Postcard Calls to Action: Why Do You Need One?

What is the goal of your direct marketing campaign? Whether you’re selling a new product, offering a service or simply looking to expand your brand recognition, an effective marketing campaign needs to inspire people to take action.

You can pack as many benefits and selling points into your headline, subheading and copy as you like, but without an effective call to action, your small business postcard marketing is unlikely to generate the results you’re seeking.

In this blog post, we’ll look at one of the most important elements of any direct mail postcard, sales letter or brochure: the call to action. Read on to learn what makes an effective call to action so important and why you should be using one.

What is a call to action?

Great marketing always makes a statement. A call to action is a statement from you to your target audience instructing them on the next step to take after reading your postcard’s copy.

From “Contact us for more information” to “Click Here,” calls to action vary hugely in wording and style. What they all share is a common goal: inspiring prospects to take action and complete the goal of your small business postcard marketing campaign.

Calls to action can be subtle or overt; wordy or short. A good call to action builds on the benefits you’ve discussed in your direct mail postcard’s copy and explains what steps a prospect needs to take to enjoy those benefits.

Why use a call to action?

Imagine you’re sitting at your kitchen table reading your mail. You start reading an eye-catching postcard advertising used cars. It reads:

“ABC Auto offers a wide range of high quality used cars at affordable prices. If you’re in the market for a premium automobile without the brand new price tag, we’re here and ready to help!”

Below the copy is a phone number and address. The copy clearly explains what the business offers and why it’s a good choice, but is it actionable? Have you, as a target customer, been given any instruction as to what to do next?

Of course not. Without a call to action, copy is largely ineffective. Great copy can put you in a buying mood and showcase a new product or service, but rarely can it make you take action without telling you what step to take next.

Now, imagine if instead of ending with a description of the business, your postcard had ended with a call to action like the following:

“Our auto experts are waiting to help you find your new dream car. Contact us on 555-123-4567 now or visit today to view our stock and discover the perfect car for you!”

Adding a call to action to the postcard completely changes the mood of the reader as they approach the end of the copy. Instead of reminding themselves to check the car dealership at some point, they’re instructed and motivated to take action right now.

Need some inspiration? Take a look at some of the most powerful words to use in your postcards.

What makes a call to action effective?

A great call to action can be the difference between a postcard direct mail campaign that breaks even and a phenomenal success. In order to be effective, a call to action needs to have three qualities:

• It needs to motivate readers and inspire them to take action
• It needs to clearly define the next step in the buying process
• It needs to ask for immediate action, not a delayed response

Your offer can also effect the response to your call to action, so be sure to read about the importance of a great offer.

Whether the goal of your direct mail campaign is to generate B2B leads or promote your local business to a new audience, make sure your postcards all include a call to action that includes the three simple but effective qualities above.

Without a call to action, even the most compelling offer will largely go unnoticed by your target market. Focus on inspiring your audience to take action and enjoy great results from your next direct mail campaign.