Monday, February 25, 2013

5 Postcard Printing Effects That Attract Attention

Postcard promotions fill mailboxes very day and a majority of households don’t notice them and go directly into the trash. The average 1 to 3% conversion rate can be greatly improved by adding a secret sauce.  To improve the odds you need Wow Factor that captures eyes like a magnet.

The reason most postcards go unnoticed is they are not interesting and don’t grab the eye. It takes just a millisecond to either lose attention or capture it. The secret to attracting instant attention is to capture the eye with something unique, unexpected and interesting before the offer is seen.

To grab attention you need an eye candy wow factor that grabs attention. By using this secret your can turn a simple postcard into an affordable, powerful mailbox billboard that attracts immediate attention. Using any one of these 4 high tech printing effects will increase attention.  

Spot UV Coated Postcards
Spot UV coating is a high gloss laminate coating that can be placed on selected areas of a postcard. It can be used to highlight photos, illustrations, copy or backgrounds. Spot UV coating adds a modern distinguished elegance that is sure to stand out and be noticed.
By placing spot UV selectively on a solid color background you can print copy, patterns and textures. It works best with darker backgrounds because you will get a high/low contrast finish the eye can’t resist.

Silk Laminated Postcards
Silk laminated postcard offers a smooth silky feels that implies expensive, elegance and luxury. Silk laminated cards are very affordable. They are printed on heavy 16 pt card stock that is water and tear resistant and make a very professional strong statement of quality. The immediate reaction to a postcard is the feel, this is very important because feel is the first sense that decides quality and a positive or negative impression. If your postcard is unique and different is will create immediate curiosity, which is the first step that takes the targeted receiver to the next step and and forces the important second look. Spot UV coating can be applied to silk cards for an extra sensory pop.

Gold or Silver Foil Postcards
Gold and silver are precious metals that have been strongly desired before recorded history. They are recognized as the standard for the highest quality. Some online printing services offer a high tech process that’s less expensive than the traditional hot foil stamping process, which requires expensive stamping dies and a hot foil-stamping machine. The new cold foil process prints on silk laminated card stock. Printed foil postcards are very elegant and will create a lot of buzz. Foil is actually printed on the card inline with or without the standard CYMK color process. Costly dies and specialized hot foil machines are not needed.  The power of bright gold or silver foil printed on a postcard is irresistible and very impressive.

EveryColor Foil Postcards
EveryColor foil postcards are a designers dream. This new inexpensive process can make every CMYK color in foil. You can even make gradations and color blends never available before. It’s very simple to make as many colors as you want into foil using an easy to make foil mask that is a second layer under the areas you select to be foiled. Foil can be used as spot color on both sides of the card. EveryColor Wow Factor effect is spectacular and will hold attention for a long time. By using this effect you will extend your brand awareness because kept and shown around and get a lot of attention. It is so unique that it will be passed around and shown to others. These foil cards are a perfect solution to getting your promotion noticed and remembered. They are also effective as handout at trade shows, networking functions and any place people gather.

4D Lenticular Postcards
Lenticular postcards are the newest, most sophisticated extreme eye candy Wow Factor illusion you can use for a postcard campaign. lenticular cards have 2 or 3 flips that animate you message and tell a story. Lenticular postcards always attract excitement because they are fun to play with. They make an unforgettable positive statement to reinforce your branding. They are the most powerful direct mail marketing strategy to build customer retention and branding. With a strong call to action you will capture new buyers and attract repeat customers. Lenticular cards will attract more attention then any other postcard.


The truth is, the first mailing of a postcard marketing campaign, probabley will not produce the high return you may expect. Don’t waste your time and money unless you plan to use these strategies for at lest 3 monthly mailings to the same people. The more you mail over a period of time the stronger your branding the higher the retention and ROI.