How do you start a swipe file? By watching your mail!

Save all the postcards that arrive in your mailbox for one month, and I guarantee that you?ll have a bumper crop of ideas to choose from. (During the political campaign season, it'll only take a week.)

TIP #1: Avoid the "Too Much Information" Syndrome

I've seen many a marketing postcard that just has too much information on it. Too many words set in tiny type is an all too common problem.

And the poor recipient, who only has limited time in his/her day, feels overwhelmed and gives up. Into the trashcan your card goes.

Ouch.

How Well Do Postcards Work?

Before we get into the "how well" part of this question, let's look at how to measure the success of a postcard mailing.

I've heard a lot of people lament the fact that they just sent out a big postcard mailing, and, alas, no one called.

Hey, it's happened to me.

I've sent cards that I thought were so good that I was sure my phone would start ringing off the hook. And then my little Web and graphic design studio would be so busy that I'd be booked sold for the next three months. Hooray!

But, instead, nothing but silence from the phone.