Using the right medium to send your message is crucially important. You don’t want to send the wrong message with the wrong kind of mailer. Sometimes, what you have to say needs to be in a different format to deliver the full impact. There are pros and cons to every direct mailer option. The two most common forms of mailers are postcards and letters. In order to understand which is most appropriate when, we’ll go through the pros and cons of each.
Letters
Pros
- You can send more longform information
- Seem more professional
- More effective with B2B mailings
- Great followup resource
Cons
- Can be more expensive than postcards
- Requires customers to read more
- Can be lost in the shuffle
Letters serve a very straightforward purpose. They convey a sense of professionalism, offer plenty of space to explain what you’re message is about and are excellent at presenting more complicated ideas than postcards. The postal system is also specifically set up to accommodate letters. Most fit into a standard size. This is great for getting through all of the hurdles of the mailing process, where something the wrong size might just not make it through the chain.
Postcards
Pros
- You can display much more graphic information
- The focus is on the visual
- Fantastic for quick offers and initial contacts with customers
- Powerful B2C outreach tool
Cons
- You can’t fit as much information on a postcard
- Requires a design
- Might not be as effective for B2B communications
- Irregular sizes might result in being dismissed
Postcards serve as a quick form of outreach. They are typically colorful, easy to pick out from a stack of envelopes, and direct with their message. A postcard that takes more than a minute or so to figure out isn’t doing its job. This also bypasses the envelope barrier. If someone doesn’t recognize a letter in an envelope, it is usually seen as junk and tosses. A postcard requires a design though. Unless you have an in-house designer, you could be paying a fair amount out of pocket depending on what you’re looking for.
Talk To Experts
If you’re not sure what method works best for your customers or the audience you’re trying to reach, it might be best to have a conversation with a professional direct mail service. Depending on who you talk to, they may even have in house designers and printers available, reducing the cost of some of the pricier options.
When you work with a service that’s dedicated to getting your message out there most effectively, you’re setting yourself up for success. The next time you have a question about your direct mail campaigns, talk to the team that knows mail; give us a call today!
