“Success is nothing more than a few simple disciplines practiced every day, while failure is simply a few errors in judgment repeated every day. It is the accumulative weight of our disciplines and our judgments that leads us to either fortune or failure.”
− Jim Rohn
In Part One of this article we talked about the need for effective advertising, and the fact that it’s not only expensive, it’s imperative. It can be the tipping point between success and failure, and the image that a company projects is an important element in sustaining ongoing success. Business cards are an important tool for making a positive first impression, not only by the person handing out the cards, but also by highlighting the services that a company provides.
Yet as powerful as business cards are, their “big brother” in the marketing and advertising world – the direct-mail postcard – packs more punch for your advertising dollar, and provides a much larger canvas on which to present your high-value offer. And this first impression that you convey to your potential customers is very important.
Yet as durable and reliable as direct-mail postcards are, their humble beginnings and the evolution of their value in the marketing and advertising schema of today’s fast-paced world make them one of the most efficient and cost-effective, methods of getting your advertising message into your potential customer’s hands.
In the late 1770s, a clever Frenchman, who happened to own an engraving business, proposed something quite radical: Why not produce engraved cards, slightly larger than a calling card, with a person’s name and space for a message on one side, which could then be addressed and sent through the mail? People were appalled. Not only would one’s servants be able to read the message, but so would anyone in the postal service. But the seeds were planted for the postcard.
It wasn’t until nearly a century later Austrian Dr. Emanuel Herrmann published an article discussing the concept of the postcard and extolling the many ways it could be employed. The Austrian Post Office liked the idea so much, it issued the first postcard for general use in late 1869. The card was plain, with an impressed stamp and printed lines for the address on one side and a blank second side for a short message. The idea caught on quickly in the rest of Europe and North America.
At first, postal authorities followed the Austrian example and imposed strict rules for the form and style of postcards, and only they could produce and sell the cards. However, it soon became evident to progressive businessmen the postcard would be an ideal advertising tool.
It was inexpensive to produce and mail, and enough of a novelty to catch a prospective customer’s eye — the first form of direct-mail advertising. As everyone knows, a picture is worth a thousand words, so, in a short time, business owners started lobbying the post office to be allowed to have cards printed with their own company names, slogans or an illustration of their wares.
The penny postcard of the 1950s has evolved into a cost-effective mini-billboard that can serve your business, and boost your bottom line. In today’s competitive marketplace consumers are becoming more frugal and selective with their buying decisions, and advertisers are forced to create effective campaigns with fewer advertising dollars. This is where we can help you and your business capitalize on the power and simplicity of this effective medium.
Here at Front Door Advertising we are committed to one objective: To help you deliver your message to your target market in an efficient, effective, and affordable manner. We specialize in the delivery of direct-mail, and we utilize all of the technical advantages that are now available, such as computerized design and targeted mapping to provide you with custom advertising.
And hitting a receptive audience with a relevant message is a vital part of that process. Front Door Advertising is in the business of not only creating a “sweet spot,” but hitting it with compelling direct-mail postcards that will insure that your advertising investment pays maximum dividends. Our direct-to-door ad campaigns are proven effective, with an unbeatable quality guarantee, and with a track record of high ROI’s for our clients.
Front Door Advertising offers examples of custom dirct-mail postcards that can be viewed at fdadvertising.com. Call us today at 1-888-870-4242 for a FREE quote to see how Front Door Advertising can help your business create a winning campaign.