Stephen G. Barone and Susan H. Dineen

barodine marketing communications/research/design

A post card might lack room for fancy graphics and a lengthy benefit message. Nonetheless, it has one feature that no other direct-mail piece can approach for the same money. The return service is free!

An unappreciated fact about the humble 4x6 post card is that the US Postal Service will return it to you just like first class mail.

This makes it a perfect, inexpensive way to prune mailing lists. A post card sent to a “bad” address will automatically bounce back to you—and with no cost for “return service.”

For example, before a major catalog mailing, a modest post card campaign can pique the interest of your “good” addressees, and save you from mailing expensive catalogs to the “bad” ones.

In sum, post cards sent before or after a major mailing will not only reinforce a marketing message, but also save you from wasting print, mail, and postage costs, too.