Yesterday I gave you some thoughts about how to use the front, or image side of your postcards. Today, let's talk about how to use the back--the message you send to your customers and potential customers.
There are technical aspects to the message, such as font size, style, color. I'm not expert on these, but I did work in publishing for years. And I AM over 50.
Use the biggest font you can while still getting your message to fit. You can write more in small fonts, but your customer may not want to READ more.
Serif styles--typefaces with little "hooks" on the letters rather than sans serif styles, with none--are much easier on the eye.
Colored inks are fun, but black ink on white ground is the easiest to read. So if you DO use colored inks, go for high contrast--dark colors over pale colors. Reverse type (say, white letters on a black ground) look cool, but are much harder to read. Save these effects for smaller, attention-grabbing headlines and titles, not for your actual text.
Glossy or matte? I dunno. YOU pick. I think glossy shows detail better.
Now let's talk about the content of your message, which is the PURPOSE of your card.
So let's take a minute to think about mail. YOUR mail!
The way you read your own mail can depend on how your day is going. Some days you have the luxury of going through it carefully, opening every piece. Other days get a little hectic. You quickly sort through, pull out the pieces that HAVE to be dealt with--oops! If you don't take that movie back to Blockbusters, you're going to OWN it!--and shove the rest aside to be dealt with later.
Your process can also depend on what kind of person you are. Some people are consistent about they handle mail. (I don't find myself in this category about ANYTHING in life anymore. Can you tell?) Others are careful one day and frenzied the next. Some of you might be saying right now, "Mail? Did I bring the mail in yesterday??"
It's the same with your customers.
Remember: Store owners are just people with stores. Think about YOUR mail, especially postcards, that grab your attention--and why--and you will have clues on how to use YOUR postcards.
We covered the image side first, because that's the nature of postcards. In a pile of letters, they are (hopefully) an attention-grabbing picture. And we humans are wired for VISUALS over TEXT. We tend to look at the picture on the front first. THEN we turn the card over to see who sent it, and why.
Lets' talk about that first question--WHO? Who sent it?
WE know it's YOU. But who are YOU to the recipient? What do you have that they would want/need/appreciate?
The most important threshold you have to get over is this: Are these people your customers--or your potential customers--to begin with?
If you've done your homework, the answer should be YES. (If it isn't, more on that later.)
There used to be a mall store in Michigan that catered to petite women. I think the name of the store was actually "2-4-6" (as in, "clothing for women who wear a dress size 2, 4 or 6.")
I have never worn a size 2, 4 or 6. I am not their customer. No matter how many postcards of beautiful clothing they sent me, I was never going to BE their customer.
If you've done business with the stores your targeting, or if you've researched their store and determined they might be a good fit, then you've crossed that first threshold. They might be interested in what you have to say.
If I am a JC Penney customer, then I probably want to hear about that annual sale that seems to happen every weekend.
Oh, let's use a better example: I buy beads at a particular gem show that comes to my neck of the woods twice a year, and YES, I love getting that postcard from them that tells me when, and offers me free admittance.
Now for the WHY. WHY are you sending these people a postcard?
To tell them something. And hopefully, get them to DO something.
What are the kinds of things you can tell them? Here's a list of thoughts and examples, in no particular order:
1) Name recognition.
Some buyers will jump right away on work they know they can sell. If your postcard offers someting they want, they will act.
Others have to see it a few times, or see YOU a few times. They're not sure about it, whether they can sell it, afford it, make room for it. Or they're not sure about you--whether you do a good job making it, whether you make it quickly or reliably.
Name recognition helps buyers get over this uncertainty.
You can gain name recognition through advertising, publicity, and marketing. Regular postcard mailings is one of the ways you can keep your work, and your name, in front of your current buyers and potential buyers.
2) Everyone loves a winner.
It's true. People are often more willing to invest in someone they perceive to be successful already.
We especially tend to believe when OTHER people think someone's a winner. ("Wow! She was featured in AmericanStyle magazine--she must be GOOD!" "Wow! Julia Roberts wears her jewelry!")
So let your audience know your achievements, especially one that's vetted by others.
This could be winning an award at a show or exhibit, or even just getting into that show. (The Smithsonian Craft Show!!) Did you get featured in a magazine? Let them know. Did you appear on TV? Tell them! Does a famous celebrity collect your work? Does a store in Paris carry your work?? (Hey, you're international!)
3) What's going on? aka "Whassup?"
Are there any changes in your life, as relates to your business/studio/artwork? Did you acquire new equipment that lets you offer a new service to your customers, such as engraving or personalized products? A new employee to introduce? Moving to a new location? Did you survive the floods in Louisianna, or New Hampshire??
Events are a big part of "what's going on?" When is your next show? Are you having an open studio?
Stick to promoting ONE event per postcard. Otherwise, you will lose urgency.
I learned this the hard way. To save money one year, I thought I'd promote three open studio dates in one postcard mailing. No one came to any of them! A musician friend later told me this is cold, hard fact in the performance industry--"Only give 'em ONE chance to see you!" Otherwise, people think, "Oh, I can see them at one of those later engagements"....and don't.
In fact this is so important, let's give it it's own category:
4) Create urgency!!!
Limited time, special sale, limited production items, one-time offers, etc. Make them act NOW.
5) SALE!!
People love a bargain. 'Nuff said.
6) What's new?
New designs, new lines, new colors, new new new. New NEVER gets old. We humans crave novelty, and that includes your customers. Give it to them.
7) Special offers.
Free or reduced shipping, 2-for-1 offers, introductory offers, pre-show offers,
Caveat: Some customers, especially retail customers, will remember a sale or special offer FOREVER. I've had customers request special offers from YEARS before.
BE VERY SPECIFIC about the terms of the offer, LIMIT how long these are in effect and under what conditions, and be careful what the offer is (e.g., make sure it's that's affordable for YOU.) You don't really want to offer free shipping forever, do you?
And still be prepared to extend the special offer if you need the extra good will. ("That offer expired six months ago, but you've been such a great customer...") So be careful what your offer is--you may get arm-twisted into giving it a very long time. ("That offer actually expired in 1992....")
Of course, if you DON'T or CAN'T honor it, you've automatically created urgency for next time. ("I'm so sorry, that 'free gift boxes with purchase' was so popular, we ran out of those boxes!")
8) Customer service.
Think of the card you get from your dentist reminding you of your next appointment. Wasn't that nice of him? And he knows you're busy and doesn't want you to forget your appointment. He obviously cares about your teeth and wants you to stay healthy, because he took the time to write to you about it. What a good dentist!
Can you apply this principle to YOUR customers? Maybe it's time for them to order your handmade ornaments for the holidays. Maybe you have the perfect cool Mom gift for Mother's Day, and hey! isn't that coming up in a few months?
9) Altruism.
We all know everyone operates on the basis of enlightened self-interest, right? Wrong.
We are also highly motivated to help others, especially if it's something simple or easy to do.
How does that relate to you? Two ways to think of this.
The first way is, when they buy from you, they can also support a worthy cause. If you sell dog food bowls (remember the hopeful dog on the front?) you could say something like, "August special--Save a ex-racetrack dog and help him find a new home! This month we are donating 2% of sales to Fast Friends, our New Hampshire greyhound rescue society."
You can even ask a buyer to help YOU.
If your postcard has gone to the WRONG buyer for your work, you could encourage them to pass it on to a store who might be RIGHT. Some stores (the ones that don't compete directly with each other) actually share artists and resources with other stores in their area. They may be willing to pass your info on to another store that WOULD be interested.
Let's go back to that 2/4/6 store I don't shop at. What if the message ended with, "Do YOU know a size 4 woman who can't find clothes that fit? Pass this card on to her and and both of you will receive a free ticket for our monthly jewelry raffle!" I get to help a friend find a that dress for her son's upcoming wedding, and maybe I'll get a free pair of earrings out of it.
Keep it light, keep it easy, and be sure to thank them if they do it. And DON'T overdo this. You don't want to ask everyone else to do your marketing FOR you--just asking for a little help once in awhile.
10) Reward your loyal customers.
We all see the special offers and amazing bargains to entice NEW customers.
If you're already a customer, how does that make you feel??
Your customers feel the same way.
Be sure to reward the people who already buy for you. It's nice to say "thank you for being a good customer!"
11) Ask for action.
Always keep in mind what you want people to DO when they receive your postcard. What is the action step you would like them to take?
And make sure that action step is EASY and QUICK.
That's what's so great about a postcard--it's small and lightweight and easy to carry til they get a chance to MAKE that action step.
Do you want them to come see you at a show? Ask them to bring the card to your booth and get something (a free goodie, free shipping, a better price, etc.)
Do you want them to see your new catalog? Have an EASY way for them to call or e-mail you, or direct them to your website where they can sign up for your newsletter or catalog with a few clicks. Or follow up and CALL them, offering to do that for them.
Do you want them to buy something? Give them all the information they need to do that--price, minimum quantity, one-click ordering, whatever.
Sometimes you just want them to keep you in mind. And yes, there's an action step to that.
I try to make my postcards so beautiful, people want to hang on to them.
Over and over, I hear my customers say, "I loved your postcard so much, I stuck it on my fridge!" or their bulletin board, or their wall. I've had customers who carry my postcard for months--even years!--in their handbags or briefcases.
This simple action--holding on to an image of my work--fits with my long range vision of where I want my art to be in 10, 20, 30 years. I WANT people to be dreaming about owning a piece of work by me, every day. And when the day comes where that dream can become reality, I'll be there.
The last thought I want to leave you with is ATTITUDE. Oh, hey, that's
12) Attitude
Remember that "everyone loves a winner" part?
Frame EVERYTHING you put in your postcard message in a way that reflects well on you. No matter what you say, make sure it's said in a positive, uplifting, can-do, spirit.
Even the "save the greyhounds" message says "small actions bring great results". Even a show you aren't doing anymore because it sucks bigtime can say instead, "Wonderful new show with these great advantages for YOU!" Use humor if you have to, but put a good face on it.
One year, an open studio event kinda snuck up on me, and I was woefully unprepared. When it was time to print my postcards, I decided to capitalize on that. My cards said something like, "My kids have convinced me not to clean my studio. Come see true artistic mess!"
Attitude counts. Which will segue nicely into my next essay on the SUBTLE side of "being a winner" which may surprise you. Stay tuned!
