Today I decided to focus on postcard marketing. There’s absolutely no better way to keep your name popping up in front of prospects than with a postcard. Postcards do the job they’re supposed to do. They communicate in short bursts for relatively low cost.
If you haven’t noticed, people have short attention spans. They also have enough to do, think about and screw up without you having to remind them of other things to do, think about and screw up.
Okay. We agree. Postcards are cool tools. This is because there are number of benefits supporting the postcard strategy.
- Postcards are read more often than not. (99.9% of the time.)
- The message is short, clear and consistent.
- They clearly indicate that you are alive, well and interested.
- The postage is relatively low considering the alternatives.
- They’re easy to send at a moment’s notice.
There are a number of ways to get postcards.
You can simply buy them. White, blank, postcards provide plenty of space for a handwritten personal note. They work fine but could probably use a little personality.
Another choice is to have your own postcards printed. These will cost you about $25-$30 for 500 four-color postcards printed on one side. You can use your own photos from past trips and these are always effective and well-received.
Over the years I have used postcards to market my business. One has me in a suit standing in front of a waterfall. It is a pretty picture but I must admit it failed to convey the message I had in mind., I looked like I was selling men’s suits. (Another example of learning while you go.)
Another postcard had the letters TGIF crossed out with a red X across the letters with my slogan underneath: Thank Goodness It’s Today. It was a take off on “thank goodness it’s Friday” and I must say it was received very well. It hit home with lots of people and they found a spot in their cubicle reminding them that everyday counts. (This is ideal.)
The third postcard I have used in the past displayed a picture of my best-selling book titled Become The Exception. Although I’ve sold over 5000 copies of this baby I’m not sure if this truly represents best seller positioning. I do know however, that it makes me feel better referring to it as a best seller. (So sue me!)
The single purpose of all three postcards was to remind my prospects and customers that I was alive and well, and standing by to help them when they were ready for some help.
I suggest that you Google the word “postcard” and check out a few of the many suppliers while allowing your imagination and creativity to surface.
I mentioned that you could buy these in batches of 500 for very little investment. The secret however is to get them out into the marketplace into the hands of your future prospects and clients.
Here is an idea. Tell each of your employees that it is their responsibility to send out five postcards every week. Five postcards should not represent too much work and nothing but good can come from it. Tell them that you will pay for the postage if they send them to their own personal targeted audience.
Utilizing all of your employees and getting them into the habit of sending postcards to help market your business is a low cost and effective strategy that I am sure will work to your advantage in very short order.
Mike Marchev freely shares his experiences, strategies and observations with travel professionals in an effort to keep them on top of their game. For a complimentary copy of his 12-Word Marketing Plan send him an email at mike@mikemarchev.com.
Mike’s daily column is made possible by AmaWaterways.
