Costco Connection - June 2005

line the process. The U.S. Postal Service ( www.usps. the cost to keep your database up-to-date. “Incorrect com/netpost) now offers a variety of postcard or obsolete information doesn’t do us any good,” options as well. Hirai says.

To choose the right printer for your job, ask for Prepare for followup. Once your postcards estimates and consider quality, delivery and service are in the mail, your job is only half finished. You in addition to cost when making need to leverage your postcard.

your decision.“Postcards get beat “Don’t think your postcard is
up in the mail,” cautions Hirai. To going to do it all,” warns Hirai.
make sure your postcards arrive “You need to tie all the pieces
looking their best, print on a together.”
heavy paper. Once a Studio 904 postcard
Determine your mailing has been mailed, Hirai trains her
options. Unless you’re mailing staff on how to handle calls and
large quantities, stamping, label- questions that may come in as a
ing and mailing postcards is easy result. She also updates the
to do yourself. A first-class post- salon’s voice mail, Web site and
card stamp, 23 cents, buys delivery in-store signage to reflect the
in three to five days and automatic new promotion. Then she’ll send
forwarding or the return of unde- her clients an e-mail, echoing the
liverable mail, the same benefits look and feel of the postcard.
you pay 37 cents for when you Despite the popularity and
send a letter. low cost of e-mail, it has not
Since Hirai mails to thou- changed how Hirai feels about
sands of people at once, she works Kay Hirai, salon owner, finds postcards. Both are direct, cheap
closely with a mailing house to using postcards a very effective and quick, but, as she points
label, sort and send her postcards. marketing method. out, “it’s easy to delete e-mail
And because her cards are often without ever looking at it.” A
oversize, she saves money by taking advantage of postcard gets noticed.
bulk-mail rates ( www.usps.com/bulkmailcenters). Given the success of Hirai’s postcards, it’s no
If you’re using bulk rates, you must request that wonder they remain the backbone of Studio 904’s
your cards be returned to you if the mailing address marketing efforts. If you want your marketing efforts
has been changed. It’s an additional fee, but worth to succeed, consider what innovative businesses are
doing—and get noticed with postcards. C

FRANCE FREEMAN

Connecting Seattle-based consultant Tracy Schneider writes An archived Connection article from 2003 about small-business issues.

(“Keep in touch”) about the benefits of marketing with postcards is on the preceding pages in this issue.

ARTICLE FEEDBACK

THE COST OF a postcard can vary widely, depending on a variety of factors. Will your postcard be a standard size or oversize? Will you print one color or full color? Will you mail 500 or 5,000? Here are some ways to keep your costs in check.

■ Plan enough time for the design, printing and mailing of your piece. Rush jobs will add to your costs.

■ If buying a mailing list, decide which type of purchase is the most cost-effective: a one-time use or unlimited use for an entire year. Good places to look are direct-market list brokers such as Costco members Name-Finders Lists (www. namefinders.com) and Prospects Influential (www. prospectsinfluential.com).

■ Reduce your design costs by creating several postcards at one time. Or, ask your graphic designer to create a template, so the message and illustrations or photography can be changed without too much additional design work.

■ Printers that specialize in postcards may offer inexpensive full-color rates. To take advantage of them, your cards must fit certain specifications. Be sure to review these before you begin designing your postcards.