Postcards are a small business owner/operator’s best friend. The small size makes them affordable to print and mail and they can be used in a variety of situations to promote your business and make connections with customers and potential customers.
While you don’t have to have your own postcards printed professionally, you may be surprised at how affordable it is. The professional printer can put your artwork, logo, photo, or other image on one side to promote your business, and you can have your return address, Web site, etc. printed on the back–leaving a blank space for your message and the addressee. You can also get postcards that are blank and perforated at your office supply store and print them as you need them from your home computer if that is more affordable (if you are sending just a few). You can also opt for commercial postcards that have other art work or images on them and hand-write, or put them through your home computer to add your personal message.
Postcards are great for sending a greeting to a customer for a birthday or anniversary, but they are also great for letting customers know of a special sale or reminded them of an upcoming event. Postcards work very well for sending to prospects and potential customers, or individuals you have met at a networking event or meeting–just to remind them who you are and what your business is about.
Even though there isn’t a great deal of space on a postcard (I actually think this is a very good thing since people are more apt to look at them and read them since they’re brief), you’d be surprised at all the possibilities and uses for them in your home business. You might even consider having and using postcards instead of the traditional business card–they are bigger and less likely to get lost. Some business owners use postcards as their main promotional piece–handing them out as one would a brochure or flyer–at events, conferences, meetings, etc.
See Also: Business Stationery and Letterhead–Is it Worth It? and Using Photos in Your Promotions