When you start a postcard marketing campaign, you need to make sure you have great incentives for people to respond to your mailing. If you're trying to get people to switch from your competitor to you, you need to give them a clear reason of why, and then a coupon to encourage them to try your product or service at little cost to the customer.

Especially if you are targeting potential customers, you need this coupon incentive. I've tried many new restaurants and services based on a coupon I received in the mail. Without that coupon, no way would I have plucked down my hard-earned money on something I've never had before!

Coupons can help you attain many objectives: to help introduce a new product or service, to increase repeat business, to fend off the competition, to reinforce an advertising campaign, or even to soften the impact of a price increase. Usually, coupons take the form of newspaper inserts, individual direct-mail pieces, packs of assorted coupons with other businesses, in- or on-package offers, and even handouts at downtown businesses.

Direct mail is one of the most popular and easiest ways to get coupons out to customers. Coupons are great for occasions such as grand openings, a remodeling opening, the addition of new departments or facilities, anniversary celebrations, or the introduction of new products or services. Coupons are great way to tempt potential and current customers to visit your business.

Here are a few tips to keep in mind when sending out coupons:

Coupons can be used at the beginning of your customer relationship, with a ?stop in and take a look? message or can be effective in the midst of a customer relationship as a ?thank you for doing business with us? message. Use a coupon whenever you see fit.

Coupons can be used as a one-time promotion to be used by itself, or in combination with other offers, such as in-store sales. Either way, the value must be large enough to attract customers. It's better to err on the side of making the offer too good, than to risk not making the offer good enough to garner any interest at all.

Don't send out coupons every week. People will come to expect them, and will only visit your store after a coupon comes out because they know they can wait and within a week a coupon will appear in their mail.

Hire a freelance designer if you don't have faith in your own designing abilities. Be sure the coupon is attractive but still has the important points of the details of the offer, how long it lasts and directions on how to redeem it.

Color-code coupons or mark them in some way if you're targeting different groups with the same offer. For example, if you're mailing to people in three local towns, color each coupon differently so you know how many customers were from each town.

Coupons are a great way to get customers in your door, and people are more likely to buy more items and spend more money than they would have without a coupon. So why not use a coupon?