Marketing postcards are one of the workhorses of direct mail.

A postcard is compact, easy to read, doesn’t have to be opened, costs less to mail than an envelope package and can be slipped into a pocket or shared with a friend. That being said, postcards aren’t a good fit for all mailers. Sometimes you need a multi-component package, tri-fold self-mailer or catalog to sell your product or service. Testing is the name of the game.

Uses for postcards can include:

• Notification of a special offer or event (i.e. auto dealership)
• Coupon offer (i.e. retail store)
• Thank you for a recent purchases (i.e. eCommerce website)
• Personalized URLs or QR codes that link to customized landing pages (i.e. integrated marketing campaign)
• Reminder of an appointment (i.e. doctor’s office)

Digital printing makes it easy to print customer addresses, intelligent mail barcodes and personalized content all in one pass, eliminating the need for a second step.

Postcards are the perfect medium for following up after an initial contact, no matter what form that initial contact takes. Whether you talk with a prospect in person or on the phone, send them a creative direct mail piece or respond to someone who provided contact info on your website, a postcard is a very inexpensive way to get a second touch on that prospect.

Postcards have long been used in the healthcare industry to send reminders to patients, and in the retail industry to showcase sales and specials, but they can be just as effective in other industries and situations.

So, when you’re working on your next marketing campaign, brainstorm about how postcards might be used to boost your response and ROI.