If I’ve been asked once, I’ve been asked a thousand times this week about “cheap ” ways of marketing for lead generation – must be something to do with the current climate!

Now, if you are also making the mistake of thinking this way when it comes to ensuring the future of your business, then you may need to alter your approach slightly…

The focus should always be – indeed HAS to be – your message and the audience you are targeting.

Then, and only then, should you look at the method for delivering your message to them, in a way which will compel them to open and read it.

It has been proven time and again that the more you spend in trying to attract the right type of client with the right message, the quicker and better your business will grow – and best of all your competitors will be looking at NOT spending money to attract new business – so who are prospects going to be attracted to?

This makes perfect sense when you understand the Life Time Value of your clients.

If you remember, LTV is simply the average of how much your clients spend with you per transaction, multiplied by the number of times they buy from you per year, multiplied by the number of years they stay with you.

That said, if I had to choose a “cost effective” method of delivery, it would have to be the postcard…

Why?

Because it is very hard to ignore a well designed postcard – they almost certainly get looked at.

Just think for a moment. Do you remember receiving postcards from your friends (or relatives) when they went on holiday? Did you ever NOT look at a postcard which was put through your door?

A well crafted message – even if targeted at the right prospects – will not do very well if the piece doesn’t attract the reader’s attention.

Unless you piece looks “official” (like a bill, something from your bank or a court summons!) or looks “personal” like it was sent by a friend, you can bet your bottom dollar that it will likely end up in junk-mail-heaven – without ever being opened.

But you can use postcards to get through even this initial sorting of the post. People can’t help themselves – they just have to look and see what it is. Postcards are fast, inexpensive, and when used properly, can be extremely effective!

I recently used a 2 postcard campaign for a Dry Cleaning Service…

We mailed twice to a bought list, 2 weeks apart, using A5 sized colour postcards. The first postcard pulled a 1.7% response and the second took that up a further 2.1% (total of a whopping 3.8% to a cold list – remember that the average response is stated at around 0.3%).

But it’s not the response in terms of percentage which is important here. Let’s look at the numbers:

Total cost of the campaign was £1261.40 (Print £319.14 + postage £800 + £142 for someone to address them and stick the stamps on.)

The LTV of their clients is £719. In the 4 week period they brought in 96 new clients, each with an average spend of £14.60.

They took £1,401.60 in hard cash, so they made a direct profit of £140.20.

But now let’s look at the Life Time Value. Assuming they continue treating their clients in the same way as they have done, this campaign has actually made them £69,024 (96 x £719) which is a very real 5472% increase!

I’d say that’s 69,024 very good reasons to use postcards as part of your marketing strategy!

But remember, the method of delivery is only part of the equation. The other rules of successful direct mailing still apply…

1. You need to target the right prospects – You can have the most effective message, the best offer and the most compelling reason to buy ever created… but if it’s not sent to the right prospects, you’ll get zero results!
2. Keep it simple and straight to the point – Have a powerful headline and make the offer clear. The recipient should be able tell if your offer is worth considering with just a glance.
3. Make the response mechanism simple – Make your contact information really stand out so there is no chance it could be missed. Don’t forget to ASK for the response you want.
4. Use a single call-to-action – Make it obvious what the next step should be. Having multiple methods of contact can confuse the issue and lower the response you get.
5. Use follow up calls to increase response rates – You can increase the success of your campaign by as much as 300% by following up with a phone call. Even if you only manage to ring a proportion of your list, it will make a significant difference to the results you get.
6. Make it memorable – something which stands out. This is probably the hardest thing to do effectively, but worth every effort – creative postcards have staying power:

• Use a compelling headline – be clear on the benefits you’re offering.
• Make your postcard interesting, scenic or touching. Avoid making the design look like an obvious advert – make it educational . Give your customers a reason to spend more time looking at it. You could put useful tips or other advice which are more likely to get the postcard retained. A word of caution – I suggest you avoid trying to be funny – just because YOU find something funny doesn’t mean others will as well and it is too easy to offend.
• Use the space effectively – don’t make it too cluttered.

Now, onwards…

… to your success!

Jez

P.S. If you have used postcards in the past, and generated a response, please post a copy to me: PO Box 304, Witney, Oxfordshire OX29 7ZQ. All postcards received will go into a draw and one will be selected at random to receive a full (and free) critique.

P.P.S If you haven’t ever used a postcard in your marketing before, then post in a sketch of your idea for a postcard you could use, and one of these will also be selected to get a free makeover.