Do post cards really work I want to send out post cards to my target niche

Check out the thread listed below:

Does direct mail work?

Postcards sucessful?

This is just the tip of the iceberg as there are LOTS of threads about postcards in the Direct Mailing section but these are the most recent.

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Lily Chambers, The Virtual Office Goddess, LLC
Author "How to Do Your Own Small Business Bookkeeping"

I will say that I went a bit nuts with a first postcard campaign - I designed the cards myself, and loved them so that was fine. But I printed up 1500 of them and sent them to a TON of small businesses in my area using a large database that I purchased. I paid for each post card to be hand addressed and stamped. So all in all it was VERY expensive and the return did not pay for the investment although I did receive numerous inquiries and some work from the campaign the lesson I learned is to be very specific about who to target. Ironic since I know better! But I thought I'd experiment with the postcards the way the big companies do - canvassing whole areas... of course I don't have the marketing budget of the big companies! Lesson learned.

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Originally Posted by Tess

I will say that I went a bit nuts with a first postcard campaign - I designed the cards myself, and loved them so that was fine. But I printed up 1500 of them and sent them to a TON of small businesses in my area using a large database that I purchased. I paid for each post card to be hand addressed and stamped. So all in all it was VERY expensive and the return did not pay for the investment although I did receive numerous inquiries and some work from the campaign the lesson I learned is to be very specific about who to target. Ironic since I know better! But I thought I'd experiment with the postcards the way the big companies do - canvassing whole areas... of course I don't have the marketing budget of the big companies! Lesson learned.

*tsk, tsk* I have had a 10% return rate with a TARGETED audience, which is considered high in the 'postcard mailing' industry. I 'spect the reason that my return is so high is BECAUSE I targeted, rather than saturated my market.

Thanks for sharing your lesson!

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Lily Chambers, The Virtual Office Goddess, LLC
Author "How to Do Your Own Small Business Bookkeeping"

Wow Lily! I think you must have nailed that target! Recently I was told that you could average a 2% return on a postcard mailout--and you were lucky if you got that many. How often do you do these mailouts?

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Sylvia Mesaros
The Alliances

Originally Posted by vballiances

Wow Lily! I think you must have nailed that target! Recently I was told that you could average a 2% return on a postcard mailout--and you were lucky if you got that many. How often do you do these mailouts?

To date I have only sent mailings to 3 sets of addresses.

I sent out TO THE SAME MAILING LIST 3x: AUG-SEP (a 'hi, how 'ya doin'" type mailing), OCT/NOV ("remember me? Happy Holidays") and a JAN-FEB ("tax time is around the corner"). I sent out approx 75 pieces each time.

I received a response/contact (usually following the third mailing) of 8-12 companies from each address list, ended up providing 1-time services for 4-5 from each address list, and have gotten at least 1 on-going client from each address list.

Because I only work p-t, this is more than sufficient for my needs.

I am a bookkeeper and target entrepreneurs that have been in business between 1-2 years 'cuz that's when they realize their books are a mess.

The majority of 1-time services have been setting up their QuickBooks and showing them how to do the data entry. I have since had 1 of those 'how-to' clients come back and hire me to do their regular accounting work. Sad to say, several of them are already out of business.

I have also gotten referrals from quite a few of them.

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Lily Chambers, The Virtual Office Goddess, LLC
Author "How to Do Your Own Small Business Bookkeeping"

That's AWESOME, Lily. Of course, you're in an ideal position: People really need you right now.

But I do like your business model (3 times), and it seems that people have better response from postcards than letters. So postcards it is.

Originally Posted by Office Goddess

I am a bookkeeper and target entrepreneurs that have been in business between 1-2 years 'cuz that's when they realize their books are a mess.

This sentence has given me more information than you can imagine. Originally I would have focused on start-up businesses, but just today I talked with a friend who has been in business about 9 months and is still trying to decide if it is going to be viable for him. Another start-up friend has lots of clients but is still trying to balance his cash flow situation. Both are interested in my services but haven't quite yet gotten to that point where they know they need help. Thanks for the insight.

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Sylvia Mesaros
The Alliances

Hi

Great information! I have designed various post cards with the intent to direct them to my website, but was uncertain of this route due to cost. Thank you.

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Neasie Jackson

Originally Posted by Office Goddess

I am a bookkeeper and target entrepreneurs that have been in business between 1-2 years 'cuz that's when they realize their books are a mess. The majority of 1-time services have been setting up their QuickBooks and showing them how to do the data entry. I have since had 1 of those 'how-to' clients come back and hire me to do their regular accounting work. Sad to say, several of them are already out of business. I have also gotten referrals from quite a few of them.

Where do you find a list of new businesses?

Originally Posted by MarindasBookkeepingServices

Where do you find a list of new businesses?

I use a combination of the ReferenceUSA database (available through your local library) and legal notices in the local paper for 'new businesses.' I have an ongoing spreadsheet where I log the legal notices, noting their date of incorporation or filing, and don't send mailings until they have hit a year. A great postcard to send is 'Congratulations on your 1 year anniversary!" and then explaining how you can help them continue to grow.

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Lily Chambers, The Virtual Office Goddess, LLC
Author "How to Do Your Own Small Business Bookkeeping"