5 Postcard Marketing Myths Debunked

It is easy to assume that in this day of digital transformation and technological advancements, postcard marketing is a dead art. One would like to believe that people prefer only the latest internet tools of communication like social media ads and interactions. Or, that the younger generations think it is old-fashioned. However, the stats speak differently.

Direct mail marketing is up and kicking. And in terms of response rates, it gets higher responses when compared to email marketing. So, why do people assume the opposite? Let us have a look at the top 5 myths surrounding this topic that may have something to do with belief.

Common Postcard Marketing Misconceptions

Here are the most common truths and myths around direct mail.

1. Response Rates of Postcard Marketing Are Too Low

Although it may be true that with the advent of digital marketing, direct mail may have slowed down, it is not dead. As per the Direct Marketing Association (DMA), the response rate stands at 4.4%, which is 10 to 30 times more than that of email campaigns. The top three reasons for this are:

1. Print marketing products are tangible.
2. You get to escape the digital overload via auto play videos, spam emails, etc.
3. Physical mail incites a sense of urgency.

While studies (PDF) show that direct mail does outperform digital channels of marketing, companies must focus on media mix for maximum profits.

2. Printing and Mailing Makes Direct Mail More Expensive and Laborious

Figuring out the right marketing copy, graphics, and design may have been labor-intensive in the past, but not today. Your best bet is coordinating with a graphic designer and a printer to create several batches of hundreds of addresses.

Other than postage, you may have to shell out for a mailing list (if you don’t have one), designing, and content creation. It is also not very expensive to get the postcard marketing print done, with the new-age tools available. All in all, you can easily get top-notch marketing postcards around $1 each, including the cost of mailing.

3. There Is No Scope for Personalization in Postcard Marketing

One misconception about direct mail marketing is that the personalization is limited to mailing addresses and the pricing variation. However, that view would be wrong. With the same method that you use to create personalized emails, you can use variable data in creating effective marketing messages in your direct mailers. With variable printing, you can now customize your content to include dynamic information like their recent purchases. Some of the best examples of personalized postcard marketing include enhancements such as QR codes, Augmented Reality, Near Field Communications, Video in Print, Music in Print, etc.

Getting great headlines may garner eyeballs, just as in digital channels, but the real information contained within should be relevant and connect to your target audience.

It is recently found that the novel coronavirus threatening the globe right now does not survive on print products. So, direct mail marketing can help keep you safe and protect you against infections amid the COVID-19 pandemic, while making sure your business has a physical presence in your current or potential customer’s home or work address. It can even become the core of your 2020 marketing strategy.

4. It Is Difficult to Track the Progress of Direct Mail

If you are wondering if there is a way to know how effective is postcard marketing, you should know that it is an easily targeted campaign. You can invest in postcard marketing just like you do in other measurable campaign strategies by using customer segmentation, creating a buyer persona, purchase data, and user behavior patterns.

Gather this information about your pre-qualified addressees to whom you want the mail outs to be sent. You can track the progress of your direct mail campaign by testing on a common demographic with potential customers that share similar buying behaviors or reside in the same area. Advertise dedicated phone numbers, coupons, tracking codes, URL or discount codes, and you can track the response rates and ROI.

5: Direct Mail Marketing Can Be Annoying

Another myth that is doing rounds is that postcards can be annoying, especially for millennials, who might be asking what is postcard marketing? Some think that with emails, digital ads, and social media platforms, who needs printed ads?

But here’s what you should know. Similar to how bookstores still stand tall amid the explosion of eBooks and digital readers, print holds a tangible message. It is not strenuous on the eyes, and it engages more than your sense of sight. You physically touch a postcard, it does not disappear in a few seconds like a video ad, and it is memorable.

And there is this thing called digital fatigue, where you get bombarded with ads whenever you open a tab on your computer. But direct mail is different, it makes a personal connection to the receiver. And the best part is, you can even drive your online business with postcard marketing.