Getting Started · 4 min read
A First-Time Advertiser’s Guide to Shared Postcards
The decisions to make before reserving your first local postcard ad spot.
Know what you want the card to accomplish
Start with a single goal, a service area, and an offer. Then choose the ad size that gives those essentials enough room to be understood.
Collect your logo, phone number, website, photos, and any approved proof points before design begins.
Ask practical questions
Confirm the mailing area, category exclusivity policy, proof process, production timeline, and what is included in the campaign. These details turn a promising concept into a manageable marketing plan.
Finally, decide how you will answer leads and measure response. The postcard is the start of the customer journey, not the entire journey.
Put the plan on one page
Write down the audience, campaign goal, offer, response method, mailing area, expected timing, and the person responsible for follow-up. This one-page brief keeps design, operations, and sales working from the same plan.
If a decision is still unclear, leave it open rather than hiding it in the artwork. It is easier to resolve a question before proof approval than after a mailpiece is in production.
A practical next-step checklist
Choose the primary offer, collect your approved logo and contact details, and decide how a response will be recorded. Then confirm the mailing area and the date by which artwork needs to be approved.
Before the mailing is scheduled, make sure the people answering the phone or form submissions can recognize the offer and explain what happens next.