An effective postcard not only has to look good, but it also must follow some essential rules of marketing to ensure you get a great response from it. This article shows how you can design some amazing postcards that will get you insanely great response rates.
There is a 4-letter acronym that a lot of marketers use which is AIDA and it stands for Attention, Interest, Desire and Action.
Attention – if your message does not get your prospects attention then it will never get read.
Interest – now that you have their attention, arouse their interest
Desire – now that you have them interested, you must create a desire for your product
Action – finally, tell them exactly what to do next to enquire about the product
The above is a universal rule of marketing – whether you are doing something in print, designing a new a website or running a social media campaign.
So how do you design a great postcard that follows the AIDA principle. You must be even more strict as you are very limited for space.
If you follow the guidelines below then you won’t go far wrong.
Have An Attention-grabbing Headline
This is probably the most important part of the postcard, and you must make sure the headline is bold and really stands out. You can even make the headline intriguing because all you want to do is get them to read the postcard.
Use Images, Fonts & Spacing
They say a picture paints a thousand words so make sure that your postcard is not just crammed full of text. Break up the text by having some eye-catching images, a good use of fonts and keep some space empty – you do not have to use up every millimetre!
Vibrant Colours
Use colours that really make the postcard stand out as it may be sitting on a doormat with several other postcards. If yours has some vibrant colours, not only will it stand out but a careful selection of colours will encourage your prospect to buy your product.
Special Offers & Promo Code
Everyone likes to think they are getting a great deal. If you highlight a special offer on your postcard and ask them to quote a promo code, you will not only get a better response but be able to track that response through the promo code.
Focus on WII-FM
Make sure the postcard outlines WII-FM, i.e. it must answer the question “What’s In It For Me?” when the prospect is reading it. So, rather than list the features of your product, try and make them imagine the outcome they will achieve if they use your product.
Call To Action
This is, by far, the most important part and one that a lot of people forget about. You must tell the prospect exactly what to do next to make the enquiry. For example, call this number by this date and quote this promo code to qualify for the special offer.
Use Tracking Numbers & URLs
If you are asking them to make a phone call, setup a tracking number that is unique to this postcard and you will then be able to monitor the exact response rate. If you are asking them to go to your website, then use a unique URL so you can see how many people visited that landing page.
Conclusion
Postcards are a great way to run marketing campaigns for specific products or special offers you may have run. However, please make sure you follow the AIDA principle and the guidelines above to ensure you get some insanely great response rates to your campaign!
