Marketing Information
 |
/ Articles / Postcard Marketing / Postcard Campaign Planning...
Does this mean that you should just go full bore and start firing those postcards out there? No, it doesn't. You need to make a plan first, then take action. Ask yourself: Why are you doing this card mailing? Do you want to get new clients if you're providing services, or new customers if you're selling goods? Or do you want to stay in touch with people who already do business with you? To whom are you going to be mailing these cards? Which begs another question: Who's on your mailing list? Now, you may be saying, "Martha, how can you ask such a thing? I don't even HAVE a mailing list!" Okay, you don't have a proper list quite yet, but do you know anyone? I mean, do you have any friends, family, colleagues, former classmates, former coworkers, military buddies, or neighbors? I'll bet you do. Now, all you need to do is get their names, addresses and other pertinent info into a database program like Act!, Excel or Goldmine. There. Now you have yourself a mailing list. And, furthermore, you have the best kind of mailing list there is, because it's made up of people you know. They're going to be much more interested in what you have to offer than a list that's made up of a bunch of strangers. Your list of people who know you may well do a lot of business with you. Or your list folks may send you business. If you've never done a postcard mailing, you're probably wondering, "What should I budget for?" Here are some items to account for: If you're like me and prefer to design your own cards, then you'll need to get your digital files to the postcard printing company. If you have a high-speed Internet connection, you're in luck. You can just upload your files to the printer's website. TIP: Dialup people, you'd be better off sending your files to the printer via an overnight courier. It's easy to experience dropped connections when you're on dialup, which means that your digital file can get corrupted, and the printer won't be able to print from it. Printing and delivery of the cards to your business or to your mailing house. TIP: If you're on a tight budget, you can use your desktop printer to print your postcards. However, please be aware that this can be quite time-consuming, especially if you're doing hundreds of cards. That's why I prefer to outsource this job to a postcard printing company. Postage. This could mean that you're buying some stamps for your cards. Or you may be outsourcing the card mailing to a mailing house, which will charge you for bulk mail postage, and assess a handling fee. PERSISTENCE PAYS OFF These three words reveal a lot of truth. Like other marketing efforts, postcard mailings must be done over and over again to have a positive effect on your bottom line. I've heard a lot of people lament the fact that they just sent out a big postcard mailing, and, alas, no one called. Hey, it's happened to me. I've sent cards that I thought were so good that I was sure my phone would start ringing off the hook. But... Silence. That means that it's time for me to start making some other phones ring. Time to start smiling and dialing those hot prospects, clients, and anyone else who might send some business my way. The phone conversations tend to sound like this: Prospect A has been meaning to give me a call, and, hey, thanks for sending the postcard. Client B got the card earlier in the week, and she has a big project coming up within a month. Colleague C, who just put the card on the office refrigerator door, knows someone who needs me to help him with a project. This is where building a mailing list from people you know can really pay off. When you follow up after a card mailing, you're not making cold calls to a bunch of strangers. And, let's face it, we're more likely to do business with someone we know. By developing your own list, you can stack the odds of success in your favor. You can also increase your odds of postcard marketing success by visiting my new Passionate Postcarder store. There, you'll find my complete line of postcard marketing e-books, plus information on upcoming workshops and consulting services. Go to: http://www.PassionatePostcarder.com And since it's the Holiday Season, you no doubt have some "Thank You" notes to write. What better way to do that than on a postcard? Visit my new Cafe Press store and buy a set of my postcards. (One design even includes the words "Thank You" on it.) They're guaranteed to be a hit with all who receive them! Go to: http://www.cafeshops.com/postcarder Martha Retallick, "The Passionate Postcarder," hails from Tucson, Arizona, USA. She is the author of Postcard Marketing Secrets, a downloadable PDF manual will show you how to put postcards to work for your business—profitably. Learn more about it at: http://www.PostcardMarketingSecrets.com |
| |||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
Concept Marketing Group, Inc.