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Issue 6 2008 - Ten Ways Post Card Can Work For You |
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Consider the common post card. Though small in size, post cards deliver a big message, and do so economically. Compared to a brochure or a flyer, a post card takes less time and less effort to produce and so is more affordable. This makes post cards an important marketing tool for any organization or business.
Whether your objective is business promotion, product or service  Advertising, brand identity, donation solicitation, invitation, or service or event reminder, a post card gets the job done efficiently and effectively.
Why do post cards consistently outperform other forms of advertising? The reason is simple –the message is in plain view and therefore difficult to ignore. Even if the reader doesn’t intend to get involved with the post card, a strong headline or graphic will catch the eye unbidden.
Although most post cards are used for direct mail marketing, they also have other uses. A post card can be used as a notice on a bulletin board, as a handout at a trade show or meeting, and for inserting into publications or other distributed material. Here are ten other ways to use post cards:
#1: Direct Prospects to Your Web Site
Using a post card to direct prospects to your web site provides a major benefit: the post card can be designed with a single purpose. Because you aren’t trying to convey a lot of information about your company, products or services, you can more effectively use design elements of white space, headlines, graphics, photographs and typography to sell the reader on seeking more information. This is a much easier task than trying to provide all the information the reader needs to make a buying decision.
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PrinTips and Tricks - Post Card Design |
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Although it may seem obvious to consider what the reader will see first when deciding on the design of a post card, we’ve noticed instances where the side of the post card containing the mail panel was apparently considered less important than the reverse. So we want to suggest a different layout. If you remember that mail arrives sorted with all addresses facing the same way, you’ll understand our point.
The first view the reader will have of your post card will be the mail panel and whatever design elements are present on that side. Often the beautifully designed layout and full color printing are on the reverse of the mail panel and may be missed entirely if the side with the mail panel is unappealing or uninteresting.
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PrinTips Idea - Eye Catching |
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For an eye catching post card that customers and prospects will respond to, consider incorporating photographs into the design. A well-composed and corretly-lit photograph can effectively augment the message of the text by creating an emotional connection to the reader. And readers can more quickly comprehend what is being said if a visual image is added to the words.
A good source for photographs in a library of stock photography. This is a collection, sometimes very large, of images taken by professtional photographers and offered for use royalty-free. Users purchas stock photos and download them from the Internet, either singly or in collections.
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PrinTips Q and A - Can You Suggest Other Sizes For Post Cards? |
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I'm tired of 4x6 inch and 5 1/2 x 8 1/2 inch post cards. Can you suggest other sizes?
Yes, we can. We like 6 x 9 inches (half an inch higher and wider than the popular 5 1/2 x 8 1/2 inch post card) because it "sticks out" from within a stack of mail. An even more compelling size is a giant post card measuring a full 6 1/8 x 11 1/2 inches. And because the USPS considers any size between 4 1/4 x 6 and 6 1/8 x 11 1/2 inches to be letter-sized mail, all three sizes of post cards - popular, oversized, and giant - mail at the same postage rate. Do remember that you will have to use a stock with a higher base weight to satisfy the USPS standards for thickness, stiffness, and tear strength.
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Issue 6 2008