Postcards are back! But thinking about it, were they obsolete in the first place?

Even with the plethora of messaging apps and social media platforms, B2B and B2C companies are still looking past digital channels and leveraging postcards for their marketing campaigns.

So, What Exactly Is Postcard Marketing?

Postcard marketing is a form of direct mail that companies use to reach their target audience with promotional information, such as special offers, coupons, announcements, and many more.

According to PebblePost, 83% of shoppers are influenced by relevant direct mail, which is one of the reasons why postcard promotions are becoming more popular. Additionally, direct mail has an open rate of up to 90% as compared to 20-30% of emails, and they offer a 29% ROI, further proving their efficacy.

With fast-growing B2B and B2C brands looking for more innovative advertising tactics for the year 2022 and beyond, postcards continue to be a powerful tool in boosting market reach and establishing brand authority.

Talking about efficacy, does marketing using postcards really work?

But of course!

Savvy marketers have long ago realized the convincing power postcards have on people who seem tired of ads on social media and spam emails.

According to the DMA data, direct mail outperforms paid search and display ads by over 12%. Also, in an April 2020 study, 62% of people said receiving a card in the mail made them feel more connected. Furthermore, postcard advertisements are cost-effective, positively affecting an organization’s overall bottom line.

B2B vs. B2C Postcard Marketing

Buying cycles differ from one business model to the other, and it is one of the main reasons why B2B and B2C entrepreneurs take a different postcard marketing campaign strategy.

The B2B sales cycle is longer for starters, and the need to reach key decision-makers is apparent. Its postcard email design takes a more formal approach as compared to B2C, which is more casual and needs marketers to personalize it to individual interests.

It is often assumed that B2B  advertising depends on technicality and analytics rather than emotion. Well, this isn’t true.

In fact, emotional connection plays a significant role in B2B advertising, according to research from Google. Decision-makers must connect with products or services to convert.

What about B2C postcard advertising?

In the B2C model, buyers often make impulsive decisions, so you must appeal to the sense of “now.” Basically, urgency is of the utmost importance. It is also much more informal than its B2B counterpart.

Your B2C postcards should focus on the emotion of urgency. For example, a call-to-action postcard would be an ideal fit as they push for an immediate sale or action.

Postcard Marketing in 2022: Tips and What to Expect

Considering the effectiveness of direct mail marketing, targeting using postcards will be almost indispensable in 2022.

However, despite being a straightforward form of advertising, the importance of leveraging various strategies to ensure the success of your campaign cannot be overemphasized.

Here are postcard marketing ideas for businesses that will guarantee a successful campaign in 2022.

• Set your campaign goals before anything else.
  

What exactly are you looking to gain from the campaign? Do you want to introduce a new product, encourage repeat sales, or attract a new audience? Or do you want to boost sales by offering discounts?

Establishing your goals beforehand sets your campaign up for success. Narrowing them down further into measurable goals improves the probability of accomplishing them.

• Knowing your target audience
  

The right message to the wrong audience is a complete waste of marketing resources.

As such, research your prospects; know their ages, income levels, addresses, and other important demographics. Listen to conversations on social media, observe shopping habits at your stores, and segment your prospects into different categories.

Segmentation is particularly essential if you have a broad audience, as it helps you design postcard samples marketing templates ideal for each target audience.

• Provide unique and compelling offers
  

A compelling offer is key to a successful campaign and is a defining factor in whether your postcards stand out or fail.

To remain competitive in an otherwise flooded market, you need unique, personalized, and outstanding offers.

What are your customers’ pain points? What do they want? How can you improve their quality of life?

These are some of the questions you must answer to develop compelling offers. They are a surefire way to motivate quick responses from your target audience.

• Postcard design
  

Quality marketing postcard design equals a high brand reputation. Therefore, the basic strategy of how to use a postcard effectively lies in having unique, catchy, and convincing designs.

Here’s what you’ll need to consider:

High-quality images:

The goal of the postcard is to grab the prospect's attention and communicate to them. Regular, overused images will not cut it. Instead, choose high-quality, unique images that speak to your audience and relate to your offer.

Short, compelling postcard content

An advantage of the postcard over other forms of direct mail is that it limits text length. With people’s attention spans growing shorter, bite-sized, compelling copies will resonate well with most prospects.

So, figure out how to express your offer in a few captivating words. Use data and user personas to personalize your copy.

Additionally, you need to learn card etiquette using the suitable postcard mailing side template for your specific audience.

Unique postcard call to actions

No matter how well-designed your postcard design is, it counts for nothing if you don’t have a clear call to action.

Unique call-to-actions are essential for the success of your campaign as they guide the prospect’s steps into being a customer or signing up. But, unfortunately, the regular “call us” or “send us an email” won’t do the bidding.

Your call-to-action should reiterate your offer in a few words. Be specific, add value, stress the benefits, and tell prospects exactly what to do to enjoy that particular perk.  

Here are 3 powerful postcard campaign examples with a clear call to action

1. “Get the latest iPhone 13 pro max for half the original price when you call 000-000-000 before December 20th.”
   

2. “Call 000-000-000 to Order your new YEEZY 450 sneakers today and get FREE shipping.”
   

3. “Visit your.com/yourname for your personal pricing of the latest Crossbody Bag originally sold at $25.”
   

• Follow up mails

Not every prospect responds to mail. So you need to follow up.

Customers need several encounters with your business to make a purchasing decision. That’s why follow-up mail is as crucial as the original offer.

• Track and measure postcard campaign results

Track and measure your campaign depending on your key performance metrics (KPIs). Website views, email responses, and received calls are excellent ways to measure these results.

How to Automate Your Postcard Campaigns with Inkit Verify + Inkit Send Combination

Inkit Send is a cost and time-saving tool that reinvents direct mail. With Inkit, you can create and launch automated, customized direct mail campaigns.

Regular postcard advertising campaigns take weeks, require outsourcing, plus a vast email list. With Inkit Send, you can design postcards and get them into mailboxes rapidly.

It’s fast, easy and cheap.

And with Inkit Verify, you can capture postal addresses from your website or verify your postal address database in a few clicks. Inkit Send, on the other hand, lets you automatically deliver direct mail to customers based on specific actions or events.

Get started with Inkit. Contact us now.