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In this issue:
Marketing Article: 7 Tips for Successful Postcard Marketing
Marketing Article: Tips + Techniques Choosing a Database Vendor

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Simple low-cost postcards have become a valuable business tool for modern marketers. They can produce a surge of traffic to your web site or a flood of high-quality sales leads.

The following 7 tips will help you get the maximum response from postcards at the lowest cost.

Tip 1: Focus on the Mailing List

Make sure your postcards go to prospects likely to be interested in your offer ...and who also have a proven history of acting on offers that interest them.

For example, send them to customers of non-competing businesses that sell to your targeted market, subscribers to publications read by prospects in your targeted market or to prospects who previously requested information about products or services similar to those you offer.

You can get all of these lists from most mailing list brokers.

Tip 2: Be a Friend

Set up your postcard to look at first glance like a message from a friend instead of like a magazine ad printed on a postcard. It will boost the number of replies you get.

A postcard that looks like a friendly message produces a pleasant emotional reaction from readers instead of the harsh emotional reaction most people have to advertising.

Tip 3: Ditch the Sales Pitch

Don't try to close sales directly from your postcard. You don't have enough space to provide all the information most prospects need to make a buying decision. Instead, use your postcard to generate sales inquiries.

Begin your postcard by briefly stating the major benefit(s) you offer. Then use the remainder of your postcard to motivate readers to get more information from a source where you can close sales ...such as at your web site or from a phone number they can call.

Tip 4: Get Right to the Point

Postcards are delivered "ready to read". Take advantage of this. Get right to the point to capture the reader's attention immediately. This makes it difficult for prospects to avoid reading your postcard - especially if your entire message is brief and easy to read.

Tip 5: Go First Class

Send your postcards by First Class Mail. It costs only 23 cents in the US if make them at least 3 1/2 by 5 inches but not over 4 1/4 by 6 inches.

This gives you all the benefits of First Class Mail for just a few cents more than Standard Mail ("bulk rate mail") ...and it produces a lot more replies.

Tip 6: Watch Your Timing

Send your postcards so they arrive on Tuesday or Wednesday. The volume of mail delivered in the US on those days is usually light and your postcards won't have to compete with a lot of other mail delivered at the same time.

Try to avoid having your postcards delivered on Monday. It's usually the biggest mail delivery day of the week and a very busy day for most people.

Tip 7: Economize on Designing and Printing

Don't spend a lot to design and print your postcards. Using an elegant layout with colorful graphics can be expensive and it rarely improves your reply rate - unless you are selling those services.

Simple postcards designed to look like a message from a friend can be printed on your own computer for only 1 or 2 cents per card ...or you can have a commercial printer do the job for as little as 4 to 7 cents per card.

The next time you want to drive a surge of traffic to your web site or generate a flood of new sales leads - send postcards. And be sure to follow the 7 tips revealed in this article to get the maximum response to your postcards for the lowest cost.

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Bob Leduc spent 20 years helping businesses like yours find new customers and increase sales. He just released a New Edition of his manual, How To Build Your Small Business Fast With Simple Postcards ...and launched * BizTips from Bob * , a newsletter to help small businesses grow and prosper. You'll find his low-cost marketing methods at: http://BobLeduc.com

How to evaluate your current database services supplier—or select a new one—with complete guidelines for creating an RFP

How do you find the right company to provide all the database services you need—from cleaning and maintaining your current database to building a new one from scratch? According to the experts at Target Marketing Online, you do a comprehensive evaluation of each supplier you are considering.

To compile the RFP guidelines below, the authors turned to a recent database services survey. By studying the responses direct marketers gave to survey questions (such as "what do you look for when you choose a database services company?" and "what does a supplier have to do to give you good service quality?"), they were able to create a series of questions to be used in evaluating your vendors.

The same criteria you use to select a new database services supplier will also be helpful for evaluating your current vendor. It's not a bad idea to reevaluate from time to time. It can help you decide whether you're happy with your current supplier or it's time to put it out to bid. Ask yourself, "Is my supplier doing all it can to offer excellent service? Is my account team accessible? Will they be able to accommodate my future needs?" Your answers will be valuable indeed.

Once you've evaluated a number of firms' capabilities, the next step is to submit a request for proposal (RFP) to each firm you're interested in. Below is a comprehensive list of the issues your RFP should include.

Guidelines for Creating a Request for Proposal (RFP)

Your firm's current net revenue
Industry/market served
Housefile/database profile at present
Number of records
Customers vs. prospects
Source(s) of names
Mailing/media plans/frequency
Current enhancements
Service goals/requirements
Build a new database
Enhancement/modeling
Maintain/clean only

Other services that may be needed:
Mailing
Consulting
Analysis
Database access/software
Online databasing
Timetable/deadlines

Best of luck with all your prospects, and happy shopping