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.

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