Custom Postcards are the perfect marketing tool for all types of promotions, including incentives, inserts, giveaways, and direct mail. Custom postcards are a powerful marketing tool. When utilized effectively, postcards can result in a high response rate and more sales.

The Direct Marketing Association (DMA) reports that direct mail, such as a custom postcard, has a higher response rate of 4.4% than email’s 0.12% rate. The use of direct mail marketing is still prevalent. However, you can revive your marketing initiatives with postcard printing without going overboard with excess or extra costs.

In this article, we will be sharing with you some practical tips for creating custom postcards in 2023.

What are Custom Postcards?

Custom postcards are personalized and unique postcards that are designed and created according to specific requirements or preferences. Unlike generic postcards, custom postcards are tailored to suit individual needs and branding. Businesses and individuals use custom postcards to convey a more personalized message, showcase their unique identity, or promote special offers or events.

These postcards allow for creative freedom, enabling the inclusion of custom designs, logos, images, and text that align with the sender’s objectives. Custom postcards can be used for various purposes, including marketing, event invitations, holiday greetings, or simply as a way to express a personal message in a distinctive and memorable way.

Why are Custom Postcards So Successful?

Postcards have a wide readership and are cheap to create and distribute. Therefore, postcards are more economical than any other print tool for marketing when used to develop a targeted audience base.

Many organizations find that postcards are helpful because they can accommodate a variety of messaging. For instance, postcards can inform potential customers about your products and services while promoting specials and the most recent marketing promotions. They are helpful if you also want to highlight your website, welcome customers to your social media pages and profiles, or include your phone number in case someone needs additional information.

In addition, postcards are more likely to be recognized than emails since they are tangible (i.e., physical.) Businesses are drawn to custom postcards because they have a professional appearance without the hefty expense. They are an excellent way to launch a company, communicate with customers, and keep high engagement. Additionally, postcards are a fantastic tool for independent creative professionals, like graphic designers, photographers, and illustrators, to showcase their work to prospective customers.

Guidelines from the Pros to Improve Your Custom Postcard

The following are some suggestions for effective postcard marketing:

1. Target Potential Clients

Your subscriber list should include people who are or might be interested in your business. Choose the right prospects or specific demographic marker because a truck lover won’t be interested in a sports car.

2. Create a Campaign

A single postcard mailing won’t yield noteworthy outcomes. Regularly sending postcards to your customers will assist them in getting to know you and your company.

3. Personalize Your Message

It’s essential to present professionalism and build relationships with your clientele. Include a brief yet sincere statement to build rapport with your customers. For example, send them a postcard wishing them a happy birthday on their special day or a holiday greeting.

4. Keep Your Message From Being a Sales Pitch

Deals and promotions are acceptable to mention in your postcards but refrain from making them the primary focus of your message. Postcards should signal the subsequent sale’s start rather than the previous one’s end.

How to Create Your Own Custom Postcards

Have you yet mastered the art of creating your own postcard? Your options are as follows:

1. Online Design Tool

Get a built-in online tool if you want a fresh start but have never used a professional design tool. For example, take a blank postcard design as a starting point, and have fun customizing it! An example of an online design tool is Visual Paradigm.

This has the benefit of most of these online design tools assisting you with printing your design.

2. Assign a professional designer

This can be done in several ways. Initially, through independent designers, design firms, and unlimited graphic design services such as All Time Design.

If you have little experience in postcard designs, you can upload your own design. The file can then be shared with All Time Design to be improved for quality. Different formats are accepted, including EPS, PSD, etc.

3. Postcard Design Templates

You may quickly narrow down the enormous collection of design templates All Time Design offers by industry or style. Undoubtedly, there will be one that fits your personality! In addition, you can customize any of these at no extra cost once you have downloaded them.

You can include your logo, pictures, and custom content.

What is Postcard Printing?

Postcard printing is a marketing strategy that is both affordable and successful. They can be sent directly to your audience by mail or distributed at events by flyers.

By modifying any design from All Time Design, you may print business postcards for your street marketing handouts, business announcements, special occasions, and more.

Sending personalized postcards is necessary to stand out from your competitors. All Time Design has a wide range of sizes, materials, and coating customization options to help you get the most out of your postcard printing. It can also be altered to match your own logo, brand, and message. 

As an illustration, you can ask for your design even in a compact size so you can print your postcards and distribute them, or you can have them produced huge so they stand out immediately when your consumers receive them in the mail. Use any postcard mailing services to lighten your workload and concentrate on other essential aspects of your business.

You can select one of our free templates and customize it using design tools, or you can upload your own design and work with an All Time Design designer assigned to you. Before printing, All Time Design ensures your postcards are exactly how you envisioned them.

Pick Your Postcard Style

Here are the three most popular postcard styles:

1. Premium Postcards

You can make your promotions stand out from the mail with All Time Design’s premium postcard designs. Due to their unique finishing methods, your postcards will be elevated. Printing metallic postcards allows you to add a bit of sophistication to your design with options for gold, silver, or bronze decorations. Multiple layers of spot UV are applied on postcards to highlight significant design elements. You can also print Velvet Postcards for a beautiful, velvety texture. These are water- and tear-resistant, protecting your design as it is disseminated or sent.

If you want to make sure the design remains sharp, you must choose high-quality printing services.

2. Direct Mail or EDDM Postcards

Local businesses can practically engage with their target market by selecting the right locations. One of its strongest features is the ability to track and evaluate the success of postcard campaigns. Restaurants, laundromats, real estate, and educational institutions are some of the sectors that use postcard sending.

3. Standard Postcards

Regular postcards come in various sizes, from 3.5″ x 8.5″ to 8.5″ x 11″. The most popular and cost-effective sizes are 4″ x 6″, which are great for sending out mass announcements on a product launch or store opening, and the slightly larger 5″ x 7″, which has a more noticeable effect.

To enhance shine and security, pick from a variety of coating options. If you want clients to be able to write on the postcards, we recommend an uncoated or matte finish. High gloss UV with an uncoated back is another fantastic option for writing on one side. Many design companies offer same-day printing turnaround times for standard postcards.

Options for Buying Postcards

There are various methods for purchasing postcards. However, before designing and printing, it’s vital to know postcard sizes, composition, postcard dimensions, paper stock, etc.

Let’s examine a couple of choices with unique finishes:

1. Shop by Shapes and Finishes

Embossed Gloss: Your logo or text will have an eye-catching visual thanks to embossed gloss, giving it more depth and substance.

Foil Accent: This gleaming foil finish draws attention to your lettering or emblem.

2. Shop by Texture and Paper

Pearl: These bright paper stocks give any straightforward design a sophisticated shine.

Linen: Your postcard will appear homemade thanks to its gently woven textures.

Ultra Thick: These have a UV-glossy finish on 32pt paper stock that is bend-resistant.

3. Shop Eco Business Postcards

You can use post-consumer recycled paper and other unconventional materials to achieve a natural look and feel.

Kraft Paper: A 17-point thick paper made from post-consumer recycled material can be used to create custom postcards.

Recycled Matte: Create personalized postcards with this paper stock that is entirely recycled and has a smooth finish.

Free Custom Postcard Templates

1. Abstract Painted Wedding Template

2. Corporate Business Template

3. Travel Template with Flat Elements

4. Realtor Template

5. Holiday Template

6. Free Corporate Startup Template

7. Vintage Summer Holiday Template

8. Free Car Wash Template

9. Free Moving Company Template

10. Small Business Template

Customize Your Own Postcard With Us

To make your personal brand stand out, your postcards must include vibrant colors and bold designs. Additionally, the wording printed on the paper needs to be precise. These issues could seem a little difficult for people who are not designers and have little to no experience with printing.

Thanks to its wealth of skilled designers, all Time Design will be your mentor and designer. Give their designers free rein to create high-quality postcards for your organization. ATD considers your requirements and ideas and their consulting or suggestions based on their experience.

Choose a package between $499 and $1699, and trust the experts. Feel free to request a change in image or images, paper stock texture to be printed, size, font, quantity, etc.

These packages suit business owners and the general audience who need to design a large number of postcards and write to tons of personnel. Request a demo now!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What are Safe Zone and Bleed?

To avoid chopping your text, photographs, logos, and other essential elements off when the postcard is trimmed to its final size, position them all in the safe zone. Bleed is the term for the section that is removed during cutting outside of the safe zone.

2. What are the Popular Postcard Sizes?

The following sizes are available for standard postcards: 3″ x 4″, 6.5″ x 9.5,” 4″ x 6,” 4.25″ x 5.5,” 5″ x 7,” 5.5″ x 8.5,” 6″ x 9,” and 6″ x 11.” Are you trying to find something unique? Additionally, All Time Design can create postcards for your business in bespoke sizes! Both horizontal and vertical layouts, as well as foldable postcards, are permissible.

3. What Can I Use Custom Postcards for?

Today, sending a postcard involves much more than just doing so. They act as a versatile canvas for numerous marketing and promotional initiatives. Think about using images for direct mail, menus, product info sheets, event handouts, and tiny prints. Due to the range of paper stocks, sizes, and finishes offered by All Time Design, you may find the appropriate business postcard for almost any event.

4. How Can I Have My Postcard Design Reviewed?

If you have a subscription plan with All Time Design, you can upload your design to a designer who will review it before printing.

5. Will Both Sides Print?

Yes. Your reversed postcards can be in full-color printing or black and white. The majority of printing providers will do this at no additional charge.

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