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9 Genius Postcard Design Ideas You Can Steal for Your Next Campaign

Effective Postcard Design Ideas For Small Business Marketing

Even if you’re not a regular reader of my blog, you probably know what should go on your postcards:

  • Your business name and contact information
  • Your product or service
  • Your call to action

You know, the basics.

But how can you make your prospect stop on your postcard as they’re sifting through that day’s mail and think:

What’s this? I want to find out…

And read it and TAKE ACTION?

Here are 9 brilliant, attention-getting postcard design ideas that you are welcome to steal for your next campaign:

 

1. Tailor each card for its specific recipient.

You know when you’re walking in a crowd and you hear someone call your name?

You pay attention, because you think they’re talking to you!

Well…

Personalized postcards work the same way!

Using variable data printing technology, you can customize every postcard in your mailing for its intended recipient.

That means:

Not only can you include your prospect’s name in the design of the card (not just in the address field), but you can change elements of your postcard to reflect that person’s demographics or interests!

See below. “Samantha” will be replaced by every name on your list automatically!

personalized spa postcard

 

2. Give your card a vertical orientation.

Humor me for a second:

Think about how you sift through your day’s mail.

Are you picturing it?

You’re holding all of the items the same way — horizontally — right?

When you come across something that’s designed vertically, it requires a little extra attention, doesn’t it?

At the very least, you have to turn it on its side so you can read enough to see what it is!

And if it’s offering you something you want or need…

You keep reading!

Genius!

Here’s an example of a home security campaign featuring a vertical orientation…

vertical postcard design example

 

Download our free 10-point results-generating postcard design checklist!

 

3. Include a scratch-off area in your design.

Everybody likes to play along, right?

Turning your postcard into an interactive game is a great way not only to get people’s attention, but to get them to set aside some time specifically to interact with your message.

And do you know what people like more than playing along?

WINNING!

Putting a scratch-off prize or special offer on your postcard is not only fun for your recipients…

But it makes them feel like they’ve won an exclusive deal, which they are then more likely to redeem!

You can have total control over how many people win what, so it’s totally custom for your business and your campaign.

Check out this fun scratch-off:

 

4. Add a magnet to your postcard.

I can’t overstate the brilliance of postcard magnets.

Here’s why:

See, with direct mail, you are trying to reach your prospects at the right time…

When they need what you offer!

When you put a magnet on your postcard (for a couple of cents more each), your recipient can stick it to their fridge if they know it’s something they will need or want in the future.

Then they see your message again and again, and when they’re ready to buy, you’re right there!

Here’s a veterinary postcard with a magnet. The next time prospects need a vet, the number is right there on the fridge!

 

5. Put a sticky note on it.

When you see a Post-It® note on your desk or stuck to a piece of paper, you know what it means:

IMPORTANT! READ THIS NOTE FIRST!

You can create that same effect with your postcards by adding a Post-It® note to the front of your postcards — yes, every single one!

It costs just pennies more per piece, and yes — they stay on all the way to the mailbox (we’ve tested!).

You can also print a big handwritten note on each Post-It® to make it more personalized, like this:

post it note postcard

 

6. Use contrasting colors to make specific elements pop.

The colors you choose matter.

You want your postcard’s color scheme to be industry-appropriate (pink for a ballet studio, or blue and white for a medical or dental office, for example), of course. As consumers, we expect certain things, and when you step outside of those norms, it takes people an extra few seconds to figure out what is happening. And those few seconds could lose you a TON of leads!

How you USE color is also important…

You can also draw attention to specific parts of your message by highlighting them in a bright, unusual and/or contrasting color!

The call to action (CTA) — the text that tells prospects what to do next (e.g. “Call today for your free quote!” or “Visit our website to see our full inventory!”) — is one of the most important pieces of text on your card.

I recommend putting your CTA inside a box that is a completely different color than anything else on your postcard!

See how your eyes, right now, are drawn down to that pink box at the bottom?

optometry postcard example

 

Now:

Your designer is probably not going to want to do this. They like everything to match or at least complement everything else.

But trust me. A contrasting color will really make it stand out! I have to be really bossy with my designers on this one!

Just compare these two.

What do you see first on each one? Let me know in the comments!

dental postcard sample

 

dental postcard sample

 

7. Include ratings and reviews

You might be tempted to use your postcards to tell prospects that you’re wonderful…

And I’m sure that you are!

But it means MUCH MORE coming from people who have already done business with you.

Today, 92% of consumers read online reviews, and 68% say positive reviews make them trust a business more (2015 BrightLocal survey).

Give them that same feeling of confidence by including your happy customers’ ratings and reviews on your postcard!

Be sure to actually use stars and not just quotes, like the postcard below. We’ve been conditioned by Google to pay more attention to stars — at least I know I have!

mortgage marketing postcard example

 

8. Use pictures of real people — like YOU and your staff!

These days, consumers are smart.

They usually know when they’re looking at a stock photo. They see them all the time!

But when they see REAL faces of REAL people, they stop and look.

Especially if you’re in an industry where trust is a big deal, putting your photo on your postcard goes a long way toward building that credibility with your prospects.

I mean industries like:

  • Dental/medical, where you’re getting up-close and personal with their bodies
  • HVAC, plumbing or other home services, where you’re going into their homes
  • Kids’ extracurricular programs, where you’re watching their children

You get the idea.

When they see what you look like — see the real people behind the business — it helps create a sense of familiarity that makes them more likely to choose you…

Because they know who you are!

This dental office used photos of their staff AND patients:

dental postcard sample

 

9. Automatically turn your postcard into an online ad on millions of sites.

Okay:

This isn’t so much of a “design” thing as it is an “exponentially improve your results” thing.

So…

Say your prospect receives your postcard and has some interest. What’s the first thing they do?

Go to your website to learn more about you!

But 96% of website visitors are not ready to become customers right away (according to a Kissmetrics study), so they leave and go about their business.

When you run a DirectMail2.0 campaign, those interested prospects are “cookied” by Google.

So that after they leave your site, they start seeing your online banner ads (which look just like your postcards) all over the internet — on literally millions of websites across the Google network!

They are continually reminded of your business and encouraged to go back to your website and take action.

And it works like crazy:

A CMO.com study showed these Google follow up ads can increase response by up to 400%!

For just a little more than traditional direct mail, you can run a fully integrated campaign that includes postcard AND online follow-up ads, like this one:

multichannel marketing roofing postcard

 

There’s the postcard…

multichannel marketing roofing banner ad

 

And there’s the banner ad!

Pretty cool, yeah?

If you want to try one of these ideas for your business — or if you have questions about anything related to your marketing — call one of our consultants at 800-628-1804. It’s completely FREE!

Or if you want to try your hand as a master designer (after all the GENIUS designs you’ve just seen to inspire your inner Van Gogh), there are a number of design software and services available to help you create your marketing masterpiece.

And, of course, you can always shoot me an email at Joy.Gendusa@PostcardMania.com.

I talk much more in-depth about proven postcard design strategies (and a heck of a lot more) at our biannual Small Business Owners Growth Summit, which is coming up soon! Register now, because they sell out fast — and you’ve still got plenty of time to plan the details!

It’s only $197 for PostcardMania clients, which includes two full days of marketing and sales training, breakfast and lunch both days, a sunset dinner cruise, two parties and lots of opportunities to network with like-minded business owners and my marketing experts!

Check out the agenda and sign up today.

I really hope to see you there!

Best,

Joy

direct mail checklist

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