Postcard direct mail marketing: 15 ways to grab attention

by Alan Sharpe

Published on this site: July 14th, 2005 - See more articles from this month...

If you use direct mail postcards to generate leads or sell a product or service, you need to create postcards that grab your prospect's attention. The place to do that is Side A, the side that doesn't have the stamp and address on it. Here are some creative ways to get the attention of your potential buyers, some of which have worked extremely for well for my clients.

1. feature a wacky photograph
   
   
2. use a photo of your product in an unusual setting
   
   
3. make an outrageous (but true) claim
   
   
4. state your unique selling promise in an intriguing way
   
   
5. present your prospect's problem (the one that your product or
   service solves) in a compelling way
   
   
6. ask a provocative question, and put the answer on Side B
   
   
7. feature a short quiz that stimulates interest in what you are selling
   
   
8. just be blunt and put your offer in big letters ("SAVE 20% ON YOUR ORDER!")
   
   
9. quote someone famous saying something profound about your product or service
   
   
10. quote someone famous saying something profound about your prospect's greatest problem (the one your product or service solves). Example: "I've been on a diet for 14 days and so far all that I've lost is 14 days."
    
    
11. show a before and after photograph
    
    
12. show a photo of your product in action
    
    
13. feature a series of photos that demonstrate your product in action
    
    
14. ask a question that includes a blank, like this ___________, which the reader fills in
    
    
15. borrow credibility with a photo of a famous person using your product
    
    
16. show a customer using your product in an unusual setting (a man sitting on a camel and talking on a cell phone, for example)
    
    
17. show a photograph of the postcard sender, and include a personal message from that person, in quotes
    
    
18. create a sense of immediacy by circling the date of your deadline for ordering on a calendar, and using that as your visual
    
19. present your offer visually (if it's a discount, show the amount of money saved as a pile of dollar bills; if it is a cruise for two, show two people dining onboard)
    
    
20. demonstrate that you understand your prospect's challenge by showing a photo of a prospect facing that challenge
    
    
21. dramatize your product with a close up photo of an unusual part
    
    
22. design your postcard to look like a high-end invitation
    
    
23. ask a "true or false" question that is answered on the other side (eventually)
    
    
24. make the postcard interactive by inviting the reader to fold it, hold it up to the light, bend it, or do something else with it that communicates your selling proposition in a compelling (and perhaps funny) way
    
    
25. whatever you do, remember that the goal of Side A of your postcard is to grab attention long enough that you arouse curiosity and motivate your prospect to turn the card over and continue reading

Alan Sharpe is a business-to-business direct mail copywriter and lead generation specialist who helps business owners and marketing managers generate leads, close sales and retain customers using cost-effective, creative direct mail and email marketing. Read his free weekly e-newsletter, Alan Sharpe's B2B Direct Mail Tactics, at www.sharpecopy.com/newsletter
Phone: 1 877 SHARPE COPY