Issue 5 2007 - North Metro Impact Printing

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Issue 5 2007

Issue 5 2007 - Post Cards: The Work Horse of Direct Mail Marketing

A post card is one of the most versatile, inexpensive, and effective tools you can have in your marketing tool kit. Compared to the effort and cost of a brochure or a traditional direct mail package mailed in an envelope, a post card is quick, easy, and a great way to stretch your marketing budget. In addition, some kinds of post cards will help you keep your mailing list updated.

What is a Post Card?

Think of a post card as a miniature billboard – a design space that can hold

a photograph of a new product, a staff member, or your location
a handwritten message to customers
a published article
a reminder of an upcoming event
a request for an appointment
a mini newsletter
a discount coupon or admission ticket
a newsworthy happening in your company

The advantage of a post card is that it does not have to be opened to be read and if creatively designed, can have impact far beyond its size and cost.

Post Card Sizes

Perhaps when you think of a post card, you think of two sizes: 4 1⁄4 x 5 1⁄2 inches (one-quarter of an 8 1⁄2 x 11 sheet of paper) or 5 1⁄2 x 8 1⁄2 inches (one-half of an 8 1⁄2 x 11 sheet of paper). These two sizes are common and popular, in part because they fit on a standard letter-sized sheet of paper.

PrinTips and Tricks - Design & Placement

Knowing some tricks about the design and placement of the mail panel on a post card can significantly increase the effectiveness of the card’s marketing message. Imagine that you are going through your mail, either at home or at work. Most likely you are viewing it as presented by the letter carrier – with the addressing area all facing the same way and sorted by size of the mail piece.

In the case of a post card, are you looking at the well-designed, eye catching side of the card, or are you looking at the mail panel? How much care was taken to design the side with the mail panel for maximum marketing impact?

PrinTips Idea - Post Card Mailing Information

A post card can be an excellent way to keep your mailing list updated without incurring the cost of return postage. The USPS offers a postage rate called card as a subclass of first class mail that is actually lower than the comparable rate for standard mail. And since first class mail includes address service, you will automatically be notified at no additional cost if the post card is not deliverable as addressed.

To gain this advantage, you must meet two requirements. First, the size of the post card must be no smaller than 3 1⁄2 x 5 inches and no larger than 4 1⁄4 x 6 inches. Secondly, you must provide specific instructions to the USPS for what action to take if the mail piece is not deliverable as addressed.

PrinTips Q and A - Will my postage rate automatically include a shape surcharge?

The design of my post card simply won’t work in a horizontal orientation. Will my postage rate automatically include a shape surcharge?

Maybe not! If you can orient the mail panel itself in a horizontal position, you can still use a portrait orientation for the message portion of the post card. This is because the USPS determines whether a mail piece meets the aspect ratio (the ratio of the height to the length) from the orientation of the mail panel, not the post card itself.