Get people to pay attention
How much time do you think each lead of yours spends with your postcard? That depends heavily on how you’ve designed it.
A study by the USPS shows that people spend longer looking at print advertisements like postcards than they do at digital ones, and that they react more emotionally and remember what they’ve seen for longer.
But with that said, that’s still not a ton of time. Most website visitors stay for less than 3 seconds, and 79% of people exhibit “banner blindness” and don’t even see online ads.
So even though direct mail is by far your best option, you still have to work for it.
You have to land a really punchy first impression!
Design your postcard to lead your readers
What you want to do is lead your readers up the “yes ladder.” This is the idea that you get people to commit to reading your postcard piece by piece. As they buy into each sentence and nod and agree, they then read the next. In other terms, you hook their attention more and more as they go.
Messages that follow this format will start with broad, generally true statements that just about everyone can agree with and narrow down into a specific call to action when they reach the top of the proverbial ladder.
Here are the 3 steps to creating a postcard “yes-ladder:”
Step #1: Draw them in
See our example postcard below. The first great move that this postcard makes is that it’s bright, colorful, appealing, and not over-crowded. Beautiful design is important, and postcards that have too much going on will deter readers right from the start.
The second excellent choice it makes is that it addresses the recipient by first name. (The same level of personalization available online also exists in postcard marketing thanks to digital printing technology) With a grasp on the reader’s attention, it then presents an appealing inquiry: wouldn’t you rather be playing golf than mowing the lawn?
Why yes, yes I would.
Step #2: Explain simply
If that message landed home, the reader is now thinking, “How do I do that?” Perfect. Explain what you mean in friendly, colloquial terms that are free of industry jargon like “experts at hedging and trimming.” Keep it focused on the benefit to the reader, which is all they really care about.
Ahh, so now they understand that we’ll do the mowing for them. Next question.
Step #3: Present the offer
With two yeses under your belt, it’s time to wrap it up (are we still under 3 seconds here?) and deliver the offer. Your lead now wants your service and you should tell them how to get it. Include an offer code that’s unique for each different postcard campaign so that you can track results and optimize your marketing to improve your ROI.
The road to more sales is littered with “yes ladders”
Designing your postcard properly will allow you to direct your prospects’ attention where you need it to go and lead them up the path of the “yes ladder.” This leads them right to a sale and drastically improves your postcard marketing results!
Try it out with a pre-made postcard template designed by our experts.
Need more help with your marketing strategy? Stop wasting money and call Opportunity Knocks marketing at 1 (866) 222-6010 and land more customers now.