Looking to further expand your firm’s marketing efforts? Construction Christmas cards are a great way to reach prospective clients. Yes, sending direct mail marketing postcards is a marketing move that has proven effective for several years. It can generate leads in different markets as well as increase your firm’s revenue. Compared to marketing measures used today direct marketing is the most affordable option.
Using Construction Christmas Cards
Believe it or not, postcards are attention grabbers since they often stand out in the mailbox. They dare a great way to showcase your firm’s promotional offers. In addition, they can be used to make announcements regarding major projects, new office location opening up or a new service your company’s offering. Besides generating new business leads, postcards can also help:
- Drive traffic to a firm’s website
- Keep in touch with clients that the firm has completed projects for in the past
- Useful for determining what marketing efforts are the most fruitful
- Why are postcards so effective? Nearly a ninety percent of postcards that are mailed out are read by the recipients. Just think. Often, enveloped offers get cast to the side with junk mail. However, a postcard doesn’t require opening and the message is guaranteed to be seen.
If you’ve decided to use postcards in your marketing campaign and it did not prosper, here are what you may have been doing wrong:
1. Not Targeting the Right Prospects
Targeting the right consumer base is crucial. Imagine if a meatpacking company sent postcards to a vegetarian based corporation. Of course, their marketing efforts would be in vain. To ensure that you target the appropriate market you should generate a mailing list. An in-house mailing list is the best especially if some of the prospects on the list have a history of using the company’s services in the past.
Companies have the option of renting subscriber lists for a specific fee or a specialized publication that is read by businesses in the industry. These publications can be useful for creating a mailing list.
2. Sending A Generic Postcards
Many businesses make the mistake of sending generic postcards that aren’t personable. Producing architect postcards that are professional and induce a positive emotional reaction from clients is key. It should read like a cool and informal ad. Seeking the help of a skilled copywriter can ensure that the firm produces postcards that have a personal message and get the results needed.
3. Repetition is Key
When launching a mailing campaign repetition is essential for success. There needs to be more than just a single mailing effort. Consistent and repetitive mailing rather than one-off deals will help build brand recognition and establish credibility in the industry. After all, when a customer keeps seeing a firm’s name in their mailbox they are much more likely to remember it. It often takes a number of contacts to generate leads that convert to sales.
4. Pay Attention to Mailing Mistakes
Many companies don’t know that seemingly small mailing mistakes can interfere with a direct marketing campaign. For instance, when utilizing imprinted postage it can typically get associated with junk mail. Therefore, businesses should avoid using indicia print stamps on their envelopes. First class stamps may increase costs but it will provide a much cleaner and friendlier look.
It’s important to note, that Monday, Friday and holiday arrival times won’t generate the results that the firm is seeking. Tuesday through Thursday arrival times are desirable since the mail volume is generally low. Businesses can even contact the local Post Office to get an idea of how arrival times will be. First class postages are approximately twenty-three cents. Ready-made perforated postcard sheets can also be purchased at the nearest office supply store.
5. Printing Doesn’t Have to Cost A Fortune
Spending a fortune on printing high-quality postcards don’t have to cost a fortune. Avoid wasting unnecessary marketing dollars by opting to use the company’s laser or inkjet printer. However, for particularly larger printing jobs, a professional company tends to charge much less per card. If the firm decides to go this route it’s best to call around, negotiate and settle for the lowest price.
6. Christmas Cards Shouldn’t Be A Sales Pitch
Contrary to popular belief, postcards aren’t the opportunity to make a sales pitch. After, all there isn’t nearly enough space to produce an effective pitch. Instead, look at the postcards as the opportunity to introduce the architect firm and let potential clients know what services the company provides. Grab the potential client’s attention and hopefully lead them to the next stage of the process which is closing the sale or visit the company’s website.
7. Don’t Forget the Headline and A Image
Many fail to give enough attention to the headline and don’t use a picture on the postcard. This is perhaps one of the biggest mistakes that can be made. The headline should be compelling and seek to immediately grab the attention of the reader. Using a catchy headline in combination with a picture is guaranteed to inspire the reader to read the message. Be sure to use an image that is bold, attractive and can be easily comprehended.
8. Wordy Message
Avoid writing a wordy message. Instead keep it short, simple and sweet. A quick glance is expected if the postcard utilizes complex jargon or a laundry list of every service the company provides. Be sure to promote only one or two things.
9. Not Proofreading
Proofreading the card’s content is imperative. Check for spelling, punctuation, or typological errors several times before sending it to the printer.
10. Include Contact Information
Providing important contact information like a telephone number, website link or an email address may sound like common sense. Businesses can sometimes forget to include contact information on they’re postcards.
Yes, a well thought out marketing campaign can lead to a significant boost in revenue and sales for a firm. Avoid these ten most common postcard marketing mistakes to create a postcard marketing campaign that yields positives results.
