Know-How Exchange : Advertising/PR

Tell client that the message, offer and mailing list are more important than the size of the postcard.

"Give me great copy, a compelling offer, and the right mailing list, and I will use whatever size you want."

I recently got a jumbo card that was die-cut and looked great, but the offer was so weak that I (a) don't even remember the sponsor/brand, and (b) threw it out with the other junk mail.

I won't argue with Phil. Sure, size is important at some level. But it can't overcome lousy copy, a weak offer or mailing to the wrong people. And a die-cut is probably a good idea too.

The problem with the client focusing on size is that it shows that they don't understand what's really important. They're worrying about the ants while the elephants tromp through the garden.

If you need to put this to bed, tell them that 8.5 x 11 die-cut is the most effective, but that it's never enough to get the size right if you don't have great copy and offer ... or if you use the wrong list.

Dear Karen,

Size can matter. Although content, offer, social proof, significance of offer to pain point, deadline, and call to action all add to the desire to respond. As does the relevance of the copy to what's going on at that point in time. Right now, the healthcare reform bill is big news, so it's
got great share of mind.

So let's say you're selling water filters. A postcard going out now with
a headline and an overall message that connects to this event and that then tells people how they can improve the health of their water filtration system will pull a higher response rate than a card with no connection to the healthcare reform news.

Can I guarantee this? No. But a simple split test would tell one way or the other. So, size can matter, although the elements with greater appeal is RELEVANCE and CURRENCY.

You'll find more thoughts on size and response rates in the following articles. I hope they help you.

Gary Bloomer
Wilmington, DE, USA

https://www.articlesbase.com/marketing-articles/postcard-marketing-do-postc...

https://www.postcardsmart.com/directmailblog/2009/02/which-postcard-sizes-t...

https://www.modernpostcard.com/knowledge/articles/your-guide-effective-lead...

https://extremedirectmarketing.com/articles/47/1/Feature-Rich-Plastic-Postc...

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