Summer 2006

Direct Impact: Five Steps to Creating a High-Impact Postcard Mailing By Mollie Neal

Postcard Prospecting Pays

Christa Scherzer, owner of German Glass & Gifts Imports, Inc. in Germantown, WI, doesn’t have any problem determining the success of her postcard mailings. Many of her customers actually call to complain if they don’t receive their annual pre-Christmas “Customer Appreciation” mailer, with its accompanying 15-percent-off discount.

“This mailing guarantees us a good Christmas sales season,” says Scherzer. Even if they don’t come in for the sale, it keeps the store top-of-mind with her loyal customers, she adds.

Scherzer also uses postcards to bring in new customers. She advertises in a regional bridal magazine, which in turn supplies her with the names and addresses of newly engaged couples in the Milwaukee area. Scherzer sends about 200 postcards to this group each month, promoting products like engraved beer steins—a popular item among groomsmen. She receives a healthy five percent response rate and substantial sales. A part-time employee is responsible for inputting all new customer data into an Excel spreadsheet, which is emailed to an online postcard company that handles the actual mailing. Scherzer says she purchases about 5,000 postcards for a typical promotion.

Mollie Neal

Neal writes about market trends, demographics and advertising issues for a variety of business and consumer publications. She can be reached at mneal@optonline.net.