How to Design Postcard Marketing for Maximum Mailing Discounts

Postcard marketing is inexpensive and relatively easy, and provides a measurable, accountable and testable method of direct marketing. If postcard marketing is part of your marketing strategy, be sure to create your piece for maximum post office discounts. In the United States, the U.S. Postal Services provides a book online called the Domestic Mail Manual. The exact dimensions, sizes and specifications for all mailing pieces are included in this book. If you follow the size, shape and other regulations, you can send out your postcard mailing at the lowest rate possible.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Computer access
• Design for postcard

1. If you're at the start of the creative process, set up your card to match the post office's guidelines for postcards. Because the post office automates mail processing, anything designed to move efficiently through the post office's machines gets the best discounts. Currently the minimum size requirement for a postcard is five inches long by three and a half inches wide, with six inches long and four inches wide the absolute maximum for the lowest price. The piece should be between .007 of an inch to a quarter of an inch thick to make it through the automation machines.

2. When creating the postcard design, you have two sides of the card to use. One side may contain graphics and text. The other side must split into halves, with the right hand half used for the address block and indicia (postal permit) or stamp.

3. When possible, use bar codes with mailing addresses. Adding zip plus four and bar codes speeds automation. For big mailings, consult a mail house. These vendors are experts in postcard mailings and should be able to help you achieve the maximum discount through properly sorting mail by bar codes, destination points, and similar factors.

4. Be sure that your postcard mailing contains a unique URL, telephone number or response mechanisms so that you can track, measure, monitor and use the response data you acquire from the campaign to improve your next postcard mailing.

Tips & Warnings

• Large mailings of 1,000 pieces or more are best handled by a professional mailing house, experts in mail automation.
• Consult the U.S. Post Office's website frequently as they constantly change and update mailing requirements.
• Anything larger than the sizes listed in this article or on the post office website for a postcard is charged at the first class rate, the same rate as for letters. While there's some benefit to oversize postcards, you may want to test a postcard mailing against other direct mail methods to see which one performs best.

Resources

• Article on direct marketing lists.
• Postcard marketing and PURLs, the latest technique.
• Seven Oaks Consulting, experts in direct marketing.
• The U.S. Postal Direct Mail Manual Online

[georgelarson]

on 1/30/2009 The tracking mechanism is very important to measure the success of your postcard marketing campaign. Thanks.

[kskaggs]

on 1/29/2009 Thanks You!

[Psalmist4M]

on 1/29/2009 Now this is very helpful & a great idea. I would consider using something like PowerPoint or MS Publisher to create them. Thanks for the content & tips. 5*s