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To reach potential customers, many marketers send out postcards. This is a great idea, especial since postcard printing is so affordable. But, when marketers say they are trying to get prospects by “prospecting” many don’t really know what that means, which means they can’t do it effectively.

Prospecting is a form of marketing that is aimed at consumers that you don’t yet have as customers. Yet. Anytime you send out a marketing message via postcard, brochure or television commercial, you are usually doing so in hopes of catching consumers’ attention so that they’ll respond to you in some way (usually either by making a purchase or inquiring about a product). All of this can be considered prospecting. So, to make it short, prospecting is a marketing technique that is used to reach potential customers, or prospects, so that you can hopefully turn them into actual customers.

This is where postcard marketing comes into the picture.

Postcards are great for prospecting because you can send them to a targeted mailing list comprised of your ideal audience – your ideal audience being people are most likely to buy your products or services.

Let’s go over what makes an effective postcard to net prospects.

Elements of a Successful Prospecting Postcard
A targeted mailing list: Without a good mailing list, you might as well send your postcard to no one. If you send your postcard out to a section of the phone book and hope for the best, you’ll waste your money. By creating a mailing list that is targeted to your ideal demographics, for example, married women in their 40s, you not only have a higher chance of getting a response from these women, but you can also tailor your message just for them. A targeted list makes it easier to speak straight to your demographic.

A strong offer: Give prospects a deal they can’t refuse. This offer needs to be good enough so that it motivates people to get out of their house (or onto the Internet, depending on your business) and into your store. Your offer needs to negate any risk associated with trying a new brand or a new product. A free item or a big discount works well. A guarantee also does the job of getting new people to try your products, as long as it’s risk-free.

A great design: People won’t read cluttered postcards or postcards that don’t have an appealing design. Make sure your colors and layout appeal to your demographic. Bold, bright neon colors won’t appeal to Baby Boomers, but will get teenagers’ attention.

A motivating headline: Your headline needs to communicate some kind of benefit for the reader. Why should they use your product? How will your product make their life easier? Don’t bury the benefits in the copy and make people wait to get to the good part. They won’t read that far without a motivating headline.

A call to action: Once you tell people why they should buy from you, you need to tell them what to do next. Should they call you or stop by your store? Tell them explicitly what you want them to do. “Call now for a free quote.” “Stop in today for 50% off.” People won’t read your postcard and then magically know what the next step is. Eliminate their guessing and tell them what to do. If you don’t, you chance a prospect doing nothing.

Once you combine all of these elements, you need to get your postcards printed on quality cardstock and mailed ASAP. To up the effectiveness of your postcards, you can also include a sense of urgency by imposing a deadline on your offer. Then you’ll have new customers at your door in no time!