10 Rules for a Great Direct Mail Postcard
From great copy to the perfect offer, a wide range of factors go into creating a great direct mail postcard. In this post, we’ll cover 10 direct mail essentials to include in your next postcard campaign.
A great headline
Your postcard’s headline is the first thing most recipients will read, so it needs to be effective. Choose something simple that attracts people’s attention and makes them want to keep reading.
The right audience
No matter how great your postcard might be, it will have very little effect if you send it to the wrong audience. Before you worry about optimizing your headline or call to action, make sure you’re mailing your campaign to a targeted, relevant list.
Relevant images
Images are often the key to a direct mail campaign’s success. Include images that are relevant to your audience – for example, a beautiful lawn to promote your gardening and lawn maintenance service – to maximize your campaign’s response rate.
Engaging copy
Your postcard’s copy should explain the benefits of your product or service and help prospects make a decision. Triple check your copy before you start mailing to make sure it’s relevant to your audience and highly engaging.
Clear objectives
What does your direct mail campaign need to achieve in order for you to consider it a success? Set out clear objectives for your direct mail campaign in advance to make tracking its return on investment easier.
Subheadings
Your heading should attract people’s attention. Your subheading, on the other hand, should make them interested in your product or service. Follow the AIDA formula and include a descriptive subheading to make recipients more interested in your offer.
Testimonials
The higher the value of your product or service, the greater the benefits of including testimonials in your postcard. Choose testimonials from customers that match your campaign’s target audience to amplify their power as a marketing tool.
Plenty of color
The first goal of any direct mail postcard is to attract attention. Use lots of color and contrast in your postcard’s design to help it stand out from other direct mail pieces and attract the attention of recipients.
Benefits, not features
The most profitable postcards always focus on the benefits of a product or service, not its features. Put yourself in your target customer’s shoes and think about how your offer can help them, then list the biggest benefits in your marketing copy.
A great call to action
Your call to action can make or break your campaign. Ensure that your call to action stands out from your copy and delivers a clear and easy way for prospects to claim your offer. A weak or unclear call to action can often discourage recipients from taking action.
Does your postcard include these 10 essential elements?
From engaging copy to an effective call to action, each one of the 10 essentials listed above plays a serious role in making your direct mail campaign a success. Does your latest direct mail postcard include all of the 10 essential elements featured above?
