The Power of Postcards
Small but mighty - the humble Postcard
You get your mail and it's a pile of white envelopes you're sure is either junk or bills. The 4x6 postcard sticks out at odd angles and calls your attention. Well designed postcards can pack a big punch!
How much information can you fit on a postcard? The problem is most people try to fit too much and your viewers eyes cannot follow the path of what you are trying to convey. One school of thought is that there should be one idea per postcard. Others use them for sale announcements or multiple events coming up.
Personally, I use them for both scenarios but try to arrange minimal type and maximum graphic to express my message without blinding my reader with too many words. People are so innundated with information, they are in overload and will probably just scan the card to see:
- Who the card is from
- What is the offering
- Why is this good for me?
- How do I do it?
By covering these key points, we can get our message out and hopefully ask for a 'call to action'. Most people in sales forget to ask for the business! You don't have to be pushy but you get what you ask for.
Here's a design of one of my favorite postcards done for a skating rink:
The owner of the skating rink wanted to advertise two non-related events in one card. By separating with colors and graphics, it's clear and descriptive. The opposite side of the card is the mailing side with address etc. Postage on postcards save money over regular size letters, envelopes and stamps. 27 cents, and you can get 5,000 full color postcards printed for around $160.
This card was printed by Resident Publishing in Taunton MA, and provides great pricing that allows small businesses to look big.