Postcard mailers have been a mainstay in the direct mail marketing portfolio for many years. However, it’s compact size can be a blessing and a curse to companies that choose to use this medium. The small size forces you to focus your message, but some companies try to cram as much content as they can into that small space, and the result is an overwhelming mash of messages.
For example, Cynthia Fedor at the Direct Marketing Voice blog recently wrote about the coupons from Bed Bath and Beyond that she receives in the mail. She critiques the content of the card, and generally shows that this is an example of what not to do with a postcard mailer. There are too many messages and no personalization.
We’ve written in some of our previous blog posts about personalizing direct mail content, and the postcard is another example of where personalization can shine. Postcards are a great place to include personalized URLs (PURLs) so the recipient can see that you’ve created a landing page specifically for them. The content of both the personalized postcard and the PURL landing page can be based on the recipient’s demographic, information and/or purchasing history.
RSVP Publications has been experimenting with video associated with their postcards, a feature they call “talking postcards“. RSVP has been adding QR codes to some postcards, so the recipient can scan the code with their mobile phone and quickly see a video about the specific product on the postcard. The video can also include an additional call to action, keeping the recipient of that original postcard engaged. By not having to cram all of a product’s information onto the real estate of the postcard mailer, the card is cleaner looking and easier to read.
I'm the Director of Digital Services and Partner at Ballantine, a family-owned and operated direct mail & digital marketing company based in New Jersey. and started in 1966 by my great uncle!
