| Yesterday to her surprise my wife received
another huge postcard from a local salon. However, it wasn't just the size of the postcard
that got my wife's attention right away. Here's what set this postcard apart from the
competition:
- She recognized the salon. It was the third time she received
a card from that salon over the last couple of months and
- It was written and designed for women just like her, age
45-55 with a high income
This simple postcard talked to my wife. It related to her.
It connected to her. It delivered the salon's marketing message in a way that convinced my
wife to visit it right away, even though she had been going to another salon. She felt she
was ready for a change.
If you invested in postcard marketing in the past, I can
almost guarantee your postcards were not as effective and did not create the emotional
connection to elicit the above response.
Why?
Because there are many direct-response marketing rules that
most people, including postcard-printing companies, fail to follow.
So, how can you choose the best company to handle this
important process for you? Here's how you can avoid wasting your money, time and
energy…
7 Questions to Ask Your Postcard Marketing Company Before
Spending Your Hard-Earned Dollars:
1. Are you a marketing company or a postcard printing
company?
Marketing companies who use postcards as their medium of
choice tend to care about your business and your success. They want you to enjoy a
generous return on investment. Most postcard printing companies just care about the sale.
They use generic pictures. They use generic headlines and body copy. They won't set you
apart from the competition and they won't guarantee results.
2. Do you offer a complete, all-inclusive turnkey solution
with quick turnaround time?
It takes time and effort to effectively complete a postcard
marketing campaign. . Most postcard marketing companies rely on you to do most of the work
or to hire other outside consultants.
Those that say they will write, edit, design, provide the
list and complete mailing will usually try nickel and dime up-selling strategies. Want
them to write your postcard copy? Add $$$. Want a list targeting your prospects' age,
income, gender, location and street boundaries? Add more $$$. Want them to mail? Want it
done in minutes? Want it mailed within 72 hours? Add even more money.
This doesn't save you time or money. By choosing a
complete, all-inclusive turnkey solution you save money. And, you gain the advantage of
getting your post cards in the hands of your prospective customers quickly.
3. Can you target specific audiences, such as women, age
45-55 years old with a high income, within a 5-mile radius?
If they can't, then you are wasting your money trying to
reach people that aren't interested in your message. The postcard marketing company you
hire should use state-of-the-art list selection tools to create a mailing list based on
your prospect's specific geographic area, age, gender and income.
4. How will you make my postcards stand out from my
competition?
Most postcard printing companies offer all potential
clients the same generic images and generic writing, which does not talk to your
prospects' emotions. Does that help you stand out from your competition? No! Does it
target the specific people you want as clients? No!
The postcard my wife received in the mail was written and
designed not just for salon goers. The postcard was written and designed to elicit action
by posing real benefits people just like my wife can connect with. And, it included a
compelling offer that made her want to visit the salon immediately. Beware if your
postcard marketing company doesn't recommend a multitude of proven and compelling offers
to make your mailing more effective.
5. Do you mail postcards according to direct response
marketing best practices?
If your postcard marketing company doesn't make it easy for
you to repeatedly touch base with your targeted prospects run away fast.
Most postcard marketing companies will persuade you to buy
one huge mass mailing postcard campaign. However, when you send out, for example, 5,000
postcards only one time, you hit 5,000 customers who may or may not be ready to use your
product or service. They may or may not have any familiarity with your business. And, they
may or may not like your offer. That's why you will get a better response mailing to the
same 500 people six times than 5000 people one time.
Repetition is the only proven way to overcome resistance,
extend different offers and increase your chances of getting a response.
6. Do you offer a guarantee?
Guarantees allow customers to shed the risk they would
normally assume when making a purchase. If your postcard marketing company doesn't offer a
100% money-back guarantee or any kind of guarantee, then you should be wary. This means
they don't have enough confidence in their ability to produce a strong return on
investment for you.
7. What do you charge? What do I get for this investment?
Design from scratch using a postcard printing company will
cost you $500-$1,000.The question to ask is what do you get for $500?
You want to make sure your postcard printing company's
affordability gives you EVERYTHING including setup, printing, personalization, quick
turnaround, targeted list, addressing, and postage permit. Make sure they do all the labor
including designing, writing, addressing and mailing your postcards. Otherwise, they are
costing you time, money and clients.
You want a postcard marketing company that cares about your
success. Make sure the service you select takes the time to get to know you, your goals
and the audience you want to attract. Follow these tips to ensure you get what you pay
for! |
