Lois Boyle wrote a September ’05 article for Target Marketing Magazine regarding questions to ask when critiquing your mailer. So the next time you church plans a postcard, ask yourself these 15 questions before applying the postage:
- Is your offer simply stated and easy to understand?
- Is it clear what you are asking the reader to do?
- Is your headline incredibly compelling?
- Is your copy short and easy to process?
- Does your copy specifically tell the reader what he or she is going to get by responding?
- Have you repeated your offer more than once?
- Are you speaking appropriately to your audience?
- Have you included a strong, visible, call-to-action?
- Does your imagery reflect the end benefit?
- Does the overall look closely reflect your brand?
- Have you included key components on the address side of your postcard?
The back side of a postcard typically is read before the front simply because people tend to read who it is mailed to first. - Is there an opportunity to use bright colors?
The eye naturally gravitates toward warm colors more than dark or dingy colors. - Is your type easy to read, using only one or two fonts?
- Have you considered the value of mailing “large”?
While postcard size will affect cost, consider the trade-off of increased response because your postcard stands out in the mail. - Are you consistently testing to find your most effective and efficient postcard possible?
