Postcards Don’t Have to Be from Florida to Get Attention
Whenever someone mentions postcards, does your mind immediately think back to those cheesy Florida postcards your grandparents used to send from the Sunshine State? Florida is the land of kitsch, and postcards can be the most kitschy of all. Well, it turns out that postcards don’t have to be from Florida to get attention.
This is not a knock against the state made famous by alligators, theme parks, and Miami Vice (do you even remember that show?). In fact, postcard marketing has long been a cash cow for Florida. The state’s tourism industry still pushes postcards today because people respond to them.
It is a Visual Thing
Postcard marketing works for Florida’s tourism industry because people get to see with their own eyes what it is they are missing by not being there. It is a visual thing. If you are living in Minnesota in the middle of the darkest part of winter, doesn’t a postcard that features blue skies, sunshine, and palm trees on a sandy beach appeal to you? Sure it does.
See, the thing about postcards is that they’re so unusual. Let’s face it, who sends them anymore? The fact that we do so much digitally makes a paper postcard stand out. We are all bombarded with emails and digital ads all day long. So when direct mail postcards end up in the mailbox, they are like candy in a dish.
Whatever Gets Their Attention
Maybe all this talk about Florida postcards has your attention. Good. We’re on the same page. Now let’s talk about your direct mail postcards. What do you send? What should it look like? In a phrase: whatever gets your customers’ attention.
Do you own a restaurant? Maybe include a picture of your signature dish. Are you into sporting goods? Maybe focus on something having to do with the current season’s sports. Use your imagination.
If you were your own customer – and maybe you are from time to time – what is it about your business that appeals? In Florida’s case, it is the sunshine and warm temperatures. Their stellar beaches don’t hurt, either. Florida tourism marketers seize on what is most appealing about their state and throws those images at Northerners.
It’s Not Just the Pictures
While we’re at it, we don’t want you to think that direct mail postcards always need to have pictures. It’s not just pictures that excite people. Other things can get your customers worked up. Just think about when it is your customers seem most excited about your business.
You had that blowout sale last year. You know, the one that resulted in your biggest sales month ever. Do it again. Only this time, get the word out with direct mail postcards. The more people you reach with your message, the more people will know about the sale.
With postcard marketing, it’s all about:
- the main message
- the presentation
- the color palette
- the target audience
Nail these four things and a moderate investment in direct mail postcards can return fantastic results. We hate to keep going back to Florida here, but just use them as an example. Those kitschy postcards are still sold at roadside souvenir shops because they get results.
Give Them Something Different
Your customers are bombarded with all kinds of digital ads. It’s time for you to give them something different. Go full-on kitsch or shoot for a more classic and elegant design. Either way, you have a postcard buried deep in your imagination. Let’s get it out of your brain and into the U.S. postal system. Your customers are waiting.