Your postcard design makes a statement about your business. Here are some tips to help you create a design that speaks volumes to your potential clients.

When was the last time you received a postcard? Think about it: with so many advanced communication systems and automated messages, it’s become rare to get a personal postcard in the mail.

As a business owner, this is a great opportunity to capitalize on. Sending a postcard in the mail – either digitally or as part of a print campaign – can make you stand out among competitors. It shows customers you care to make a genuine connection and to put in the time to foster strong relationships.

All you need is the right postcard design. After all, the last thing you want to do is come off too strong, or create a boring postcard that just gets thrown away.  Once you have the perfect design use this vistaprint coupon to save on costs.

To make sure you get your message across, follow the steps below.

1. Know Your Audience

Before you sit down to make your own postcard, consider who you plan to send it to. Put yourself in the shoes of the average consumer. People get flooded with information, ads, flash sales, and new products every single day – why should your marketing initiative be any different?

You can’t just push a bunch of new postcards into circulation and hope they’ll pay off. You have to treat this as a conversation starter, or as a way to continue pushing leads through your funnel.

Consider what your ideal consumer is passionate about, the kind of spending money they have and what their most immediate needs are.

From there, it becomes much easier to design a postcard.

2. Establish a Goal

Once you know who you’re talking to, really think about what you want to say.

Your business postcard should have one clear goal to accomplish. Maybe the reason for creating a postcard is to boost sales numbers this month or to get more new leads to contact your business. Maybe you want to promote an upcoming branch expansion or new product.

Whatever the end-goal is, it has to feel natural to the audience.

Stir some emotion in them! Get people excited to go to your grand opening or curious about the promotion you’re running. Make them want to take advantage of a great deal, or at least to look into what options you’re offering them.

When you’ve decided on the main initiative, break it down even further. Determine how many business postcards you need to make and when you plan to send them out.

Maybe even consider making two or three different sets of postcards, depending on your goal and the kinds of consumers in your audience. If you can break down one large group of people into sub-markets – like primary and secondary audiences – your campaign may be more effective.

3. Stay On-Brand

After all the practical details are established, it’s time to switch gears and actually create postcards. This is all about strong design. The more visually appealing your postcard design is, the better chance you have of reaching the campaign’s goals.

No matter what the final result is, though, you have to stay on-brand.

Consistent branding makes all your marketing efforts stronger. It helps users become familiar with you as they see your posts on social media, banner and native ads as they search the web, and walk by brick and mortar locations or street posters you’ve put up. Some of the best ways to stay consistent are:

• always make your logo stand out
• create all designs with a set of branded colors
• use the same font for all typing purposes
• come up with a company phrase or term
• make your values known

Such details paint the full picture. They communicate more than just the sale you’re running or the new line you’re releasing. They tell users who you are and what you stand for, which are the key to creating repeat customers and driving new sales.

4. Create Something Memorable

As much as branding is important, so is being unique. You can’t have your business postcard design look exactly like the billboard you just purchased or the greeting photo on your website’s homepage.

Branding is the foundation of good design, but each piece of your marketing campaign should be something distinct. Otherwise, you risk being boring and easy to forget.

Here are some ways to ensure your postcard sticks in user’s minds.

Digital vs. Printed Postcards

You’ve probably assumed a business postcard has to be part of a print campaign this whole time. That’s not necessarily true!

There are many ways to create a postcard online and send it out in a flash. This makes the marketing process much easier and more productive, putting content in front of users faster than traditional mail can do. Not to mention, a digital business postcard is a nice alternative to a standard email campaign.

If you do want to go the print route, at least use an online postcard maker, like My Postcard, to set everything up. This way, you can save on having to hire a graphic designer, which means more money for printing and circulation purposes.

Such an effort on your end may be the difference between sending out a few hundred postcards or a couple thousand!

Add a Unique Twist

As you’re working out all the details of the postcard design, try to include something most postcards don’t have. A simple change like turning the postcard vertical rather than horizontal may be all you need to be memorable. This is effective for both digital and printed business postcards.

Other smart digital designs include adding a link or subscription button directly onto the postcard. Or, consider mailing the postcard in a digital envelope, which will enhance the user experience as the package opens itself on the screen.

For printed postcards, think about placing a scratch-off somewhere on the postcard, or making the entire backside a magnet. These are small interactions that can make a big difference in the overall effectiveness of your campaign.

Postcard Design, Sales Calls, and More Business Tips

Running a successful business means wearing multiple hats every single day. One second, you’re creating an awesome postcard design and the next, you’re breaking down budgets and crunching numbers. Meanwhile, there’s an entire team to lead, hiring decisions to make, and clients to keep happy.

The work easily adds up! Luckily, there are many tips and tricks available to help you stay on track every step of the way. For more business insights and ideas, click here