Uncommon Marketing Techniques.” Please order his books at Amazon or download Dobkin’s e-books on his website bookstore, Not only are they amazingly great, but he needs the money.
Insurance Marketing, Postcards – The 15 top postcard offers/direct mail
By Jeffrey Dobkin
Post cards are excellent direct marketing vehicles. Because of their short format, they’re not great at closing sales, but they’re awesome at flushing out people who are interested, generating inquiries and making your phone ring with very warm prospects.
This is the fourth article in the series on increasing response by creating effective post cards. The first article set the goals and objectives of our post card marketing campaign. The second and third articles examined how to write and design post cards that draw maximum response and make your phone ring. Here are 15 offers you can make to get your phone to ring.
One of the biggest benefits of any direct mail marketing campaigns is it can be so well-targeted to highly qualified suspects, prospects, and current and past customers. Postcards can be mailed with precision to a highly focused mailing list. Since postcards can be so selectively mailed to a target audience, unlike most advertising mediums such as newspapers, magazines, trade shows, radio and TV, there’s no wasted advertising expense.
Direct marketing campaigns using post cards are low in cost because post cards are cheap to print, address and mail. A very aggressive marketing campaign – including mailing a postcard every two weeks for a full year – is just $13. This cost includes the post card, printing, mailshop services (inkjetting the address and sorting in zip sequence) and postage costs.
Of all direct mail formats, postcards are easiest to handle – no folding, stuffing, tabbing, inserting – just address and mail. And postcards make your phone ring by using the the age old direct marketing criteria of the right headline, clever copywriting, bright graphics, and an irresistible offer with a solid call to action: “Just pick up the phone and call right now for this FREE Offer!”
I did mention you need a great offer to make the phone ring, right? Here are 15 suggestions…
Remember the objective of direct mail marketing post card campaign is generally not to sell anything – it’s just to have the reader call you and to make your phone ring. So make your offers sound great, and make “calling for information” sound so tempting and easy the reader just naturally reaches for the phone. Here are some offers to make the phone ring written specifically for the insurance industry. Not in the insurance field? Modify some of these and they’ll work for you!
· New types of coverage are available from our office, and from our new line of providers. Call now and get our FREE booklet on…
New LTCI discount rates.
New: Low Cost Travelers Insurance.
· New types of policies are available… Call now to see the very different kinds of policies you can now get…
New: Boat protection insurance
Now: Providing New Tractor Insurance
New: half year policy – why buy a whole year when you just need…
· FREE Upgrade. As our providers change, some new policies offer extended coverage for the same rate. Call and see if you are eligible for an upgrade for FREE! Call now and…
· New Lower Rates: Some rates go up, some just go down. Call us for our free list of cost reductions…
· New Discount Insurance Companies. Our New “No frills” providers now offer ultra low cost bare-bones coverages. Call us right now to see if you qualify for…
· FREE Policy Review. (Make this a wonderful twice-a-year offering, or “On Special Request.”) Call us for a…
· New products are available in Auto, Life, Health, LTC and business protection. Call now for…
· Our New Providers offer better rates, policies and coverage. Call now for…
· More Protection, Less Cost. Selected coverages. Call now for…
· Thanks for your business
· Thanks for your referrals
· Free Quotes. Always our pleasure to quote.
· Immediate coverage – Immediate bond. Why wait? if you’re in a hurry and need coverage our agents
· Immediate quotes on most coverages on your request!
· Free Lunch. Yes, we’re buying! Call for…
· FREE Booklet! “11 Ways to Save on Your Insurance!” “How to ask for and get a lower rate!”
· FREE Analysis! Let me look over your policy portfolio and I’ll show you where you can save money. Get rid of lousy coverage you don’t need.
· Lower your risk: Call us first for all your insurance quotes.
This is the final in the 4-part series on creating an effective direct mail postcard marketing campaign by Jeffrey Dobkin. Direct marketing with post cards is easy and effective, IF you know how. You need to 1. know what to say, 2. who to say it to, 3. create a very hot headline, 4. make an attractive offer, and 5. blend lively graphics with 6. enticing copy and 7. mail to the right list. Hope you enjoyed these articles! Thank you for visiting our site – we appreciate it.
Jeffrey Dobkin will now take your questions, call him on it: 610-642-1000 rings on his desk. Write him at The Danielle Adams Publishing Company · Box 100 · Merion Station, PA 19066. Dobkin has written 5 books on increasing response in your direct mail and direct marketing campaigns including the cult classic, “How To Market A Product for Under $500!” Order on Amazon or better yet download Dobkin’s e-books on his website bookstore, www.jeffreydobkin.com. Buy his books, he needs the money. Just kidding. You don’t have to buy Dobkin’s books. Just send the money.