Direct Mail Marketing News

Postcards & Social Media: A Perfect Marketing Marriage

If you’re like most small business owners, you’ve probably heard more than one self-proclaimed marketing guru state the following:

  1. Postcard marketing is dead.
  2. There’s too much “noise” on social media for your message to be heard, let alone for it to be effective.

The issue here is that these statements couldn’t be farther from the truth. Don’t believe us?

Here’s some food for thought. Recent studies indicate that:

  • Over 52% of all consumers read postcards
  • 92% of all businesses have increased exposure through social media marketing
  • 80% of businesses have experienced an increase in overall website traffic as a result of social media

Now, let’s take this one step further.  If both postcard marketing and social media marketing are effective individually, what happens when you combine them into one power-packed, integrated marketing campaign?

The answer: RESULTS

When used properly, postcards can be extremely effective offline AND online marketing tools.   After all, they can’t be flagged for spam, don’t require an extensive SEO strategy to be successful and will often end up on someone’s refrigerator if your message is memorable or your offer is compelling enough.

Here’s how you can up the ante across the board so that you’re obtaining maximum ROI on your business’s marketing efforts both in print AND the digital space.

  1. Add Social Media Buttons to Your Postcards

While social media buttons work best online (since your customers and prospects can simply click on them and immediately be transferred to your company’s social media profiles), you shouldn’t discredit their effectiveness in driving social engagement in the offline world too.  Chances are you’ve seen Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram logos in print ads, as well as plastered on billboards and heck, probably even on the sides of buses.  There’s a reason for this.  It works.  So why not apply this same principle to postcards too?  It’s one of the simplest ways to generate interest in your business’ online social media presence.

  1. Provide Exclusive Offers on Postcards

The most effective postcards offer real value.  The easiest way to deliver perceived value to the end reader of your postcard is by delivering special offers and exclusive discounts that can only be obtained if someone engages with your business on social media.   By doing so, you’ll give people a reason to interact with your social media pages.  If you want to take this one step further, make it easy for people to share your promotion on social media as well.  And if you REALLY want to drive engagement, you might consider hosting some sort of contest, where entries are only accepted once someone has shared something about your business on your desired social media platform of choice.

  1. Bridge the Offline and Online Gap with Custom URLs and QR Codes

The KISS principle of design, developed by the U.S. Navy in 1960, is still alive and well – even over 50 years later!  Embracing this principle is more important than ever when trying to strategically link your offline and online marketing efforts.   After all, do you really think that people receiving your postcard are going to successfully this type the URL https://www.facebook.com/This-Is-The-Page-With-The-Longest-URL-In-The-World-WOW-Its-Really-Very-Long-220173687842 into their web browsers?

There’s a higher probability that 10 of them will win a million dollars – today – than this happening.  If you’re going to print URL’s on your postcards, keep them as short as possible.  The less people have to type, the better.  If possible, use QR codes.  Instead of typing something into a web browser, your readers can easily scan the QR code with a smartphone app and be taken straight to your social media page.

It’s fast, simple, and more important, it’s FREE.

It’s no secret that postcard marketing can build credibility for your business in your local community, especially since most people feel that a company with the budget to undertake print marketing campaigns is more legitimate than one that doesn’t.  When you couple this with the immense marketing power social media offers, it’s a dominant combination that’s undeniably successful.

If you’re ready to kick-start your postcard marketing efforts, check out our website or better yet, give us a jingle today at 866-319-7109.

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