Postcards are the lingua franca of communication. Even in today’s Instagram world, people send postcards when they travel. Businesses use them to find new customers and stay visible with current clients. Retailers use them to make offers and politicians use them to pitch their policies ahead of elections. Even governments use them to communicate deadlines, changes in ordinances, and other essential communication.
In an episode of Print Sample TV, I looked at postcards because they should be on the product menu for every printer. During election season I was receiving six to ten a day from local candidates and groups promoting ballot initiatives. Some were small-format, and some were almost letter-size and contained blog-length information blocks explaining positions. Some were full-color graphic adventures while others were simple monochrome announcements. And I read every single one of them because it was easy.
At the same time the election mail was arriving I was also receiving notices from the folks who pump the septic tank, local restaurants and retailers, and even some of the big box stores reminding me that they had changed their hours or that they were hiring!. The bang for the buck of postcards is undeniable. They should fit the budget for any customer!
Take care, though. The USPS just changed some of the rules for postcard sizes, so do your homework. If you aren’t offering Every Door Direct Mail (EDDM) services that promote the lower-cost option of unaddressed but targeted mail, this is a great time to add it to your offerings!
Watch the postcard episode below, and explore the Print Sample TV playlist here.
If you have the coolest print sample among the work you have commissioned or produced, let me know. I am always looking! Reach out to me and I’ll be delighted to tell your story!.
Pat McGrew helps companies perform better. As Managing Director for McGrewGroup, Inc., she promotes Best Practices for your Business leveraging her work as an executive, marketer, analyst, industry evangelist, and consultant to enable business growth. An experienced professional speaker and author of 8 business books, Pat is also the editor of A Guide to the Electronic Document Body of Knowledge, a regular industry content contributor, host of #PrintSampleTV, and co-host of #ThePrintReport Podcast with Deborah Corn. Pat won the 2014 #GirlsWhoPrint Girlie Award and the 2016 Xplor Brian Platte Lifetime Achievement Award. She is certified as a Lifetime Master Electronic Document Professional by Xplor, and as a Color Management Professional (CMP), CMP Digital, and BrandQ Professional by IDEAlliance. Find Pat on Twitter as @PatMcGrew and on LinkedIn.
