CleanStyle

Boost Your Marketing Prowess with Perfect Postcard Design

Postcards are an excellent way to grab attention, partly because you can get your message across to the reader without requiring them to take action like opening an envelope or an email. With a postcard, your message is always front and center as soon as the printed piece hits their hand.

back side of postcard Lazy Bear

However, readers can easily be turned off by an unattractive postcard design or miss key information if it's not well-presented. Keep these perfect postcard design tips in mind to boost your marketing power and encourage your audience to take action on your message.

Get to the Point

You should have one obvious call to action for your postcard and create the rest of the design around driving home that point. Do you want customers to take advantage of an expensive offer for a high-end brand? Or are you looking for a fun response to a social media inquiry?

Understanding your audience and what you're trying to accomplish will help drive design direction for your postcard. Each detail of the postcard, from the fonts and colors used to the size of the card itself and the finish, should all build the look and feel that will reinforce your brand and message.

postcard with coffee cup and pen

Attention-Grabbing Design

Even the classiest of postcards can be attention-grabbing, whether it's font size, bright colors, or added pops of foil or other special treatments. Try experimenting with different cardstock options or graphics and put them together in creative ways. Look at your design in real size from across the room. Are you able to easily tell the main point, and does the postcard design look like something that would catch attention at a glance? If not, try again!

Don't Be Boring

People receive dozens of pieces of mail in a week, and you have only a split second to catch their attention. One of the best ways to do that (other than the design) is to have fun with the message and the layout. A bright pop of color is great, but having that integrated around a fun message will keep them reading once they've picked up the postcard. Don't overstuff the postcard space with text, but look for a good balance that provides enough information for the reader to take action. Here are some quick tips that will help:

Be brief: Less important details can be relegated to the back, to keep the front clutter-free.

Be unique: Consider postcard designs that are extraordinary such as odd shapes or sizes.

Be clear: Providing a specific call to action and benefits to your audience will help them engage with your message.

Be engaging: If one postcard is great, a series of postcards can provide you with an even greater impact.

If you liked these tips, our postcard pros have tons more. They're standing by to help you design the right postcard to meet (and exceed!) your business goals. Contact us today to learn more and get started writing your postcard success story!

The Non-Designer's Design Book (4th Edition)

by Robin Williams

For nearly 20 years, designers and non-designers alike have been introduced to the fundamental principles of great design by author Robin Williams. Through her straightforward and light-hearted style, Robin has taught hundreds of thousands of people how to make their designs look professional using four surprisingly simple principles. Now in its fourth edition,For nearly 20 years, designers and non-designers alike have been introduced to the fundamental principles of great design by author Robin Williams. Through her straightforward and light-hearted style, Robin has taught hundreds of thousands of people how to make their designs look professional using four surprisingly simple principles. Now in its fourth edition,The Non-Designer's Design Bookoffers even more practical design advice, including a new chapter on the fundamentals of typography, more quizzes and exercises to train your Designer Eye, updated projects for you to try, and new visual and typographic examples to inspire your creativity.

Whether you're a Mac user or a Windows user, a type novice, or an aspiring graphic designer, you will find the instruction and inspiration to approach any design project with confidence.

THIS ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO DESIGN WILL TEACH YOU

The four principles of design that underlie every design project
How to design with color
How to design with type
How to combine typefaces for maximum effect
How to see and think like a professional designer
Specific tips on designing newsletters, brochures, flyers, and other projects