The Do’s and Don’ts of Creating Business Postcards

Postcards are the most direct form of direct mail. Audiences can immediately see your message without opening an envelope, unfolding the brochure, or flipping through the catalogue. As a result, postcards can be an incredibly effective way to market your business.

This article will review the dos and don’ts of creating effective business postcards. 

The Do’s of Creating Business Postcards

Define Your Goals

If you don’t know what you were trying to accomplish, you will never know if your mail marketing campaign succeeded. Whether you send postcards or brochures, you must be clear on your goals.

Therefore, you first need to define the goals of your postcard marketing campaign. Are you trying to attract new clients or reconnect with your existing customer base? Alternatively, maybe you’re trying to raise awareness around a new service or product. You may want to increase your email subscription list or generate new leads.

The purpose of your direct mail postcard campaign affects the design, messaging, layout, and budget. Furthermore, it’s easier to identify your target audience with a firm grasp of your campaign goals.

Identify Your Target Audience

Targeted mail marketing has a much better likelihood of success. Consider who you want to reach, what your target audience values, and how you can best communicate with them. Do your research!

Once you understand your target audience, you can tailor your postcard accordingly. Your postcard should appeal to your recipient’s needs and sensibilities. Additionally, they should be interested in whatever you’re promoting. Sending back-to-school marketing materials to households without children will not generate many positive results.

Prioritize Readability

If your postcard mailer is challenging to read, recipients will not take the time to decipher it. Text that is too small and too crowded is off putting and an eyesore. You should always consider (and prioritize) readability when designing direct mail materials.

All copies should have a large enough print to read easily. Avoid fancy, curly, and confusing typefaces. Fonts that are lightly coloured can also be hard to read. Break up all large chunks of text and remember, brevity is your friend. Make your messaging concise and to the point.

Make an Impression with Creative Design

Clever, creative design will help your direct mail postcard stand out and impress readers. In fact, a beautiful design is your postcard’s best chance of avoiding the recycling bin. Recipients are more likely to keep an attractive postcard for future use.

A unique design also differentiates you from the competition. Nowadays, there are many ways to customize the look and feel of your postcard. For example, you can choose a unique shape, non-standard texture, or raised spot UV elements. 

Additionally, your postcard design should exclusively feature high-quality images and illustrations. Pixelated, stretched, and blurry pictures indicate a lack of professionalism, which can harm your brand reputation and direct mail campaign.

Professional Postcard Printing

Your business postcard needs to look professional. Otherwise, recipients are unlikely to trust the credibility of your business. Working with a professional printer is the only way to ensure your direct mail materials look their best.

Hiring a professional designer to create the look and feel of your postcard usually leads to better results. That’s why Troi Mailing Services offers professional postcard design in addition to high-quality postcard printing. 

The Don’ts of Creating Business Postcards

Avoid Visual Overload

Postcards are the simplest form of direct mail advertising. There are no pages or folds, just a front and back. There is limited space to communicate your message. As a result, visual overland is a significant challenge in postcard design.

Including too many visual elements will lead to a cluttered and messy postcard. Please keep it simple, clean, and to the point. Overcomplicating the design will detract from your message.

Do Not Forget the Back

Your postcard mailer only has two opportunities to make an impression on readers: with the front or the back. Consequently, the postcard design needs to utilize both sides. Otherwise, you are missing out on valuable real estate.

Troi Mailing Services offers double-sided postcard printing to help you double your chances of direct mail success.

Do Not Skip Proofreading

Spelling errors, grammar mistakes, and typos need to be corrected. They damage your business’s credibility, making you look unprofessional and lazy. Plus, they can ruin an otherwise perfectly executed direct mail campaign.

Proofreading is an essential step in postcard design. Since the spell check on your computer is not foolproof, always ask someone else to review your copy.

Not Providing Contact Information

Providing contact information on all of your mail marketing materials sounds like common sense. However, many businesses forget this crucial detail. Readers need to know where to find you and how to get in touch. 

You might create a beautiful, impactful, and memorable postcard. However, if you leave out your contact information, you’re unlikely to see results.

Your postcard mailer should include your company name, telephone number, website, and email address. If your business has a physical location, include your address.

Do Not Forget a Clear CTA

Every postcard (and direct mail marketing material) must include a clear Call to Action. The CTA tells readers what to do after they receive your postcard. Your recipient should never have to guess what to do next.

Encouraging recipients to bring the postcard to your store, sign up for your email newsletter, or visit your website are all different types of Calls to Action.

Contact Troi Mailing Services for Postcard Printing in Toronto

Create impactful, memorable, and effective business postcards with Troi Mailing Services in Toronto. We offer high-quality, cost-effective postcard printing for businesses. As your one-stop shop for direct mail, we provide design, mail fulfillment, and data analysis services.

With more than 30 years of direct mail experience, we are ready to help you launch a successful Smartmail Marketing campaign using postcards. Contact us today to learn more.

To learn more about postcard printing, call Troi Mailing Services at 1-866-486-9350 or contact us online.