Postcard Printing

How to find competitive bids on postcard design and printing
By Dave Chartock, Consultant and Sr. Writer Information Resources Many small businesses turn to postcards as an alternative to the high-cost of display advertising, Yellow Pages ads or full-blown direct mail pieces. Small businesses use postcards as part of a direct mail marketing campaign to help promote their business, events or reach a targeted audience. Once you've decided postcards are the way to go:

1. Find out when, where and how to use postcards.
2. Look for help with postcard design.
3. Try your hand at making your own printable postcards
4. Search the Internet to compare printing prices. Compare these prices to those at local postcard printers.

Determine if postcards are right for you

Assess your marketing needs to see if business postcards will help you achieve your goals. Postcards can help you test market a new product or offer, as well as drive traffic to your Web site. You can also track the results of your mailing campaign by assigning a specific discount code or sending potential customers to a unique page on your Web site created specifically for a particular offer or product.
Try:  Check out Postcard Marketing Secrets and Chuck Green's Ideabook for templates and creative ideas for your marketing campaign.  Find direct-mail marketing consultants at Business.com.

Get postcard design help

Take advantage of Web sites offering postcard design help. Your postcard shouldn't try to include every detail of your offer. Eye-catching graphics and a brief summary of the main points of your offer are more likely to get the attention of potential customers.
Try:  Get professional help with your postcards through a full-service shop such as Track Marketing Group, Creativepro, Positronic Design, PostcardMania and Small Business Printing.

Compare postcard prices

Post card design and printing prices will vary according to the size of the postcard, whether it is going to be printed in black-and-white or color and the print quantity. Some sites even offer free printing to attract you as a customer.
Try:  If you're looking to have business postcards printed for free try VistaPrint or Bestprintingbestprice.com.  For a list of competitive postcard printers, see Business.com.

Make your own printable postcards

To make your own printable postcards, download templates from the Internet that will work with design software such as InDesign and Quark. Or take advantage of free online postcard templates to make printable postcards.
Try:  PsPrint offers free postcard templates for printable postcards. Try OvernightPrints if you want 24-hour turnaround on your postcard order. For a 48-hour turnaround, use 48hourprint.com.

• Decide who you want to target with your postcard mailings and how many mailings you will require. Remember, frequency is best.
• Design is important. Many Internet sites offer design for printable postcards, printing and even mailing assistance.
• Carefully research the Internet for a site that meets all your needs. Remember to check out the turnaround time promised by postcard printers.