Show Me Postcards

Many business owners are wary of using any sort of price in advertising.  They’re afraid people will see a price and think “Oh that’s too expensive” or “I can get that cheaper somewhere else.”

While that may happen, it’s also possible that someone might see your price and think “Hey, that’s a pretty good deal.”  Someone who knows the price is a value may be an even better prospect, since they’ve evidently done some homework.  In this case your price is actually pre-qualifying your prospects before they call you.

If you do choose to put a price in your offer, be sure to be specific, highlight the savings and tell them what they’re getting for the money.  For example “Carpet Cleaning for 3 Rooms – Now $99 Regular $149 Save $50!”  Be sure to stress the benefits: “Extend the Life of Your Carpet, Reduce Allergens, Eliminate Odors!”

You may be tempted to give a discount percentage instead of a specific monetary amount, but that is usually less effective.

Don’t make people think, make the savings obvious! Unless they’re already a customer and know the regular price, they’ll wonder what “10% Off” actually comes to.

It would be better to give a specific number, even if it’s small.  A number that corresponds to an actual unit of currency ($5, $10, $20 bill et cetera) generally pulls better, too,  because people immediately relate to that amount.

Postcard marketing is one of the most cost-effective marketing media available, especially when you consider how well they excel at one main task:  ATTRACTING ATTENTION.

So how much do they cost?

The major costs for direct mail postcards are:

• Printing
• Postage
• Graphic design and Copywriting costs
• Renting a mailing list
• Mail preparation (fulfillment)

As a general rule of thumb, most direct mail postcards fall in the range of 50 cents to $1 each.

Several factors influence the price you pay for postcards:

• the more you print at one time, the cheaper it is per card;
• larger postcards cost more;
• fancier postcards (full-color, printed both sides, perforation, etc.) cost more;
• the number you mail influences the price; volume/bulk mailings cost less postage per piece;
• the scarcity/complexity of the mailing list; an easy-to-find list of “residents” will cost less per name than a list of businesses with 50 or more employees in a certain zip code with a certain annual sales volume.

If you’re looking for customers in Columbia, MO, consider posting your offer on the gigantic Show Me Dynamite Deals postcard.  At around 4 to 6 CENTS PER HOUSEHOLD on special – that’s a savings of up to 96% on typical postcard mailings.

Why not give it a try?