Postcard Marketing

Guest Post

Postcard Marketing Model #14: Bond With Customers

by Marcia Yudkin

Imagine the difference in revenues between a company that sold to each customer
only once and a company in the same line of business that sold to each customer
numerous times. That's a tremendous gap that can be narrowed with just a
little expense and effort, using an inexpensive, often overlooked tool - the
postcard.

By sending simple yet strategically chosen postcards to people who have already
bought from you, you can turn a one-time customer into a long-term one. Here
are five ways to use postcards to create a bond with customers and thereby
encourage them to buy again and again and again from your company.

1. Say thanks. Set up an ongoing thank-you postcard campaign that sends a card
to each new customer the week or month after they first bought something from
you. If itâ's feasible to have a handwritten signature, that's best. You
may choose to include a limited-time special offer, such as 20% off their next
purchase or a free gift if they stop in the shop again before a certain date,
but even if you don't do that, a thank-you card makes a significant impact.

2. News. Remember when it was common for financial services companies and other
professionals to send a monthly or quarterly newsletter to clients? This
stay-in-touch technique reinforces your expertise and helps the customer
remember you when they need your services again. Printing one newsletter item
on a postcard rather than sending a four-page, folded-twice newsletter is much
more cost-effective and much handier for the customer to save by the phone or
post it on a bulletin board or refrigerator.

3. Offers. If you have slow periods, such as a certain day of the week or a
month or two each year, coax previous customers into buying from you again then
and filling up your calendar or capacity. Send a postcard with an appealing
discount or bonus offer good for those down times to your customer list. It
sends the message that you care about creating long-term customers, and I doubt
very much your competitors are doing this. I travel a lot, and only once in my
life have I received a “come back and see us” postcard from a hotel or inn
where I stayed. In fact, I still remember who sent it, even though it was years
ago: The Jailhouse Inn in Newport, Rhode Island.

4. Birthdays or anniversaries. Do you have or could you get your customers’
birthdays? Some businesses wow their clients and create a closer bond with them
by sending a postcard for a free haircut, massage, house plant or dessert in
honor of their birthday. You could do the same for a milestone that was
specific to the recipient, such as their child’s first summer or winter, or
halfway in their fiscal year.

5. "Wish you were here" cards. Don't you like it when friends and family
members send you funny or gorgeous postcards when they’re on vacation? Think
up convincing and appealing reasons for you to send postcards to new clients
when you travel. For example, if you’re attending a conference or trade show
in New Orleans, you could show a photo of the French Quarter with a chatty
message about how you’re collecting ideas and inspiration at the XYZ national
show that you’ll be sharing with anyone who sets up an appointment for June.
This way, you come across as active, interesting and thoughtful.

Which of these ideas are you excited to implement? Get started on it today!

Veteran postcard marketer, consultant and author Marcia Yudkin is the creator of
The Mighty Postcard Marketing Course, which teaches the strategic, logistical,
design and copywriting secrets of successful postcard marketing
(www.yudkin.com/postcardcourse.htm ).

Greg Cryns
The Mighty Mo Website Design and SEO Promotions
.