It seems like Christmas comes earlier every year, at least in the retail world. It used to be that Halloween and Thanksgiving came before this end-of-year holiday, but these days consumers are beset by Christmas cheer before Halloween has even come and gone.
It’s no surprise, really. During the recent recession, businesses were looking for any means of boosting flagging sales, including calling home the cash cow of Christmas shopping much earlier in the year. Of course, this oversaturation only means that it’s harder than ever to gain attention amid the clamor.
If you’re starting to ramp up for the holidays by creating a postcard marketing campaign, you may be understandably concerned about how you’re going to get noticed, what with competitive mailers probably already arriving in local mailboxes. How can you make an impact when your target audience is desensitized by October? Here are a few tips to break through and have a major impact with your postcard marketing this holiday season.
Get Emotional
You have a product or service to offer, and you’re probably very proud to provide consumers with something that will make their lives better. It’s only natural that you want to hit all the high points and boast a bit. Unfortunately, this is not what motivates consumers.
It’s important to understand that consumers are wrapped up in their own lives and problems. They don’t necessarily care that your product or service trumps competitors and offers greater value, at least not until they’ve tried it.
In the meantime, you have to appeal to their emotional side, which is often included in purchasing decisions, especially during the holidays when consumers are inundated by sales pitches. Say, for example, you’re selling children’s toys. You’re going to have a lot of competition during the holiday season.
Instead of opening with a claim that your toy is what every tot wants, show a picture of a happy family playing together with your toy. Tell parents that your products are not only safe, but that they’ll keep kids occupied for hours.
Parents want quality time with their kids. They also want some peace and quiet during the harried holiday season. They want products they can trust not to harm their kids. Appeal to your audience on an emotional level before you start touting the selling points of your product.
Share the Love
Have you considered collaborating with other local businesses with which you might share a target demographic? This is not to say you should team up with direct competitors, but there are likely adjacent businesses you could partner with for promotional purposes.
The benefits of cross-promotion could include cutting your costs, gaining access to a whole new list of contacts, and increasing your appeal to consumers because they’re getting something of a two-for-one deal. Every postcard has two sides, so think about sharing yours with a complementary local business to boost ROI.
Rinse and Repeat
Okay, forget the rinse part. Just repeat. Don’t be discouraged if your first postcard campaign doesn’t deliver the outstanding results you hoped for.
What you’re going to find is that repetition is your friend when it comes to direct mail. After 2-3 postcards arrive bearing your distinctive logo and styling, recipients are much more likely to pay attention and take action, especially if your competitors gave up after just one mailing.