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While business letters and invitations are constrained by formal rules of
etiquette, no such rules apply to postcards. So postcards can be more creative.
Smart business o —wwners are doing just that ith postcards
“I think we limit ourselves when
we use a standard invitation,” says
Pedersen, who has sent out five postcard invitations for sales and events.
“And with postcards, you can play
with size and shape without cost
getting in the way.”
Vega’s long, skinny postcards
match the store’s home furnishings
and decorative accessories: contemporary, colorful and intriguing.
Postcards are economical
By using postcards, you can realize savings on paper, printing and labor costs. “I’m
putting money into the card itself, as opposed
to the envelope,” says Pedersen.
By Tracy Schneider There are big savings on postage, too.
First-class postage for postcards is 23 cents,
When you hear the words “picture compared to 37 cents for a letter. Keep in
mind that, according to U.S. postal regulations, postcards must be between 3. 5 by 5
postcard,” you may think of pristine inches and 4. 5 by 6 inches and 0.016 inch
thick to qualify for the first-class postcard
rate. Oversize postcards are charged letter or
large envelope rates.
beaches or snow-covered mountains. Kevin
Larsen thinks of rebar.
Postcards are a quick read
“Postcards are appealing and quick,”
says Thomas Ciesielka, president of TC
Public Relations in Chicago.
Larsen is corporate sales manager of postcards have gained respectability as a When Ciesielka moved his home office
Graham Steel Inc., a rebar and steel fabrica- marketing tool. Here’s why so many small downtown to Michigan Avenue, he created a
tor (and Costco member) in Kirkland, businesses are using themregularly. series of three postcards to announce the
Washington. To create visibility for the com- move and generate new business. Ciesielka
pany, he has sent out more than a dozen full- Postcards are easy paired old family photos with a humorous
color postcards of Graham Steel’s fabrication Postcards keep everyone in the loop— quip to quickly get attention and a laugh.
plants, recent projects, even artistic shots of new prospects, current customers, past “There’s no thinking involved, not a lot
rebar and steel. “This is how we keep our clients—without a lot of effort. Compared to of copy to wade through,” he says. “People’s
name in front of our customers,” says Larsen. a traditional direct-mail piece such as a letter, attention spans are shorter today, and there’s
It’s how the company cross-sells as well. postcards win hands down in prep time. a glut of communication. Postcards are brief
On the back of each postcard, the copy There’s no personalized greeting, only a andtothepoint.”
focuses on the company’s range of services, small amount of copy and no signature.
types of projects or newly acquired equip- “There’s no folding, no stuffing,” says Postcards are powerful
ment. “Some people know us for rebar. Jenny Pedersen, founder of the modern furni- In spite of their size, postcards make a
Others know us for structural steel. A lot of ture store Vega in Washington, D.C. Open for big impression. “Postcards tell the message
people don’t realize we have two divisions,” a year and a half, Vega (also a Costco member) immediately,” says Ciesielka. Their diminu-remarks Larsen. Postcards get the word out. prefers postcards to other direct-mail options. tive proportions ensure that there’s less infor-
