"When working for a real estate office, I had to create and mail thousands of postcards over the course of just a few months. Postcard marketing seemed to be the office's main avenue of advertising to top clients, and these mailings seemed to create more responses than flyers or personalized letters. It didn't take me long to notice the benefits of using postcards to reach a client base.

1. They are low-cost and easy to print. Although most postcard printing companies charge very little per postcard, especially if the order is a large amount, you could also print your own. Oftentimes I printed postcards four to a page and cut them out using the company's laser-guided paper cutter. This did take more time and effort, though, so in order to save time, many times I outsourced the printing. Most printing businesses will have your order ready in only a couple of days.

2. They can be made into several sizes, although the standard size only costs $.26 to mail. They are also easy to create. You can choose to have the return address, mailing address, and even stamps printed on the card. Some companies will even mail them for you.

3. Prospects don't have to open postcards like they do flyers or letters. It's easy for someone to just glance at the postcard, giving your advertising a chance. Also, your database will be up-to-date because each wrong address will be returned to your office.

So, I've sold you on using this marketing strategy, but now how do you use it successfully? Just follow the simple rules below, and your business could be seeing more results than ever expected.

1. Make sure that your mailings are only to the most potential clients. Sending mailings out to everyone on your database could end up costing you more money than is worth the return. Don't send a postcard advertising a $25,000 sports car to prospects who have a budget of $14,000 and need a sedan.

2. Postcards don't need to be too showy, just irresistible enough that the client can't help skimming at least the headline. Use just that, a headline with a brief message calling them to action. Choosing to use only three to four colors will help it feel more friendly and warm rather than pushy and overwhelming.

3. Make them two-sided. Put your message and call-to-action on one side and your contact information, extra details, and directions on the second side. Many times color is only necessary on the front, which saves on cost. Most print companies will total each side separately.

4. Many times, creating a deadline gives customers the push that they need to contact your business. Send your postcards with specific dates in mind, an open house, for instance. This also allows for your postcard to double as a ticket for giveaways or discounts, which cuts your cost.

Give postcard marketing a try. Experiment to find what works best for your area of business, and prepare to be surprised by the ease, efficiency, and results of this old-fashioned advertising
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