Question

Topic: Advertising/PR

When Should I Send My Postcards Out??

Posted by Anonymous on 6/19/2005 at 11:11 PM ET 175 Points
When should I drop these postcards in the mail???

I have some postcards that I am ready to send out but I am thinking twice about it because of the holiday, and the end of the quarter, and impending summer vacations for decisionmakers. I'd like to hear from someone with VERY similar experience in this topic and its timing.

A little background: We are sending out 5,000 oversized color postcards to operations people at Manufacturing companies in New England. We offer a large equipment cleaning service. The post cards offer a 50% off special deal.
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RESPONSES

  • Posted by mgoodman on 6/20/2005 at 12:01 AM Accepted
    You can probably find a reason not to send the card every month of the year. If your offer is really compelling and the service you provide is really valuable and important to the target audience, the time to send the card is now.

    We've used post cards to targeted audiences on several occasions over the last few years. The only time we really try to avoid is November-December because of the preoccupation with the holidays. Otherwise, it doesn't make much difference for a B2B audience.

    Sure, some people will be on vacation, but they still have businesses to run. And there's an end-of-quarter every three months, but they still need to run their businesses. Etc. Etc.

    Just send the cards. If the offer is good, and it's presented in a compelling manner, they'll read 'em and respond. If not, it doesn't matter when you send them.

    P.S. Quick gut reaction: "50% off" sounds like a terrible offer ... devalues what you do and/or suggests the regular price is outrageously high. Of course, I don't know your industry, but generally anything that's half off is suspect.
  • Posted on 6/20/2005 at 9:37 AM Author
    50% off deal:
    The simple fine print on the offer is that it only applies for one day, and for new clients which is made clear on the back and the front of the postcard. What we're selling is a new technology in a new industry and we are the only ones around who do it. I am hoping to create a buzz. Truthfully I don't know what 's going to happen so I leaned towards losing a little money in the short run for the sake of building a foundation of business.

    Letter:
    No we are not sending a sales letter along with the postcards. That is a fine idea that I might use in the future.
  • Posted by michael on 6/20/2005 at 10:01 AM Member
    More important than sending the postcards is the followup. If you use the average response rate (might be higher for your specific industry) you'll get a 2% return. If you follow up with an effective phone campaign you can more than double....up to 10% rate...

    This fits well with what Jo suggested in 5 waves of 1000. The optimum time is 72 hours after they receive it. If you can't put that many sales people on the phones to hit 1000 within 72 hours, drop the number.

    Start now with developing your "script" for follow up.

    Michael
  • Posted by telemoxie on 6/21/2005 at 8:31 AM Member
    Are you selling a new technology? My passion is "Missionary Marketing" - and I believe new technologies are better promoted by an educational approach than by direct response.

    You can (and certainly should) use direct response methods, but if your service is truly unique and revolutionary, your offer might be for a white paper or demonstration or educational video or on-site demonstration rather than to try to sell the service itself.

    I would suggest you might try both methods - a direct response campaign selling the cleaning services, and an educational campaigns selling the appointment or white paper.
  • Posted on 6/27/2005 at 9:32 AM Author
    Thank you all for the excellent responses. Wow, you folks really helped me out.
    FYI- I sent them all on Thursday afternoon, hoping that they would land att heir destinations midweek. I'll let you folks know how it goes.
  • Posted on 7/6/2005 at 11:49 PM Author
    Hi-
    How long does it usually take to start hearing replies after postcards are mailed out?? Nothing yet after almost 2 weeks.
    Thanks,
    Brian
    FYI- 5,000 postcards were sent only as far as Connectuciut (from New Hampshire)
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