3 Tips on Creating a Great Postcard Design

Direct mail is still a very effective marketing tool and has advantages over electronic and other forms of marketing.  One of the most popular direct mail pieces we offer our clients are postcards.  Postcards are effective because they are quick reads and don’t require a step to open (studies show this reduces readership).

However, like all marketing materials, they can be done well or poorly.  Here are three things to consider in the design process to get the most out of your postcard design.

Plan your message

The first step in developing a great postcard is to understand what message you wish to convey.  What is the main reason you are making this postcard?  We recommend that you limit yourself to one main topic.  Any more than that and you may lose the attention of your audience.

As you think about the information you want to convey, keep it simple.  We have a tendency to want to share too much information.  In your planning process, create a list of the most essential points you need to share, and then stop!

Also, it is important that you have a clear call to action.  Whether it is “Come in today!”, “Check out our website”, or “Buy now”, having a clear call to action will help the reader know exactly what to do next and where to go to do it.

Visual Appeal:

It is also important to draw the audience in with a postcard that is visually appealing.  Your goal is for someone to look at your postcard, want to continue looking at it, read the information, and follow your call to action.  There are a couple of elements to consider when thinking about visual appeal.

One way to draw people in is by using a big, bold headline.  Another is to use a photograph or image. The old adage, “a picture is worth a thousand words” is still true today. Finally, ensuring that your company logo is displayed large enough to be easily identifiable is critical.  Your other contact information, such as your phone number, home, email, and web addresses, should also stand out.  Also, it is important that your postcard be easily readable and not too cluttered. Less is more! So keep your text to a minimum, as people won’t be as inclined to read your postcard if it is hard to read. Finally, remember to choose colors and design layouts based off of your other marketing collateral, such as your website, brochures, or business cards.  You should try to stay with your brand identity.

Review:

If time permits, take your proof and share it with a select group of people. This could be co-workers, sales staff, or even a client. Ask for their feedback on what they think the point of the card is…did that match your objective? See if they understand what your call to action is. And of course do a good proof read. While a designer should be able to catch typos, they are not usually going to understand the nuances of your business/industry, so making sure that the wording and message is clear, is something that you need to do!

There are many things to consider when designing a postcard, but if you are conscious of these three things, you are off to a good start.  If you can create a visually stunning postcard with a direct and effective message that has no spelling or grammar mistakes you will most likely be happy with your results.