Offline Marketing

When you want to connect with another person these days, you probably contact them by email. Why on earth would anyone consider using "snail mail" instead? 

Why? Because there IS so much email. Too much! We all spend time every day sifting through our Inbox looking for legitimate emails from our contacts. With this kind of pressure to keep up with email, how likely is YOUR email to be given more attention by your clients and colleagues than any other legitimate email? If you're trying to make a distinct impression through email, you've got a LOT of competition.

Personal correspondence can have an impact on your recipient, especially if they're not expecting it. More than that, there are good business reasons for using offline correspondence to stay in touch. I've found ExpressCopy.com to be superb for mass, non-personalized postcard mailings, and SendOutCards to be invaluable as a follow-up strategy that has a personal touch.

Getting Your Mass-Mailing Message Out in Record Time

When I served as the President of the Northwest Chapter of the National Speakers Association, one of our most important contact points with members was the use of a monthly promotional postcard. It proved to be a valuable reminder to our community, and an excellent way to break through the clutter of emails to provide a tangible as well as electronic message.

ExpressCopy.com was our vendor of choice. They offer a wide array of customizable designs if you're not comfortable creating postcards on your own. You can also upload your own postcard design in a variety of formats and upload a mailing list. ExpressCopy merged our mailing list with the postcard design and sent them via First Class mail for us. We didn't have to affix the stamps or deliver the postcards to the post office. Everything was handled for us once we uploaded our work and clicked Submit. ExpressCopy reviewed our design to make sure it met US Postal Service requirements, then sent the postcard into production. Barring any unforseen design issues, we enjoyed a 24-hour production turnaround time.

I have also used ExpressCopy for my own business mailings. I've had them print unaddressed postcards to me at my office, had them shipped to my hotel room for use at conferences, and of course, uploaded both designs and mailing lists for my own mass mailings. I like ExpressCopy's speedy production times and the quality of their postcards. You don't have to put up with flimsy postcard stock that ends up being damaged in transit. ExpressCopy uses good quality stock and vivid printing colors so your postcard makes it through the mail in good condition.

When working with clients on their overall customer contact strategies, I recommend ExpressCopy's excellent service to them for their mass mailings.

The Impulse to Connect with Others

You probably think about connecting with clients and customers every day -- doing something special, perhaps finding some way to make a good impression.

Email is fine for everyday correspondence. If your business is anything like mine, you depend on it! But what about the times when you want to really gain your clients' attention? What else can you do to show that you are thinking about them? 

Offline correspondence is a great way to capture their interest. Since using email is so easy, not many small businesses think about making a little extra effort to send personal correspondence. Perhaps one of the following thoughts has crossed YOUR mind...

• You think about sending a card but it's not convenient.

"Oh yes, a greeting card or a postcard might be nice. I'll drop everything, run to the store, stand in the greeting card aisle, and buy a card just for them." Not likely! Time is money. Even if you have an assistant, he or she may or may not be able to find a card with just the right sentiment.

• You already have greeting cards, but not the ones you need.

I have lost track of the number of ways I've tried to keep greeting cards on hand. I used to order them from a catalog -- I even had a special box with dividers so that I could quickly find them. I have to admit that I still have some of those cards -- they're kind of yellow now, no longer usable. Where is your stash of old cards?

• It would be fun to create a card but it takes too long.

Some people enjoy creating and printing cards from their computer -- I've done it too, but that was before I became an entrepreneur! Add in the time required to address them and put stamps on them, and sending correspondence that way just doesn't seem worth the effort. I gave up on printing my own greeting cards years ago.

• You don't send enough cards of one type to use an online bulk mailer.

There are a number of online services you can use to mail postcards, but many of them have high minimums, and you can't customize anything except the address. That's not exactly a personal connection!

These are all legitimate excuses! But deep down, you know that some form of personal connection makes a difference every time.

Networking Means Staying in Touch

Colleagues and fellow professionals can be a good source of referrals, but only if you stay "top of mind." You need to implement a specific strategy for identifying your most valuable sources and staying in touch with them.

If you have a newsletter or shopping cart system, you can send pre-scheduled emails, but that becomes just one more email in their Inbox. If you really want to get and keep their attention, you need to do a little more.

Sending Cards for No Particular Reason

When was the last time you sent someone a card for no particular reason (which is of course the best reason of all)? Did that card make someone's day? I bet they told you so. It felt good, didn't it?

I travel a lot, which means I'm away from loved ones. Staying in touch when I'm on the road could mean more than just the daily phone call. If I thought of it, I could send a card -- not just the local postcard, but something meaningful to let those at home know I am thinking of them.

Online Ease-of-Use with a Personal Touch

The SendOutCards system is the online greeting card shop and contact management system I've dreamed about! With 10,000 cards to choose from, you'll probably find the card you need every time. If you like the front of one of their cards but want a different sentiment (inside message), you can override the text of most cards and put in your own words.

The SendOutCards design team can take your logos, graphics, and text, and create custom cards for you. Or if you want to create your own, selecting a plan than includes Picture Plus means you can upload your own designs.

SendOutCards provides a number of different fonts you can use in your cards, but you can use your own handwriting font if you like. Simply select a plan that includes the creation of your handwriting font plus up to 4 signatures (different styles like first name only, full name, etc.), or purchase the handwriting font package separately.

Manage That Special Group of Contacts

SendOutCards is the perfect way to keep in touch with that key group of clients and colleagues. SendOutCards lets you cut through the electronic chatter and make a personal connection. You can create marketing or communication "campaigns" using postcards or greeting cards, then select any number of contacts to receive them. You can even have multiple cards per campaign. It doesn't matter whether you send one card or 1,000 -- there's no minimum number of cards required to send a bulk mailing.

You can upload your own contacts list (including birthdays and anniversaries) and receive emailed reminders in advance so that you never miss a special occasion. If you like, you can even send gifts, gift cards, or gift checks with your cards, selecting them and scheduling them in advance if you want.

SendOutCards Means Quality Too

The FIRST question I asked before I signed up for SendOutCards was "how good are these cards?" I even asked them to look up the type of cardstock they use, which they did. Then they encouraged me to sign up for a Guest Account and send myself some cards, which I did. All I had to see was the quality of the cards, and I was hooked.

I like this system so much that I've made it possible for YOU to have a Guest Account and to send yourself a card. In fact, send one to yourself AND to a friend (make their day, remember?). See for yourself how easy it is to stay in touch through SendOutCards.

Strategies for Using Cards in Your Business

Using SendOutCards means that you enjoy the convenience of working online while you create a physical piece -- a postcard or a greeting card. It is the personal touch that distinguishes SendOutCards from a mass-mailing company such as bulk postcard producers. Both mass-mailing and personalized communications have their place in your business. I think you'll find SendOutCards to be both affordable and ideal as your person-to-person follow-up strategy.

Card Campaigns

You can use SendOutCards to communicate with clients and customers as a group (a "campaign"), but still personalize each card sent out. SendOutCards lets you use First, Last, and even Spouse names if you've entered them into the Contact Manager. A 7" x 5" postcard gives you plenty of room to communicate. With wholesale pricing and personalization available, the SendOutCards cost-per-postcard competes very well with bulk-mailing services.

• General Marketing

Use the postcard or greeting card formats to update your key circle of clients and colleagues on your business activities, and to remind them that you're available for referrals.

• Special Events

Invitations that are individually addressed and personalized inside the card make a good impression. Remember, you can include your own handwriting font and signatures for even greater impact.

• Holiday Cards

Use Card Campaigns to separate out your clients, colleagues, and family members so that they receive the apprpopriate card type. Include gift cards with any or all of the cards to simplify your holiday shopping.

• Client Appreciation

A greeting card with a box of cookies or other treats included will get your client's attention and reinforce your long-term relationship with them. You can send gift cards or even gift checks with your cards, which are helpful when you don't know what gift your recipient would enjoy.

• Sales Follow-Up

Clients tell me that my post-sales follow-up is one of the main reasons for employing my services again. Simplify your follow-up by scheduling cards in advance of your project's completion date so that they arrive when your work is done.

Showcasing Your Work

With the SendOutCards Picture Plus feature, you can upload photos and use them in your greeting cards and postcards. You can add text and borders using the simple online designer. SendOutCards also lets you showcase your creative work while communicating with your clients and customers.

• Artists

I use SendOutCards to highlight the artwork of a fine artist whom I represent. We send gallery and show notifications using SendOutCards, and we personalize the invitations because we've uploaded his contact list to the Contact Manager.

• Designers

Are you a web designer or graphic artist? What better way to showcase your work than to provide screen-capture photos of your handiwork! Using Picture Plus with the SendOutCards plans that include that feature makes it easy to showcase your work.

• Photographers

I am a professional travel photographer as well as a travel writer. I signed up for SendOutCards as soon as I realized that I could be showcasing my professional photos while I am communicating with clients and customers!

Selecting or Creating a Design

Being able to personalize postcards or greeting cards is important, but the design of the card you select is integral to making a good impression. SendOutCards has employed professional designers to create their cards, so you're assured of finding a visual message that works for your business.

• Use Existing Designs

With 10,000 cards to choose from, there are plenty of professionally created designs already in the system. Most cards that include sentiments (inside text) will let you override the text with your own words, if you like.

• Having SendOutCards Create a Design

If you have logos, photos, and other previously created graphical elements, the SendOutCards design team can create a custom card for your business.

• Uploading Your Own Designs

If you have your own professional designer, or work on your own designs, you can upload them and use them right away. SendOutCards provides specifications for the artwork that help ensure a good result.

• Licensing Designs from Registered Artists

The SendOutCards Card Shop has collaborated with a number of fine artists who license their artwork as designs exclusively available through SendOutCards. You can use their fine art as the design for your cards by purchasing the license and having the designs transferred to your account.

Setting Up Your Account

There are so many possibilities with the SendOutCards system that I'm guessing you're ready to get started right away. I've arranged for you to be able to send 2 free cards at my expense through a Guest Account that you set up for yourself. Here's what I suggest that you do:

• Set up the guest account by clicking this Send a Free Card link.
• Send one card to yourself so that you can get an idea of the quality of the cards you're sending. Each card is individually printed and a postage stamp applied before mailing. Your card will have that truly personal touch.
• Send the other card to a client, colleague, friend, or family member and make their day. There's nothing better than receiving a card from someone when you weren't expecting it!