If you use direct mail postcards to generate leads or sell a product or service, you need to create postcards that grab your prospect's attention. The place to do that is Side A, the side that doesn't have the stamp and address on it. Here are some creative ways to get the attention of your potential buyers, some of which have worked extremely for well for my clients.
- feature a wacky photograph
- use a photo of your product in an unusual setting
- make an outrageous (but true) claim
- state your unique selling promise in an intriguing way
- present your prospect's problem (the one that your product or service solves) in a compelling way
- ask a provocative question, and put the answer on Side B
- feature a short quiz that stimulates interest in what you are selling
- just be blunt and put your offer in big letters ("SAVE 20% ON YOUR ORDER!")
- quote someone famous saying something profound about your product or service
- quote someone famous saying something profound about your prospect's greatest problem (the one your product or service solves). Example: "I've been on a diet for 14 days and so far all that I've lost is 14 days."
- show a before and after photograph
- show a photo of your product in action
- feature a series of photos that demonstrate your product in action
- ask a question that includes a blank, like this ___________, which the reader fills in
- borrow credibility with a photo of a famous person using your product
- show a customer using your product in an unusual setting (a man sitting on a camel and talking on a cell phone, for example)
- show a photograph of the postcard sender, and include a personal message from that person, in quotes
- create a sense of immediacy by circling the date of your deadline for ordering on a calendar, and using that as your visual
- present your offer visually (if it's a discount, show the amount of money saved as a pile of dollar bills; if it is a cruise for two, show two people dining onboard)
- demonstrate that you understand your prospect's challenge by showing a photo of a prospect facing that challenge
- dramatize your product with a close up photo of an unusual part
- design your postcard to look like a high-end invitation
- ask a "true or false" question that is answered on the other side (eventually)
- make the postcard interactive by inviting the reader to fold it, hold it up to the light, bend it, or do something else with it that communicates your selling proposition in a compelling (and perhaps funny) way
- whatever you do, remember that the goal of Side A of your postcard is to grab attention long enough that you arouse curiosity and motivate your prospect to turn the card over and continue reading
Alan Sharpe is a business-to-business direct mail copywriter. Sign up for free weekly tips like this at www.sharpecopy.com.
- Related Videos
- Related Articles
- Ask / Related Q&A
- Oynetwork System Leads will Generate Local Maid Service Leads and Local Cleaning Service Leads
- Oynetwork System Leads will Generate Local Home Security service Leads
- Adt Security Services Leads the Industry
- Customer Service Leads to Customer Loyalty
- Financial Planning Services: Lead a Debt-free Life
- How to Choose a Service, Lead Generation Telemarketing B2C
- Teleconferencing: Inexpensive Audio Conference Call Service, Leading to a Big Time Economical Boom in Businesses
- Lead Generation Services through Indian Call Center
Direct Mail Postcard - Sell Your Promotion, Not Your Company
By: Travis Grant | 22/12/2009The number one mistake people tend to make when creating a postcard for direct mail is that they try to sell their whole company, instead of just a particular promotion.
Targeted Vs Saturation Mailing List
By: Travis Grant | 22/12/2009There are two types of lists that can be used to target potential clients with a direct mail piece. The first way would be to do a "saturation" mailing. A saturation mailing list is compiled by mailing to everyone on a mail carrier's route. A "targeted " list is compiled using specific demographical criteria.
Direct Mail - Postcards Vs Enveloped Mailing
By: Travis Grant | 22/12/2009Every day that I go to work I am asked this same question by our potential clients: "I need new clients. Should I mail a postcard or a letter?"
Getting Paid to Ship YOUR Company’s Packages?
By: David Weng | 21/12/2009Soon you may, with Pay-Per-Ship technology
12sky2 Guide Manual Changing of Resolution
By: aaasss | 21/12/2009Having a bit of a backround in java and mIRC coding, we recognized what it was. For those who understand it already, congrats, you now know how to change your resolution of the game(12Sky2 Silver) to anything. Just be careful, when you run it on high resolution, it puts more of a strain on your video card, so we would not recommend really high resolutions to people with less powerful machines. If you have graphical lag at your current resolution, do not turn it up.
Tricks when buying DVD movies for the teenage boys
By: mybagshops | 14/12/2009Watching movies is one of our favorite past times. You can find DVD movies for sale everywhere. Just look at how much money is spent at the box office each week. And it's not just going to the theater that captivates us. We just like movies. It's a great form of entertainment that anyone of any age or any fitness level can enjoy.
Ideal Christmas gifts ideas for you!
By: mybagshops | 12/12/2009Usually, as long as some festival is on its way, we should think about complimenting away the gifts to our friends, relatives, classmates, teachers, workmates and many
Maximize your Mortgage Direct Mail Results by Increasing Your Postal IQ
By: Influence Direct | 10/12/2009By fully understanding the US Postal Service and how they operate, you can plan your mortgage direct mail campaigns to deliver on days for best results.
In B2B Direct Mail Lead Generation, Work Backwards
By: Alan Sharpe | 23/09/2005 | Direct MailDirect mail package, sit down with the sales people who close the sales. Find out when and how they get prospects to sign on the line that is dotted, and work backwards from.
Eight Advantages of Fundraising Letters Over Other Methods
By: Alan Sharpe | 12/09/2005 | Direct MailLet you have a one-on-one "meeting" with each donor. 2. Can be passed along Unlike personal visits, phone calls and special events, fundraising.
Direct Mail Catalogs & Brochures: Write Captions That Sell
By: Alan Sharpe | 12/09/2005 | Direct MailAnd so that's when you sell them. My advice for writing captions is to never describe what readers can see for themselves in your photo. If your photo shows a.
Eleven Reasons Donors Stop Responding To Fundraising Letter Appeals
By: Alan Sharpe | 12/09/2005 | Direct MailYou cannot. Use these findings to retain as many of your donors as you can. 1. They forget I suppose you could call this a case of "poor institutional memory.".
Your Direct Mail Sales Letters Must Differentiate You
By: Alan Sharpe | 12/09/2005 | Direct MailSo that the stove would heat my turn-of-the- century farmhouse for the longest period possible. I had the choice of four vendors to buy my hardwood from. All were local,.
Write Fundraising Letter Overlines That Donors Can't Resist (Includes Samples & Examples)
By: Alan Sharpe | 12/09/2005 | Direct MailDonor to read your letter. According to direct mail copywriter and author Hershell Gordon Lewis, the best kind of overline to use in a one-to-one piece of communication.
Fundraising Letters Are Easier To Write With AIDA
By: Alan Sharpe | 12/09/2005 | Direct MailYour non-for-profit organization. All you need to remember is AIDA. AIDA is an acrostic for the four things you need to do, and the order you need to do them in, to write.
Write Effective Fundraising Letters By Being Conversational (Includes Examples & Samples
By: Alan Sharpe | 12/09/2005 | Direct MailFew intelligent remarks about sounding conversational on paper. You know, how to write a fundraising letter that sounds like it came from the mind of a person and not an institution. I.