Postcard
Tips
by June Van Klaveren
For local delivery, drop the mailing at the Post Office on a Monday for delivery on Tuesdays when mail volume is less.
Check return
address for errors.
Proof phone
number and call to make sure it connects properly.
Check e-mail
e-mail yourself to make sure it connects properly.
Make sure Web
site is up and running (and order information capture works.
Does design
require forwarding statement (e.g. Address Correction Requested)?
Ask for a referral
("Pass this to a friend").
Proof copy
for spelling and grammatical errors.
Take a one-day
vacation and revisit postcard copy, layout, and design before delivery to
your printing company.
Remove duplicate
names from your mailing list.
Offer expiration
dates.
Check that
your not mailing near holidays (unless you're promoting a holiday specific
offer).
Is the call
to action clear?
Does your headline
telegraph a benefit.
Leave enough
room for the Post Office. To obtain the best postal discounts for your client,
the postcard needs a 2.5" high by 3.75" wide rectangular area
free of printing from the bottom-right hand corner of the address side of
the postcard. The Post Office uses this designated area to scan the applied
postal barcode and recipient address for further sorting. Yes, that's a
large area (and your clients will moan and complain), but the significant
savings off the already low price of a postcard is well worth it. Plus,
the color of the postcard stock must be white (or a very light color like
canary).
Avoid coatings
and varnishes. Spec uncoated paper stock on the address-side. Most mailing
services inkjet this address information which offsets (and smudges) when
sprayed on coated stock. The Post Office will reject addressing that's smudged
(that's a huge problem, and I see it often). The simple solution is to spec
the address side of the postcard uncoated.
Leave the bottom
edge clear. When your client's mailing service sorts AND barcodes each postcard,
design the bottom 5/8" of the postcard free and clear of any graphics
or printing. The Post Office needs this area to further sort forwarded and
undeliverable postcards.
Print extras.
There's nothing worse than a call your client gets from the mailing service
about a shortage. New postal regulations make it difficult and expensive
to short a mailing. When this happens, the Post Office recalculates the
entire mailing at higher rates -- virtually eliminating any discount.
Add 3 magic words. Did you know 18% of Americans move every year?Not knowing how the Post Office treats updated addresses could cost your a fortune. Add the return address. When you mail via First Class, undeliverable mail is returned to your client's return address. It can be placed anywhere on the top of the address side of the postcard. If you're printing jumbo postcards, and the client wants to mail via bulk rate, printing the return address is optional.
Check out our Postcard prices and services.
Yes. No. 1. Card includes an offer.
Yes. No. 2. Card has eye-catching "billboard" photo or text.
Yes. No. 3. Card includes a short list of your complete services.
Yes. No. 4. A 2-1/2" x 3-3/4" area is left blank on the lower right corner of the address side.
Yes. No. 5. Print as many cards as you plan to mail in one season.
Yes. No. 6. Card includes benefits of our service.
Yes. No. 7. Check out our Postcard and Mailing prices today!
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