They are also cheaper than mailing letters. In fact, since the new postage increase has taken place (Effective January 22, 2012), the postage cost to mail out a standard 1st class postcard ($0.32) is over 28% cheaper than mailing out a standard 1st class letter ($0.45).
You should use them to pre-qualify prospects before they enter your sales cycle. Let them self-nominate to receive future contact from you. (When this happens, you will no longer have to make cold calls. You will make warm calls because THEY WANT what YOU HAVE to offer).
You are not trying to sell your prospect with this piece. You want them to take action and request more information. This establishes you as the expert and puts you in control because the prospect wants YOUR EXPERTISE to satisfy THEIR WANTS and NEEDS.
With any lead generation tactic, you should ALWAYS use a two-step approach. By this I mean you need to have a "Do this, Get that" mentality. In the industry, this is known as Direct-Response Marketing. Keep it simple, the harder you make things for the prospect, will in turn make it harder for you to convert them into a new customer or client.
Direct mail gives the prospect an opportunity to self-nominate and say "Hey, I'm giving you permission to market to me, now show me what you got!"
Once your prospect takes action (visits your website, sends your reply card, reply envelope or calls you for more information), you have momentarily secured their desire and now you must handle any objections they may have and close the sale. If you do not close on that call, you must follow-up with Excellent Customer Service.
Sounds like a lot of work doesn't it? Seems like it might be too much to handle? If you were doing all of this work yourself, yes it could be a lot, but as a business owner, you need a simple automated system that works for you instead of you working for it.
When you decide to use postcards as ONE OF YOUR marketing tools, you leverage your time, money and effort, so your business will do all the things it's supposed to do: increase profits, generate qualified leads, attract new business and build brand awareness... whether you decide to work or not... and do it consistently.