3 Ways to Use Postcards to Develop Customer Loyalty

One of the most targeted, effective, and overlooked practices in marketing is the power of the humble postcard.  It is an undeniable fact of business that it is easier to cultivate repeat buyers than it is to attract new customers.  While nobody will deny the importance of attracting new business, a small investment in communication can help to reinforce brand loyalty among those you have already called your customer.  To this end, a postcard goes a long way.

Postcards for Patronage

One of the best uses of a postcard is to thank your customer for their patronage.  Unlike an email, there is no chance that a postcard will wind up in their spam box and be deleted without being read.

This type of correspondence is most effective when it is personalized.  The use of the customer’s name makes the postcard seem less like typical junk mail, but more like honest communication.  A “thank you” postcard should go out less than a week after the client has enjoyed your service.

In order to extend the time that your postcard stays in the customer’s home, combine your note with an image that is either scenic or humorous.  In this case, it may wind up on the refrigerator for a period of time.  The bottom line is that a postcard sent to the customer soon after they have used your service will reinforce your company’s name in their consciousness and help build goodwill, as well as customer loyalty.

Postcards to Stimulate Repeat Business

Once you have thanked your customer for their business, this should not be the end of your mailing activities.  Postcards are can help to secure repeat business by using them to announce special offers, sales, rebates, or offer gifts to your customer.  For the most part, these offers are ones that will not be open to the general public.

For a brick and mortar establishment, the postcard could serve as a coupon.  This will give your client a reason to walk back into your shop.  An internet business can include a “coupon code” on the postcard that will be used to access the offer online.  This will leave the customer with the impression that they are being offered something exclusive and valuable.

Postcards that Remind Clients of Your Services

Depending upon your industry, postcards as reminders can be extremely effective as well.  If you provide a service, every few months, it makes sense to send the customer a reminder that they may need your services again.  For example, if you’re in the business of providing oil changes, it would be a good idea to send your customer a postcard every three months reminding them it is time to change their oil.  In the case of consumable products, like printer paper and vitamins, a postcard that arrives before the customer runs out often leads to a reorder. Combining the reminder with a special offer generally keeps customers coming back again and again.

How can the value of a postcard be quantified?  The cost of a post card: under a dollar.  A first class stamp: 44 cents.  Undying customer loyalty: priceless.

Five Ways to Spruce Up Your Direct Mail Materials

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Dear Mr. Smith: Are You Paying Too Much For Your Mortgage?

How many times have you received a piece of direct mail worded like the ones above? Furthermore, how many times have you thrown away a piece of direct mail like this?

Direct mail (often called “junk mail”) infiltrates our mailboxes on a daily basis. When done wrong, direct mail is nothing more than an eco-disaster (i.e. a massive waste of paper and trees). When done correctly, however, direct mail can positively affect your profits in ways you have never dreamed of. Here are five ways to spruce up your direct mail materials:

• Color, Color, Color! – A lot of direct mail materials are in boring black and white – often just simple letters written on a plain sheet of 8×11″ paper. Want to spruce up your direct mail materials? Use color – not just color, but high-gloss and vibrant color. Colorful materials that are printed professionally are far more valued than boring old black and while letters.
• Magnets and Specialty Items – Including magnets and specialty items with your direct mail materials can do wonders for your profits. People love these little “gifts.”
• Include Local References – If possible, include local expressions and references. Creating geographic-specific direct mail materials can be highly beneficial, as this works to personalize your brand to the consumer.
• Include Sports Schedules – Include a professionally printed sporting schedule (i.e. the times and locations of a local sporting team’s games) with your logo on it. Sports fans hang onto these; in turn, they hang onto your logo and image.
• Professional Copy – Use professionally written copy (as in, text) for your direct mail materials. Grammatical errors and poorly written paragraphs make your brand look unreliable and inferior. When your text appears professional, your business appears all the more professional.

Direct mail can be a tricky game; after all, it is quite easy to fall into the “junk mail” trap. Quality, well-written, and colorful materials are the key in making sure that your direct mail is thoroughly read.