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Post cards are excellent direct marketing vehicles.  Because of their short format, they’re not great at closing sales, but they’re awesome at flushing out people who are interested, generating inquiries and making your phone ring with very warm prospects.

This is the fourth article in the series on increasing response by creating effective post cards.  The first article set the goals and objectives of our post card marketing campaign.  The second and third articles examined how to write and design post cards that draw maximum response and make your phone ring.  Here are 15 offers you can make to get your phone to ring.

One of the biggest benefits of any direct mail marketing campaigns is it can be so well-targeted to highly qualified suspects, prospects, and current and past customers.  Postcards can be mailed with precision to a highly focused mailing list. Since postcards can be so selectively mailed to a target audience, unlike most advertising mediums such as newspapers, magazines, trade shows, radio and TV, there’s no wasted advertising expense.

Direct marketing campaigns using post cards are low in cost because post cards are cheap to print, address and mail.  A very aggressive marketing campaign – including mailing a postcard every two weeks for a full year – is just $13.  This cost includes the post card, printing, mailshop services (inkjetting the address and sorting in zip sequence) and postage costs.

Of all direct mail formats, postcards are easiest to handle – no folding, stuffing, tabbing, inserting – just address and mail.  And postcards make your phone ring by using the the age old direct marketing criteria of the right headline, clever copywriting, bright graphics, and an irresistible offer with a solid call to action: “Just pick up the phone and call right now for this FREE Offer!”

I did mention you need a great offer to make the phone ring, right?  Here are 15 suggestions…

Remember the objective of direct mail marketing post card campaign is generally not to sell anything – it’s just to have the reader call you and to make your phone ring.  So make your offers sound great, and make “calling for information” sound so tempting and easy the reader just naturally reaches for the phone.  Here are some offers to make the phone ring written specifically for the insurance industry. Not in the insurance field?  Modify some of these and they’ll work for you!

· New types of coverage are available from our office, and from our new line of providers. Call now and get our FREE booklet on…
New LTCI discount rates.
New: Low Cost Travelers Insurance.
· New types of policies are available… Call now to see the very different kinds of policies you can now get…
New: Boat protection insurance
Now: Providing New Tractor Insurance
New: half year policy – why buy a whole year when you just need…
· FREE Upgrade.  As our providers change, some new policies offer extended coverage for the same rate.  Call and see if you are eligible for an upgrade for FREE!  Call now and…
· New Lower Rates: Some rates go up, some just go down. Call us for our free list of cost reductions…
· New Discount Insurance Companies.  Our New “No frills” providers now offer ultra low cost bare-bones coverages.  Call us right now to see if you qualify for…
· FREE Policy Review.  (Make this a wonderful twice-a-year offering, or “On Special Request.”)  Call us for a…
· New products are available in Auto, Life, Health, LTC and business protection.  Call now for…
· Our New Providers offer better rates, policies and coverage.  Call now for…
· More Protection, Less Cost. Selected coverages.  Call now for…
· Thanks for your business
· Thanks for your referrals
· Free Quotes. Always our pleasure to quote.
· Immediate coverage – Immediate bond. Why wait?  if you’re in a hurry and need coverage our agents
· Immediate quotes on most coverages on your request!
· Free Lunch.  Yes, we’re buying!  Call for…
· FREE Booklet!  “11 Ways to Save on Your Insurance!”  “How to ask for and get a lower rate!”
· FREE Analysis!  Let me look over your policy portfolio and I’ll show you where you can save money.  Get rid of lousy coverage you don’t need.
· Lower your risk:  Call us first for all your insurance quotes.

This is the final in the 4-part series on creating an effective direct mail postcard marketing campaign by Jeffrey Dobkin.  Direct marketing with post cards is easy and effective, IF you know how.  You need to 1. know what to say, 2. who to say it to, 3. create a very hot headline, 4. make an attractive offer, and 5. blend lively graphics with 6. enticing copy and 7. mail to the right list.  For the complete article, and more direct mail marketing ideas and articles, including other articles on effective post card marketing please visit http://www.danielleadams.com

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Jeffrey Dobkin will now take your questions, call him on it: 610-642-1000 rings on his desk.  Write him at The Danielle Adams Publishing Company · Box 100 · Merion Station, PA  19066. Dobkin has written 4 books on increasing response in your direct mail and direct marketing campaigns including the cult classic,“How To Market A Product for Under $500,” and also “Direct Marketing Strategies,” and “Uncommon Marketing Techniques.” Please order his books at Amazon or call directly, or download Dobkin’s e-books on his website, http://www.danielleadams.com.  Not only are they amazingly great, but… he needs the money.

This is the third in the four article series by Jeffrey Dobkin on creating effective direct mail marketing campaigns with post cards.  The first article listed 5 objectives and goals of your direct mail post card campaign.  The second article on post card marketing highlights 5 ways to create your postcard campaign to make your phone ring with maximum response.

This article continues with 7 more new ways to increase response from mailing post cards.

1. When you offer a FREE booklet in your post card, make sure Your Booklet Title Fantastic.

The booklet title is where “good” just isn’t good enough.  Your booklet titles need to be spectacular. “12 Ways to Lower Your Insurance Premiums.”  “How to Stop Your Roof Leak by Friday!” “10 Things to Check before Calling a Tow Truck.”  Make sure your booklet title – way beyond a shadow of a doubt – will drive every reader to call.

2. Mail Frequently.
While a single postcard can certainly hold it’s own with a hot headlines, crafty copywriting, tight transitions, and irresistible offers, postcards campaigns – like most other direct mail marketing campaigns – work best when you mail with frequency and regularity.  Consider a 5 or 6 postcard campaign to stay in top of mind awareness of your best prospects and customers, or to build loyalty and exposure for yourself through multiple brand impressions.  Cost?  Just $3 for 6 cards.  For a longer sales campaign over time or for products with a long sales cycle, continue mailing with regularity.  Even if you mail postcards every two weeks, the cost of this direct mail post card campaign is just $13 (26 x $.50) for an entire year.

When mailing a sequence of postcards, place the sequence number on each card to let readers know each card is an integral part of a full postcard marketing campaign.  Print “Postcard Series, Card Number 5 of 20” or whatever the card number.  If you don’t know how many postcards will be in the marketing campaign, just say “Postcard Series, Card Number so and so”.  This adds credibility to your firm and your direct mail marketing campaign.  It lets readers know you’re not single shot in the dark or a one trick pony.

3. Postcards are cheap to mail and are delivered fast.
Postcards get a special rate from the post office.  And since they are easy to handle you can get a mailshop to address your card, image the barcode automatically and mail first class – and the postage savings will usually cover the cost for the mailing house to do aall the work: the ink jetting addressing, sort in zip sequence, and mail. Even with a mailhouse doing the work, your postcard campaign will still be cheaper than mailing postcards bulk mail.  The cost for the mailshop is offset by the savings in postage.  Delivery will be faster too – your postcards will arrive in just a day or two.

4. Mail to a Great Mailing List.
By specifying the right mailing list there’s no wasted expense.  Your ad is precisely targeted and delivered only to the tightly qualify recipients on your direct mail mailing list.  With the correct selection of a direct mailing list, you can mail to only the most highly qualified prospects, or past and/or current customers.

With a hand-selected mailing list, virtually 100% of your postcards reach your best targets in your marketing campaign.  The better your mailing list, the better your response — the more your phone will ring.  An excellent resource for how to tightly specify your mailing lists can be found in the book, “How To Market a Product for Under $500!”  from the Danielle Adams Publishing Company. The chapter on direct mail is almost 100 pages.

This book dedicates over a dozen pages to the correct selection of direct mail mailing lists.  It emphasizes how to tightly specify mailing lists, how and where to find mailing lists, test mailing lists, and the technical in’s and out’s of negotiating a mailing list purchase.

Another source for specifying and purchasing mailing lists is the one hour audio, “How to buy a great mailing list!” by Jeffrey Dobkin interviewed by internet wizard Markus Allen.  This audio is available in MP3 format on the website www.danielleadams.com.  Learn to specify and buy a mailing list like a pro in just one hour by listening to this download.

Additionally, in the book “Uncommon Marketing Techniques,” a chapter similarly titled “How to Buy a Great Mailing list!” is an excellent resource in mailing list specification.

You are only as good as your mailing list – make sure you spend additional time in finding a great direct mail mailing list.  It’s impossible to spend too much time investigating which mailing list is the best list to test and mail.

5. The size of your postcard campaign
How many postcards do you mail?  Here’s what to mail in your postcard marketing campaign:  Micro business?  Mail postcards to your top 1,000 prospects, and your top 200 customers.  Midsized business?  Mail postcards to your top 10,000 prospects, top 2,000 customers.  Large business?  Call me and let’s talk.  BTW, when I write and design postcards for clients, I always use oversize postcards that are 5-1/2” x 8-1/2”.

6. Yes, you can reuse the same post cards.
Suppose you create ten post cards, and you have a heavy mailing schedule – like you mail every two weeks. To complete this direct mail marketing campaign it would take you almost half a year.  While you know your postcards by heart and are probably sick of seeing most of them so many times through the writing, editing and design process, your customers got them and glanced at them in a heartbeat before they called you, then tossed them out or filed them away.  They won’t remember them.  Feel free to repeat the cycle starting with card one.

Better news: if customers remember one or two of the postcards – this means you received excellent recognition and brand retention.  Congratulate yourself.  Good job.  OK, party’s over, now get back to work.  Continue mailing the rest of your post cards, or create new ones.

7. The value of your post card campaign.
What’s a client worth to you?  $500?  $1,000?  $5,000?  Maybe $500 a year?  $5,000 a year?  Here’s a proposal: suppose you sent prospects a postcard every two weeks – or 26 postcards a year.  Your cost?  At 50¢ each, that’s $13 bucks.  And if you get one client from this postcard marketing campaign?  Success!  Don’t forget all the while the rest of your postcards are still hanging around generating calls.  And if they are also written and designed correctly they can be building a relationship of loyalty and trust.

Is it worth a $13 postcard direct mail marketing campaign to entice a prospect to call you?  How about spending $13 on postcards to keep clients active and thinking about you (and how great your service is) all year long?

Is it worth $13 a year to use postcards to build loyalty and trust into a lasting relationship. Let me put it to you this way… How much does it currently cost for you to get a new client?  Now how does that figure compare to $13?

This is the third in the 4-article series on using a direct mail postcard marketing campaign to make your phone ring. To read the complete article set, and to read additional articles on direct marketing with post cards please visit www.danielleadams.com.

In the fourth and final article in this series, Jeffrey Dobkin shows you 15 offers you can make on post cards to get your phone to ring.  Since these articles were written for the insurance industry,  offers are for insurance agents. Fortunately, if you’re not in the insurance field, most of these offers will still work pretty well for you anyhow.

Jeffrey Dobkin will now take your questions, so call him on it: 610-642-1000 rings on his desk.  Write him at The Danielle Adams Publishing Company · Box 100 · Merion Station, PA  19066. Dobkin has written 4 books on increasing response in your direct mail and direct marketing campaigns including the cult classic,“How To Market A Product for Under $500,” along with “Direct Marketing Strategies,” and “Uncommon Marketing Techniques.” Please order his books at Amazon or call directly, or download Dobkin’s e-books on his website, http://www.danielleadams.com

www.danielleadams.com.  Not only are they amazingly great, but… he needs the money.

Bio, Jeffrey Dobkin

If you’re struggling with poor response — get help by reading practical marketing tips. Receive articles you can trust by Jeffrey Dobkin. Dobkin has written 4 books on direct marketing and one on humor. He can be reached at 610-642-1000. Read more of his articles at http://www.danielleadams.com

Post cards are one of the easiest direct mail marketing campaigns to create.  No folding, stuffing, sealing, stapling, affixing – just print, address and go.  Postcard postage is cheap compared to the rest of direct mail, and delivery is fast because mailing first class can cost the same as bulk mail when post cards are bar coded and mailed in zip sequence.

The first article outlined the goals and objectives of our postcard campaign.

In this, the second of four articles in this series by Jeffrey Dobkin on creating highly responsive post cards, we discuss how to design and write postcards specifically to make your phone ring with maximum calls, maximum response.

In the third article in this series on direct mail marketing with post cards, we examine the final seven ways to create maximum results with your post card marketing campaign.  In the fourth and final article – which was written for the insurance industry, you’ll learn 15 specific offers to make the phone ring.  If you sell insurance, you’re in luck – these offers were written specifically for you.  If you don’t sell insurance, ummm… you’re probably better off, selling insurance is boring.  And, most of these offers will work for you anyhow.  Hey, don’t go into insurance on our account.

Here are the first 5 ways to make your post card direct mail marketing campaign even more effective by increasing your response rate.

1.    Paint a picture with your postcards.
Postcards show clients you are on your toes and just waiting by the phone to help them. Fast quotes, industry research, business help, referrals – whatever they need, direct mail campaigns using post cards should continually point clients to the phone: “Hey, just pick up the phone and call us right now.”  Even if you just offer free inside industry information, it’s empowering your clients to have all your information right there at their fingertips – if they just call right now and ask.

2.    FREE Quotes.
One of the best offers to make on a postcard is to offer a FREE quote or a FREE estimate.  Most business you receive starts out this way anyhow – someone calls for a quote, estimate, free booklet or for information.  Offer this on your card for maximum response.

Since many service jobs start out with a phone call asking for a quote, why not center your postcard marketing campaign on asking for the opportunity to quote.  This allows clients to tell you of their specific need while it generates a phone call for you.  Isn’t that exactly what your postcard marketing campaign is all about – finding a need and offering to fulfill it; and generating a phone call to start the process?

Please note: when making an offer for a FREE quote on a post card the word free should be in all capital letters.  Would you rather have a free quote or a FREE quote.

3. Generate referrals.
Postcards are GREAT for referrals.  Include a line on the bottom of ALL your direct mail marketing postcards saying “Thanks so much for all the referrals – we appreciate them.  Thank you!”  This implies some people have been giving you referrals, and stimulates referrals from all other readers.

By the way, if you print “Save this card” in small letters on your postcard, people will – increasing the longevity of the card and assuring your phone number will be at their fingertips when they need it.

4. Offer a FREE LUNCH.
Or, offer a free breakfast on your postcard.  Maybe dinner.  Put a dashed border around the post card and make it a fun coupon.  Hey, you need to meet with clients anyhow, to make sure they know who you are.

Lunches build loyalty and longevity into your business and face to face time creates and solidifies a real relationship.  Let them call you and take you up on this FREE offer whenever they like.  Remember, the bottom line of the post card campaign: once someone calls you, the post card worked.  100% success.  Once the phone rings, it’s up to you to fulfill your objective whatever it is. Once the reader is on the phone with you you can build loyalty, build trust, introduce new products, ask for referrals, cross sell, upsell, or simply close the sale.

If you market insurance or financial services like many of my clients, the phone call is also a great chance to offer a review all their policies and their financial portfolio over a meal.  Hey, I didn’t say it wouldn’t be a working lunch.

5. Offer a FREE BOOKLET.
The number ONE way to entice people to call in your post card direct mail marketing campaign (or any direct mail campaign, really) is to offer FREE information.  Information, booklets and white papers, they’re cheap to print and the value of the information they contain can be tremendous, especially if you keep the level of relevance high.

Here’s the most important tip…
in this article series.  To increase response of your direct mail marketing campaign: the title of the FREE booklet you offer on your postcard is entirely responsible for the quality and quantity of response. The title is a key element, and to a large part responsible for your post card success or failure.  As in most direct mail offers, the better the booklet TITLE, the greater the response.  Simple as that.

To come up with a great booklet title, use the Jeff Dobkin 100-to-1 Rule: write 100 titles, then go back and pick out your best one.  Hey – I didn’t say you’d like it, I just said it’s the best way to write an effective booklet title.  Read the complete 100-to-1 Rule article in the book, “Uncommon Marketing Techniques,” from the Danielle Adams Publishing Company.

This is the second of this 4-article set by Jeffrey Dobkin on creating effective post cards that 1. get read 2. enjoy high readership and 3. make your phone ring — which is the primary objective of most every post card campaign.  The third article continues with 6 more ways to ensure your postcard campaign is successful by creating a better response and making even more people call you.  Wow – there are 8 numbers in this paragraph. Man, I need to get a life.

Since this article was originally written for an insurance magazine, the final article in this series shows you 15 specific offers to make people to call you — if you’re in the insurance industry.  If you’re not in the insurance industry, good for you – it’s pretty boring.  Some of these offers will work just as well for you anyhow.  Read the complete article set at www.danielleadams.com.

Jeffrey Dobkin will now take your questions, call him on it: 610-642-1000 rings on his desk.  Write him at The Danielle Adams Publishing Company · Box 100 · Merion Station, PA  19066. Dobkin has written 4 books on increasing response in your direct mail and direct marketing campaigns including the cult classic, “How To Market A Product for Under $500,” “Direct Marketing Strategies,” and “Uncommon Marketing Techniques.” Please order his books at Amazon or call directly, or download Dobkin’s e-books from his website, www.danielleadams.com.  Not only are they amazingly great, but… he needs the money.

Bio, Jeffrey Dobkin

If you’re struggling with poor response — get help by reading practical marketing tips. Receive articles you can trust by Jeffrey Dobkin. Dobkin has written 4 books on direct marketing. He can be reached at 610-642-1000. Read more of his articles at http://www.danielleadams.com

Here’s why I like postcard marketing campaigns. Short crisp and to the point, direct mail postcards are one of the fastest and lowest cost ways to make your phone ring.  This is the first of 4 articles on how to make your post card marketing campaign get more phone calls and generate more response.

Post cards are not necessarily a good marketing campaign for the straight-up, out-and-out closing of a sale, but if created correctly direct mail post cards can be great for pre-selling products and services, building brand awareness, and creating customer loyalty.  And of course, I saved the best for last: post cards are the most efficient and excellent direct mail advertising vehicles for generating phone calls.

A postcard direct mail campaign can make your phone ring off the hook with compelling headlines, smooth transitions, charming copywriting, lively graphics, an irresistible offer and a solid call to action.  Even further: a series of direct mail post cards can receive an explosive response, build customer loyalty and stimulate brand awareness.  Yet post cards remain one the easiest to manage direct mail marketing campaigns.

Even though postcards aren’t the best for closing sales because of their short format and open architecture (no one can enclose a check to pay for an order – or write a credit card number) response can still be quite high.  Here are several important goals of using post cards in any direct mail marketing campaign.

1.    Generate phone calls.
The number one objective of most post card marketing campaigns is to generate a phone call.  Ninety percent of the post cards I create for clients are written to fulfill this single objective: make the phone ring.

The way to make the phone ring is very straightforward in this short postcard format: offer something for FREE and ask for the phone call several times on the card. “Call for FREE information!”  “Call for FREE review! Call for free analysis. Call for our FREE booklet. Call for FREE quote.  Call for…” well you get the idea.  Ask readers to call you enough and they will.  Every time a reader calls, you have the opportunity to provide better service, and increase client loyalty and longevity. And oh, yea… did I mention increase sales and revenue.  Yea, you can do that, too.  Did you notice I said YOU do that?  Your post card doesn’t do that, YOU do that.  The post card generates the call, but YOU make the sale.

2. Build brand awareness.
The other 10% of the postcards I create build brand.  By mailing postcards frequently, you can stay in the top of your client’s and prospect’s minds. So when your clients need anything that relates to your business – whatever you’re selling – they immediately think of you and call you first.

3.    Create Instant Success.
Post cards can generate immediate response if your offer touches a timely trigger point.  Figure out what your prospect’s immediate need is and address that in your card.  Then, ask for the call – what else?

4.    Build relationships.
Sure, you can – it’s easy!  But not with a single postcard.  You need to create this direct mail marketing campaign over time, with a series of postcards. Mailing postcards every two weeks is ideal. Even if you did this for an entire year, the total cost would be only ($.50 x 26 =) $13 dollars for the whole year.  The key to success?  Your list, relevancy, and your offer.

5. Don’t sell your product.
The final objective is to realize that you don’t need to sell your product from the post card.  That’s right – don’t sell your product — but you do generate phone calls and inquiries.  Then when the person calls, YOU sell your product or service. Now you see how it’s much easier to achieve your goal (generating a phone call) with your direct mail post card than getting an order: to actually make someone to put money in an envelope and wave goodbye to it.

And since postcards are Easy to handle, postcards are so much less work than other direct mail marketing campaigns which consist of letters, brochures or anything that needs to be placed in an envelope, folded or stapled.  So much less fuss and muss – just address and mail.  Postcards are easy.

These are the “goals” and objectives of your postcard marketing campaign. The next two parts of this 4-article series by Jeffrey Dobkin continue with 12 WAYS TO MAKE SURE your postcard campaign is successful.  Then – since this post card marketing article series was originally written for an insurance magazine, the final marketing article installment shows you 15 specific offers you can make on a postcard if you are in the insurance industry.

Hey, if you actually are in the insurance industry, this article series is an awesome 10 out of 10; but wow – get a life: insurance is pretty boring. The good news? You make a lot of money, you get to meet a lot of people and you get to go on some nice travel junkets. The bad news? You go with other insurance agents.

If you’re not in the insurance business, you’re probably much better off, and besides, most of these offers will still work for you anyhow. Read the complete article set at www.danielleadams.com

Jeffrey Dobkin will now take your questions, call him on it: 610-642-1000 rings on his desk.  Write to him at The Danielle Adams Publishing Company · Box 100 · Merion Station, PA  19066. Dobkin has written 4 books on increasing response in your direct mail and direct marketing campaigns.  Titles include the cult classic, “How To Market A Product for Under $500,” along with “Direct Marketing Strategies,” and “Uncommon Marketing Techniques.” Please order his books at Amazon or call directly (610-642-1000), or download Dobkin’s e-books on this website, www.danielleadams.com.  Not only are they amazingly great, but he needs the money.

Bio, Jeffrey Dobkin

If you’re struggling with poor response — get help by reading practical marketing tips. Receive articles you can trust by Jeffrey Dobkin. Dobkin has written 4 books on direct marketing. He can be reached at 610-642-1000. Read more of his articles at http://www.danielleadams.com

Face it: most people sort their direct mail over the trash can.

This process works fast, like flipping channels on tv. Or better yet, think back: you’re a kid and a friend is showing you baseball cards for possible trades: gottem gottem needem gottem gottem needem gottem. 200 cards, 50 seconds. Todays direct mail… Post Cards… Same thing: Direct mail credit card offers, direct marketing magazine subscriptions, direct selling insurance solicitations, and junk mail penny stock hawkers all get the briefest attention before being trashed.

But wait, there’s more! Post card marketing adds another dimension to the view-and-toss direct mail sorting process. Create your card right, and post card readership can be quite high, instantly. Because – it’s all right there, right in front of the reader-in his hand.
Post card readership is defined by how great the direct-selling copywriting and graphics are for your card. So the fate of your direct mail post card starts in the hands of the creator, which I believe is you, isn’t it?

I call it “Initial Glance Readership;” a term I coined, well… just now, to explain what happens the moment a reader glances at your direct mail post card that has just landed in his hands. This defines the 3-seconds readers spend upon their initial glance at your post card: one second on headline and topic, one second on copy and the blink of an eye on graphics – unless they’re really dazzling.

It’s the same thing as in life! Like, when I meet a new woman: one second on headline and topic, two seconds on copy and a blink of the eye on graphics, unless they’re dazzling… Hey, maybe this is a pattern of ALL life, and everything can be described by this phrase?

Wow, this is like discovering plutonium… maybe I’ll get a medal! The Nobel Peace Prize – yes, I’ve always wanted one of these, especially since Obama received one for doing, well… I’m not sure – so they can’t be that hard to get. Or a Pulitzer! Yes, for writing this direct marketing article! OK, I’m pretty safe here saying this won’t happen. Or, maybe, just maybe I’ve just discovered all this writing is just a soliloquy for my own life? Help me out here, wouldja…

Glance readership of a post card is like seeing the headline of an ad in a newspaper (remember them?): you only get a second or three to capture the attention of a fleeting reader, before they continue on to the obits, the comics or the TV page. Or is that just me?

Failure. Post card readership reviews can be fast and brutal and end in the briefest of time; failure resulting in the sudden spiral of your direct marketing mailpiece directly downward into the circular file below. And your money following suit. Ouch.

Success. Or, you can instantly get an extremely high-rated review and have your post card placed in the highly coveted pile of “read later with the rest of today’s important mail.” It’s your choice. Right now, you’ve got to ask yourself, “Am I feeling lucky?”
Postcard Rule Number 1. Write and design everything in your post card for the first two seconds.

When your recipient gets a good look at your post card, you get the immediate opportunity to pass or fail. So… what’s it gonna be? Coveted pile, or circular file? Yea, or Nay? Success, or failure? Prosper, or fludghum? OK, I might have made that last word up, but you get the idea, and the reader’s decision is immediate. Your choice.

The bright side: For us on the creative end of direct mail, it just can’t get any better. Buy the right mailing list and get your post card into the correct reader’s hands: I’ll get him to read it. Your direct marketing agency will too… and if they can’t, find another agency – plenty of good ones out there. Or call me – writing post cards is a favorite pastime of mine, like monopoly or tractor racing – but it pays better. A well written and well designed post card can enjoy exceptionally high readership – and get exceptionally high response.

OK, so your potential reader is now standing there with your wonderfully written, dazzlingly designed, properly prepared post card in his hot little hand and that, my friend, is great alliteration. It’s where the rubber meets the road. Or hit the road, or something about the road. I forget–I have Alzheimer’s. But… at least I don’t have Alzheimer’s!

Postcard Rule 2. You need to force the reader to read your post card.

How? Compelling headline. Followed by intriguing subheadlines. Brilliant body copy and great, great graphics. Spend a little more time (and money) here and what happens? Yes, the coveted “read later” pile. As in paragraph 6a above, subsection 254: The reader brings the card to his desk, and with no other option handy, reads the card you forced him to read.

Now, some nitty-gritty of how to do it.

“Instant readership” is based 100% on your headline hook, appropriateness of subject to your audience and dazzling layout. It’s followed shortly by the value created in your offer, if they get that far. Wrap all these elements in sparkling printing and nice paper and now your direct mail post card presents itself in a glancing, fast 2-second visual bite.

Direct mail post cards are the visual versions of the sound bits you hear on MTV or promos for the evening news; which, come to think of it, appear to be written by the same writers. Designing for instant readership has the singular objective of drawing the reader into the post card, no more, no less.

On the immediate receipt of your post card, each reader has his or her own mental preference files that compels him or her to stay tuned into your card, yet some commonalities exist. Wait. Wait just a moment. This gender thing of saying “Him or Her” all the time has got to go-it’s too clunky to keep saying “him or her, him or her,” – so let me clear this up once and for all. I’ll just place everything in the male gender until I get complaints from, well, you know… Hey, do you know how many men it takes to change the toilet paper roll? No, me neither.

Post Card Instant Readership & The first round of sorting

So right on the top section of your post card, as in all highly responsive direct mail, your headline needs to be great. If you have a “good” headline, no! NO! That just won’t work. Strangely, “good” is actually not good enough. You need something more than just good, you need “exceptionally great!” Create this one line correctly, viola – instant readership on a maximum level. That’s how important this single line is.
The first work-order of the day is to create an unbelievably great, maximum-interest headline so the reader is instantly hooked into staying in the copy and continues reading. So…

Postcard Rule 3. The goal of the headline: keep the reader reading. Nothing more. Nope. No selling.
Postcard Rule 4. Invoke The 100-to-1 Rule:

Since your post card headline needs to be G-R-E-A-T, use the Jeff Dobkin 100-to-1 rule for creating G-R-E-A-T headlines (as found in Dobkin’s book, Uncommon Marketing Techniques): write 100 headlines, go back and pick out your best one. Oh, you like this idea! Plan to use it? OK, it’s copyrighted. Send me Ten Bucks. And you’re getting away cheap. OK, jest kidding. Just send $5 bucks. Make that a Starbucks Card – they were going to get it anyway.

Postcard Rule 5. The founding principle of high readership: Headline = G-R-E-A-T, or else.

The objective of any direct marketing or direct mail headline is to grab the attention of the reader and yank him so far into the copy that if he throws your direct mail piece into the trash, he’ll come back later and route though the trash to dig it out. Yes, and a really great headline is when the reader digs it out of the trash even though he dumped his kitty litter in there on top of it.

Postcard Rule 6. The headline is NOT the time to sell your product.

The reason? The first glance is a pivotal point in your presentation because the reader has no investment of time in your direct mail piece and so no commitment to read further.

Initially, your recipient isn’t intrigued by whatever you’re selling, at whatever price; because he hasn’t seen your electrifying offer, hasn’t seen any of your product benefits, and hasn’t followed your compelling story line for 10 paragraphs and wants to see how you close the sale, or how your storyline finishes.

So right now, at this first glance – nothing: no commitment, no involvement – right now you’re just another blah blah of direct mail; a piece of paper with no message, no heart, no soul. Man, these first 2 seconds are critical. And without any involvement, your reader is ruthless.
If the headline sucks at first glance the card can be tossed without regret. Kindly recall the reader has lots of other mail, and has years of practice at “getting fast” at his standing-there-over-the wastebasket first sorting time. You need to instantly connect and deliver: survive this cut OR your direct mail piece suffers death by wastebasket. Cruel. And buried along with your post card, your money. Whoa… Crueler still.

Postcard Rule 7. The rule of readership survival.

The rule of readership survival as it relates to the first glance of your direct mail post card: it’s the critical changeover point where unless your headline and graphics are G-R-E-A-T, your loss of readership stops your post card from being your “investment” and shifts it to an “expense.” What’s it gonna be – Pass? Or failure? Good headline. Or great headline. Good graphics. Or awesome graphics. Your choices.

The second round of sorting

Ok, enough blah blah about Instant Readership of post cards. Like my first wife said about our marriage certificate, let’s just get past this. Oh well; I thought we had a pretty good week. Evidently she didn’t think it went that well. But opinions are like smelly feet – everyone has their own. I then discovered while only some women may marry you for your money, they all divorce you for it.

OK, so you and your post card made the first cut. Congratulations, y’old direct mail guru. Great graphics, hellatious headline, compelling, convincing copy; opulent irresistible offer. Having survived the first cut following the “Instant Readership” rules, your card now sits comfortably at the reader’s desk with the rest of the “important” mail. Nice. But you’re not out of the woods yet. Check your balance sheet.
This “Second Look” opportunity gives your direct marketing post card the luxury of more time – now that the reader has taken it back to the comfort of his office, a comfortable chair, a couple of beers, some good smoke and a little more time to invest in reading it. Or is that just me? Anyhow, to survive the first glance means the reader has made the decision he has an interest in whatever you’re hawking, or at least in what you have to say. Congratulations.

Welcome to Level II.

This is the first part of “Instant Readership” – A 3-article series on creating effective direct mail post cards.  Read the complete article set at <a target=”_new” href=”http://www.danielleadams.com”>http://www.danielleadams.com</a></p>

Abstract: Direct mail post cards make sense in today’s bludgeoned economy. They’re cheaper to print than a full direct mail package, and post cards are easier to handle, and less costly to mail. Like most direct mail campaigns, post cards can be tremendously effective at generating maximum response from your target market if created correctly.

Bio, Jeffrey Dobkin:

If you’re struggling with poor response from your direct marketing campaign, you can get help fast. Get great results by reading practical how-to marketing tips. Increase your phone calls – and customers – receive articles you can trust by Jeffrey Dobkin. Dobkin has written 4 books on direct marketing (including the cult classic, How To Market A Product for Under $500!) that feature his practical marketing tips and successful direct marketing methods, all written in his own brilliant conversational style. Jeffrey Dobkin can be reached at The Danielle Adams Publishing Company, Phone 610-642-1000. Read more of his articles at http://www.danielleadams.com

Welcome.

Welcome to one of the many marketing and direct marketing sites of Jeffrey Dobkin.

Please stick around for a few minutes — it gets interesting…

There’s lots of marketing and direct marketing information on this site.  (Could this be the interesting part? Nah…)

Information about Dobkin’s marketing books, (boring…), Jeff’s direct marketing books (ahhhhh… yawn), and some of Jeffrey’s articles on marketing (yaawwnnn…).  There’s also a place on this site a place to ask Jeff your toughest marketing questions.  (Huh?)  Yea, that’s right – go on, ask Jeff some of your toughest marketing and direct marketing questions.  See if he sobers up long enough to answer them.  Interesting?  Maybe, but meanwhile…

This site is dedicated to one of Jeff’s fullest, largest, richest in information, and get-rich-right-from-your-kitchen-table programs: The original Intelligent Testing System.  This system started out in 1998, updated in 2002, and had over 500 pages posted in 2-huge binders, plus a 10-cassett audio course — narrated by Jeff himself from over 85 pages of script, and shipped out through UPS at over 11 pounds.  The cost back then was $299.95.  Now, you can still order this course in  a hard-copy, the cost is $499.95.  But through the miracle  Internet say hallelujah, you can buy the basic download version for only $99.95.  But stick around, and we’ll throw in a couple of items — for FREE — that if you have any interest in direct marketing in case you’re one of those, you know-marketing geeks, will make our offer totally irresistible.  Trust me on this – it’s a great offer.