*** Success for Less with Post Cards - 6 Steps To Creating The World's Smallest Sales Letter

Printing and mailing costs can make direct mail a costly investment. But as you've learned, there's nothing quite like putting your offer right into the hands of the consumer.

But hey, who says it has to be a 5-piece mailer with a brochure, response card, sales letter, lift letter, testimonials page, and maybe even the kitchen sink? Not me. If you can train yourself to say more with less, you'll get more with less…with a postcard!

Use postcards as a tool to arouse curiosity in what you're selling or generate a response.

6 Steps to Creating the World's Smallest Sales Letter

A postcard relies on the same elements as a full-length letter, but in miniature. To get to your "desired outcome" -- a sale -- just go step by tiny step:

Step 1 - Grab attention with a captivating graphic.

Step 2 - Lead the eye to the transition copy.

Step 3 - Write transition copy that motivates the reader to flip the card.

Step 4 - Create a "killer" headline that pulls the reader into the copy.

Step 5 - Write a benefit-rich description of your offer.

Step 6 - Make the sale.

Play by the Rules - Postcards and the Post Office

The only regulations you need to know about postcards concern size, paper thickness, and paper color. Keep in mind that these can change at anytime so check with your local post office for current regulations.

The minimum size for a postcard is 3.5’ inches high and 5 inches long, the maximum size is 4.25’ high by 6 inches long. A standard 4” x 6” index card can be mailed at the postcard rate, but a 3” x 5” card cannot (below minimum).

Paper must be between .007 and .016 inches thick (Select paper that's designed "67-lb. card stock" to be sure). You can choose from a variety of ink colors, but the paper itself cannot be fluorescent.

Safety in Numbers

Since the likelihood of a response to direct mailing increases as the prospect continues to be exposed to your message, think about sending a series of postcards.

Each postcard should be “linked” to the previous one in some way, for instance have a common theme throughout your series or make mention of each previous card on each successive card. And you should send a minimum of 3-5 postcards to draw interest and motivate your prospect to take action. One is not just a lonely number, when it comes to direct marketing once is never enough.

To your success!