Postcards for marketing
Discussion
I am thinking of using A5 postcards to introduce us to potential clients.
I have done email campaigns which do not seem to work to well in my industry so I might try using postcards as opposed to a intro letter, anyone used postcards and got good results.
Below is my first effort for the front of the postcard, list of services and contact details will be on the rear.
The reason I have looked at postcards is I feel it is more likely to be looked at by the recipient because it as photos and a description of what we do and is not a letter that as to be opened then read, also easier to file for future reference.
Any feed back welcome.
I have done email campaigns which do not seem to work to well in my industry so I might try using postcards as opposed to a intro letter, anyone used postcards and got good results.
Below is my first effort for the front of the postcard, list of services and contact details will be on the rear.
The reason I have looked at postcards is I feel it is more likely to be looked at by the recipient because it as photos and a description of what we do and is not a letter that as to be opened then read, also easier to file for future reference.
Any feed back welcome.
Edited by flatsix3.6 on Sunday 26th October 13:45
you really need much much better photographs .
i like the idea of a postcard though , i take it you have details of you website on the reverse along with your other contact details?
you must have an address and a landline to differentiate you from the "we were doing a job round the corner and had some tarmac left over."
i like the idea of a postcard though , i take it you have details of you website on the reverse along with your other contact details?
you must have an address and a landline to differentiate you from the "we were doing a job round the corner and had some tarmac left over."
jas xjr said:
you really need much much better photographs .
i like the idea of a postcard though , i take it you have details of you website on the reverse along with your other contact details?
you must have an address and a landline to differentiate you from the "we were doing a job round the corner and had some tarmac left over."
All info will be on the rear, the photos were taken with a 5.1 mega pixel camera and down loaded to vista print template so may have lost a bit of clarity.i like the idea of a postcard though , i take it you have details of you website on the reverse along with your other contact details?
you must have an address and a landline to differentiate you from the "we were doing a job round the corner and had some tarmac left over."
my issue with the pics was not the clarity . the first pic for example . the path looks dirty , not pristine.
please do not think i am being critical for the sake of it. imagine looking for a new kitchen and finding pictures of a dirty kitchen with doors open etc. you need pictures that make what you do . look the best it can.
please do not think i am being critical for the sake of it. imagine looking for a new kitchen and finding pictures of a dirty kitchen with doors open etc. you need pictures that make what you do . look the best it can.
jas xjr said:
my issue with the pics was not the clarity . the first pic for example . the path looks dirty , not pristine.
please do not think i am being critical for the sake of it. imagine looking for a new kitchen and finding pictures of a dirty kitchen with doors open etc. you need pictures that make what you do . look the best it can.
I take your point but it is very rare you will finish with a nice black surface as the dirt and dust migrate on the rollers wet drums on to the new surface, however I shall see if I have some photos more suitable.please do not think i am being critical for the sake of it. imagine looking for a new kitchen and finding pictures of a dirty kitchen with doors open etc. you need pictures that make what you do . look the best it can.
Ive done some postcards recently for my startup and have found them really useful. Much more engaging for handing out on 'cold calls' to prospective parties (in our case estate agents etc mainly) they are much more visual than just a plain business card, and tend to hold their interest while you have time to explain a bit more about you and your business.
These are mine, still a lot of images front and back, with a top border, but going down a size has (hopefully!) made it no less clear, and if nothing else made them cheaper to print! Easier to hand out, less unwieldy etc:
My input, consider the size quite carefully- we initially defaulted to A5 like you, but after a bit more thought we went down a size to A6, as it makes you 'work harder' with the layout, but is still big enough to have it strongly image based. For example, on yours, the black top and bottom border makes up twice the size of the images of your work!
As above, think carefully about the pictures- not just in terms of size/resolution. I appreciate photographing black tarmac is a challenge to make it look nice/interesting! But maybe a photo of it being laid, if you have a nice professional looking team/equipment?
These are mine, still a lot of images front and back, with a top border, but going down a size has (hopefully!) made it no less clear, and if nothing else made them cheaper to print! Easier to hand out, less unwieldy etc:
My input, consider the size quite carefully- we initially defaulted to A5 like you, but after a bit more thought we went down a size to A6, as it makes you 'work harder' with the layout, but is still big enough to have it strongly image based. For example, on yours, the black top and bottom border makes up twice the size of the images of your work!
As above, think carefully about the pictures- not just in terms of size/resolution. I appreciate photographing black tarmac is a challenge to make it look nice/interesting! But maybe a photo of it being laid, if you have a nice professional looking team/equipment?
Hi Richard, we've already been chatting via email, it's Oliver at Event Print.. I quoted you for the postcards. I would probably agree with the A6 size postcards but I really think the flyer needs to be designed a bit better to make it more eye catching.
I can offer you help on the flyers and do a couple of designs for you for the front and back if you can send me some good quality photos and all the information you want on them. As you already know I have already offered a better price than Vistaprint for the printing.. if you'd like me to do the flyer design I will do it for £20 and it will be in the correct print ready format.
Lexual said:
Hi Richard, we've already been chatting via email, it's Oliver at Event Print.. I quoted you for the postcards. I would probably agree with the A6 size postcards but I really think the flyer needs to be designed a bit better to make it more eye catching.
I can offer you help on the flyers and do a couple of designs for you for the front and back if you can send me some good quality photos and all the information you want on them. As you already know I have already offered a better price than Vistaprint for the printing.. if you'd like me to do the flyer design I will do it for £20 and it will be in the correct print ready format.
Hi Oliver, will be in touch I just thought I would get some feedback on the post card idea from some PH'S.I can offer you help on the flyers and do a couple of designs for you for the front and back if you can send me some good quality photos and all the information you want on them. As you already know I have already offered a better price than Vistaprint for the printing.. if you'd like me to do the flyer design I will do it for £20 and it will be in the correct print ready format.
Already some good points been raised that I will go forward with, will take some photos next week and contact you and sort something out.
Ideally you need some before and after shots to show the difference. A call to action is also helpful, 10% off with this flyer (hopefully they will then hold onto it..
We did flyers for out Estate Agency with a biscuit recipe on the back!
Perhaps you need to play on peoples emotions?,
Bumpy paths?, will Granny fall this winter and break her hip?
will YOU be sued because your car parking is full of potholes?
That kind of thing...
We did flyers for out Estate Agency with a biscuit recipe on the back!
Perhaps you need to play on peoples emotions?,
Bumpy paths?, will Granny fall this winter and break her hip?
will YOU be sued because your car parking is full of potholes?
That kind of thing...
I do this and use a company called imail - https://www.imail.co.uk
They will print and post an a5 postcode color front and back for 44p plus VAT - that included the postage !!
I have no idea how they do it for the price but the quality is very good and you can upload mailing lists etc.
I have sent around 5,000 over the past couple of years and had good results.
They will print and post an a5 postcode color front and back for 44p plus VAT - that included the postage !!
I have no idea how they do it for the price but the quality is very good and you can upload mailing lists etc.
I have sent around 5,000 over the past couple of years and had good results.
Some basics:
1. If someone wants to know what you do and they don't know, do you begin your sentence with "<Company name>..." No, you do not. Make the title something engaging such as "Improve your home" or "Smoother than a baby's bum" (need to get their attention!)
2. Before and after shots to show what difference you can make
3. Time limited offer (even if you repeat another time) such as "Special offer on driveways"/"10% off all orders before January" etc
4. What 'turns people on' when they buy from you now?
1. If someone wants to know what you do and they don't know, do you begin your sentence with "<Company name>..." No, you do not. Make the title something engaging such as "Improve your home" or "Smoother than a baby's bum" (need to get their attention!)
2. Before and after shots to show what difference you can make
3. Time limited offer (even if you repeat another time) such as "Special offer on driveways"/"10% off all orders before January" etc
4. What 'turns people on' when they buy from you now?
There's only three things your customer wants to know from you. 1. Can you do a good job? 2, Will it be a reasonable price. 3. How do I contact you. So if this were my postcard I'd lose the bottom bar altogether. It just get's in the way anyone can see the information it gives, and you'll be giving it all on the back anyway and anyone who needs instruction to turn over the card for your details probably needs more help with their lives than you can give.
As for the pictures well the first one has been covered, the middle one because the horizons and verticals don't match the edge of the photo looks on the squint and the third one the pattern of your tarmac could be interpreted as giving the customer the finger (or is it just me?).
Finally get rid of the date stamp, it means that you can't use economies of scale when ordering the cards, rather than order a couple of thousand and still be giving them out in 2018 you're sort of restricted to getting rid of them in the next six months or you won't look fresh and up to date.
If it were my card I'd be looking at using a picture similar to the middle picture in a half tone covering the entire card, then superimpose slightly larger pictures and your company name on it. A close up of a tarmac to tarmac join for instance, the cleaned up (lightly photo shopped) path. As suggested the job in progress but maybe a close up of the action rather than a general view.
How about a set of 3 or 4 photos showing a brief sequence of tarmac being laid? So cleaned hole, raking on, rolling, edge finishing. I'm no expert so the sequence is a guess but you get the idea. All in close up's.
As for the pictures well the first one has been covered, the middle one because the horizons and verticals don't match the edge of the photo looks on the squint and the third one the pattern of your tarmac could be interpreted as giving the customer the finger (or is it just me?).
Finally get rid of the date stamp, it means that you can't use economies of scale when ordering the cards, rather than order a couple of thousand and still be giving them out in 2018 you're sort of restricted to getting rid of them in the next six months or you won't look fresh and up to date.
If it were my card I'd be looking at using a picture similar to the middle picture in a half tone covering the entire card, then superimpose slightly larger pictures and your company name on it. A close up of a tarmac to tarmac join for instance, the cleaned up (lightly photo shopped) path. As suggested the job in progress but maybe a close up of the action rather than a general view.
How about a set of 3 or 4 photos showing a brief sequence of tarmac being laid? So cleaned hole, raking on, rolling, edge finishing. I'm no expert so the sequence is a guess but you get the idea. All in close up's.
skilly1 said:
I do this and use a company called imail - https://www.imail.co.uk
They will print and post an a5 postcode color front and back for 44p plus VAT - that included the postage !!
I have no idea how they do it for the price but the quality is very good and you can upload mailing lists etc.
I have sent around 5,000 over the past couple of years and had good results.
Considering I would charge around 1.7p per per print of a full colour double sided A5 Flyer/Postcard, and sending high volumes of mail using a franking machine would cost you a maximum of about 37p each... based on 5000 mailers they're making at least £265+ which is not bad business.. They will print and post an a5 postcode color front and back for 44p plus VAT - that included the postage !!
I have no idea how they do it for the price but the quality is very good and you can upload mailing lists etc.
I have sent around 5,000 over the past couple of years and had good results.
951TSE said:
How about a set of 3 or 4 photos showing a brief sequence of tarmac being laid? So cleaned hole, raking on, rolling, edge finishing. I'm no expert so the sequence is a guess but you get the idea. All in close up's.
This. Also as Frimley said above, you sell on the benefit your product brings rather than the product itself. The most difficult bit is then making prospect customers act now, just after looking at a piece of paper that came through the door. A promotion or offer will boost that urgency.As all the above really. I'd lose the company name too. If you're not well known it's not going to attract anyone, it's boring and takes up a third of the page. Think of the top section as the advert to the advert- get something which grabs people's attention.
Photos before and after (MUCH better photos)
Sell the benefits (wow the neighbours/save money/increase house value/etc)
Remember nobody is interested in tarmac. No offence but they just don't care, see above.
Company logo in bottom corner with big time limited call to action (call before XX for a free survey/quote/discount/etc)
Photos before and after (MUCH better photos)
Sell the benefits (wow the neighbours/save money/increase house value/etc)
Remember nobody is interested in tarmac. No offence but they just don't care, see above.
Company logo in bottom corner with big time limited call to action (call before XX for a free survey/quote/discount/etc)
Thanks for all the useful replies but these postcards are not to promote for domestic drives but targeted at potential commercial and industrial clients that have car parks, such as, super markets, hotel chains, schools, leisure centres etc.
Basically any organisation that have car parks to maintain.
Keep your ideas coming.
Basically any organisation that have car parks to maintain.
Keep your ideas coming.
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