In the aftermath of the September 11 terrorist attacks and the subsequent anthrax postal scares, postcards became a popular alternative to traditional direct mail. And they are still a powerful and cost-effective marketing tool today.

By virtue of the fact that they must be handled, postcards facilitate the delivery of a message, and break through the clutter of conventional print advertising and direct mail.

Postcards are exceptionally versatile, allowing companies to make offers to prospects and customers, solicit repeat business, drive traffic to their websites, promote a grand opening, increase trade show traffic, or reinforce a print advertising campaign, to list just a few uses.

A trucking company that I worked with was faced with the challenge of having more business than it had drivers. Unfortunately, many other firms were also faced with driver shortages.

Almost all of the companies recruited driver using print ads in trucking publications. That made it difficult to have an ad stand out, short of incurring huge costs to buy oversize ads.

Our solution was to run billboards on prime trucking routes, showing people pursuing leisure activities with loved ones. The headlines read, "Wouldn't you rather be home weekends?"

These billboards were reinforced with postcards that were left in truck stops. The postcards' image and message matched those on the billboards.

The back of the postcard allowed the company to provide more information about the nature of its business, compensation rates, and a 1-800 number to call to set up an interview.

The campaign got attention and received a good response rate.

Postcards enjoy many other uses and advantages. Here are a few:

Simple
Postcards are an exercise in simplicity - they are small and require no envelopes, folding or collating. While you can use four-colour printing, two-colour can work just as effectively.

Remember that a postcard is like a billboard; space is limited so headlines must be kept short and copy must be well thought out. Avoid the temptation to write a book. Don't use postcards to try to close sales.

Attention-Getting
Because people receive so many emails and direct mails in a day, it's easy to ignore them. Postcards stand out. And they enjoy high readership. Almost everyone looks at postcards, even people who throw out conventional direct mail pieces.

As people pick up a postcard, they are already reading and absorbing your message. And since postcards are printed on both sides, your message is more likely to be seen.

Bear in mind, postcards have to work harder than the design of other media because there's no teaser copy on an outside envelope. Nor can you use any gimmicks.

But done right, they may be posted or shared, allowing your message to stay top of mind.

Versatile
Canada Post allows a range of postcard sizes, from a minimum of 9 cm by 14 cm (which allows you do print four on a standard 8 ˝ by 11 inch sheet) to a maximum of 12 cm by 23.5 cm.

In addition to some of the uses mentioned earlier, postcards can also be used to test offers with small groups of prospects and customers. Once you determine that the response rate is positive, you can proceed with a full-fledged mailing to your entire customer base.

If you have a mailing list you regularly send more expensive items to - an annual catalogue, for example - a postcard can offer an ideal way to verify the list's accuracy. Postcards that are undeliverable can be returned, so you can update or delete names and addresses.

Affordable Even the smallest business can justify the cost of sending postcards. Printed 4-up (four identical images on each printed sheet) and in two colour, they become even more affordable. With only a single sheet of paper, there's no cost for envelopes, collation, folding or insertion.

If you are mailing more than 1,000, you can get reduced postal rates, depending on how your list is sorted, to as low as 30 cents per postcard. Call Canada Post at 1-800 260-7678 for details.

New companies can take advantage of Canada Post's Unaddressed Admail service that allows companies without mailing lists to send geographically targeted postcards, helping them to generate interest and build a customer base.

Measurable
Postcards can be designed as coupons, gift certificates or a tickets to an event. By measuring redemptions, you can easily track response and evaluate what worked and what didn't. Or you can include a special code so that it can be captured when recipients call your office or visit your website.

Better yet, when you use postcards as part of your marketing campaign, your competitors won't know about it, unlike your print ads.

If you are looking for a new way to deliver your message, postcards offer a low-cost, high-impact, small business marketing weapon.

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