You've got something important to tell your customers and you want to let them know as quickly as possible, but how? Emails are quick, but we all know that unless the title of the email grabs you, you're likely to hit the delete button without reading it. Additionally everyone's email boxes get full of junk emails. However, while delivery is not so fast as an email, postcards can be very effective and they're relatively cheap to produce.

Send a postcard to tell your customer about new products and services. Offer them special discounts. You can impart a message effectively using a few chosen words.

Remember, your postcard has to grab the recipient's attention quickly. A postcard loaded with text will get discarded. Your message needs to be concise, clear and to the point.

Use colored ink and ensure your company logo and name appear on both sides. Don't use too many different fonts, it gets confusing and confusion means the postcard may be put in the trash before it's even read.

If the point of the postcard is to get your customer to do something, make sure it's absolutely clear what they have to do and how. Make sure contact details stand out. If the action needed is date specific, then tell your customer the date they need to respond by clearly.

Make sure the general design of the postcard is in keeping with other marketing material you produce. Consistency is important; the more customers see your material the more they remember your company and what services it provides.

The size of the postcard matters. Small postcards don't get noticed, they may even get lost so your customers never even get to see them. A postcard that measures about 6 by 11 inches works well. It's easy to spot and it means the printing is larger and clearer.