Create Postcard Campaigns Like a Pro With a Postcard Maker

Have you ever received a postcard from Kohl’s with a coupon for their upcoming sale? How could you ever pass up 30% off a new wardrobe? Like many companies, Kohl’s has mastered the art of direct mail marketing using a high-quality postcard maker.

Postcard makers are ideal for companies to create stylish postcards for their target audience. If you want to do the same for your business, this guide will walk you through creating an effective postcard campaign.

What Is Postcard Marketing?

Who said direct mail marketing was dead? In fact, postcard mailers have one of the highest returns on investment. According to the Association of National Advertisers, postcards have a 92% ROI — more than any other mail format.

Nearly eight in 10 marketers say direct mail is a critical component of the multichannel campaign mix — most use three to four channels for one campaign. Those who aren’t using postcards are simply missing out. 

Although postcard marketing is an old-school marketing technique, it boosts campaign performance by reaching your target market right in their mailboxes. For instance, printed cards may include announcements, special offers, and discounts. 

One survey predicts U.S. spending on direct mail marketing will reach more than $43 billion in 2023 — a year-over-year increase of $41.7 billion.

5 Online Postcard Makers to Try

You can find numerous postcard makers online to meet your direct mail marketing needs. Here are five of the most popular online tools to help you create stunning print cards for your target audiences.  

1. Canva

Canva has quickly become one of the most favored graphic design platforms worldwide. Its postcard maker is easy to use, with hundreds of stylish postcard templates to choose from.

Upload your own photos and graphics, or use one of the millions of stock images provided by Canva’s library. For those who’d prefer not to spend more money on direct mailers, Canva allows you to share your postcard digitally through social media or email.

2. Visme

According to its website, 20,525,288 marketing professionals from 133 countries use Visme’s postcard maker. Choose from numerous templates and customize your postcards to your liking. Visme has an impressive collection of vector graphics, stock photos, and fonts you can use for free.

Of course, the company will print and mail them directly to your customers. However, Visme will also let you send your postcards in an email or share them on social media. 

3. MailJoy

MailJoy uses a drag-and-drop editing tool to create direct mailers for your marketing campaigns. You can customize your postcard with the many fonts, colors, and templates to stay on brand. MailJoy also provides images, or you can upload your own.

Import your contacts and segment them into lists to more efficiently target your recipients. Name the lists according to the custom campaign to differentiate mailers for your audience.

4. Postalytics

Choose between three different postcard sizes — 4×6, 6×9, and 6×11 — for direct mailers to market your business. Whether in HVAC or finances, Postalytics offers postcard customization features to appeal to your target audience. 

Postalytics will send your postcards into printing and mail them to recipients after you import your mailing list. The website also provides tracking and campaign analysis to measure its success. 

5. Mailchimp

Although known for email marketing, Mailchimp’s postcard maker enables you to create visually stunning promotional prints for direct mail. Marketers can send postcards worldwide to 27 countries while automating recurring mailings monthly or 3–6 months — often a time-consuming, repetitive task.

Marketers can utilize Mailchimp’s address finder feature to find existing and potential customers. Likewise, the company can send abandoned cart postcards automatically within 24 hours if someone leaves an item in their online shopping cart.

Tips for Creating an Effective Postcard Mailer

Marketers must customize postcards strategically. For starters, they must design a recognizable mailer according to their branding. Fortunately, postcard makers provide numerous customization opportunities for designers to create an attention-grabbing mailer. As you flesh out your postcard campaign, remember the following tips.

Choose the Right Postcard Maker

Postcard makers come with different features, so it is essential to compare each package. You must also determine which design package fits into your marketing budget. 

Do you want your postcard maker to include special campaign tools like contact integrations and automatic reprints? Some may also offer a QR code for your prints. Analyze your business goals to choose the right program.

Stylize the Card

A captivating postcard should grab your audience’s attention. Approximately 87% of people believe logos can pass as artwork. Some will hold onto a postcard if it is done well.

Use eye-catching — but readable — fonts, bold lettering, sleek colors, and short text blocks. You don’t want to overwhelm the recipient with long text. 

Add High-Quality Images

While most postcard makers have extensive image libraries for you to look through, you should be your own photographer. 

Align images with your brand. For instance, an electrical contractor might include a photo of themselves wearing a uniform with the company’s logo. Likewise, a retailer should only have images of products available at stores. Travel companies, especially, can have lots of fun creating postcards using high-quality images of dreamy destinations.

Hook the Recipient

Ensure your text is concise and matches your brand’s overall tone. Your postcard is a continuation of your online messaging. 

If you are announcing a new store opening, write “Visit Us at Our New Location” in bold letters. You want your announcement to stand out on the card. Another example is Old Navy, which usually puts its Super Cash amount in bright colors on the front of its mailer so it is the first thing customers see. 

Personalize the Card

Using postcard makers with contact integrations will allow you to personalize postcards to your existing and prospective customers. 

A dentist’s office might send personalized postcards to patients during holidays and birthdays. Meanwhile, an organization might send a personalized “thank you” postcard after receiving a donation.

When customers feel appreciated and are addressed directly, they are more likely to spend more with your brand.

Measuring the Success of Postcard Marketing

There are several ways to measure the effectiveness of your postcard marketing campaign. However, you must clearly define your goals and objectives before setting up the metric. Measure your postcard success and ROI in the following ways:

• Coupon or QR code: Measure how many responses you get by offering a discount, then see how many people use the postcard discount compared to how many mailers you send.
• Consultation calls: Determine how many people call the number you provided on the postcard for a consultation or inquiry.
• Unique URLs: Add a unique URL on the postcard for customers to search for — the link will bring them to a landing page, and you can measure your campaign’s success.

Your approach to postcard marketing highly depends on the type of business you are running. An accountant may use different metrics than a retailer or contractor. 

A Postcard Makers Is a Practical Direct Mail Marketing Tool

A postcard maker is helpful whether you’re a seasoned marketer exploring direct mail marketing for the first time or are interested in creating postcards for friends and family. Create beautiful postcards using an array of pre-made templates and customization options. Of course, injecting creativity is most important for a fabulous mailer.