easy postcard marketing

Congress’ credit card reform bill will prevent companies from arbitrarily raising interest rates, but it could also tighten available credit. A reporter explains the measure.

GWEN IFILL: The new credit card regulations will mean big changes for consumers whether they pay on time or not. Card companies won’t be able to raise interest rates unless a payment is more than 60 days past due. If the borrower then pays on time for the next six months, the original interest rate kicks back in.

Also, if a borrower pays more than one interest rate — say, for cash advances and for charges — payments must be applied to the higher interest rate balance first.

The law would also limit credit for anyone under the age of 21.

Joining us to explain its impact is Nancy Trejos of the Washington Post.

Welcome, Nancy.

NANCY TREJOS, Washington Post: Hi. Thanks for having me.

GWEN IFILL: What’s the big problem this was designed to fix?

NANCY TREJOS: Well, there was a problem with the way interest rates were being charged. Credit card companies were raising interest rates on existing balances for any time, for any reason. They were also charging excessive fees, not giving consumers enough time to make their payments, and they were doing some aggressive marketing of credit cards to college students, to people under 21.

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Business Post Card

Marketing with postcards has been a method used by businesses for a long time.  Despite the advancement of technology and the introduction of new marketing methods, they has not totally took the place of postcard marketing.  The traditional way of sending postcards via post mail is still proven to be effective.

Even internet marketers find the usefulness of promoting the business offline through postcard marketing.  Why?  Because not everyone has the time to surf the web and not everyone is aware that your business exists online.  That is why, promoting with postcards is also valuable even for online business owners.  Postcards help them generate more traffic to their business website.

If you have a business, have tried marketing with postcards?  If not, let’s talk about some suggestions you can do to make your postcard marketing a success.  If you’re already marketing with postcards, make sure that you do not forget the following tips:

Use the right mailing list.
Sending your postcards to the appropriate market will surely generate positive response.  If people are genuinely interested in the products or services you offer, they will surely take the time to read your postcard and check out your website.  On the contrary, inviting people to check out your site will be a waste of time if they don’t have any interest in what you offer.

Where can you find the right mailing list?  One way to collect mailing address is to get recommendations from your existing clients.  Ask them if they have friends or relatives that they know would also be interested in your products or services.  If you only get a small number of referrals, you can also buy a mailing list from a reputable mailing list broker.

Focus on your goal.
As an online business, the goal for sending postcards is to invite more people to visit your website.  Therefore, don’t try to sell your products or services in your postcards.  Postcards can only contain short, concise messages.  In this case, use the postcards to encourage recipients to check out your business online.

Compose an effective message.
In connection with focusing on your goal, compose a message that will reach out to your reader’s interest.  Why should they check out your website?  What will they get out of it?  One great way to encourage people is to offer a bonus, a discount or a freebie for the first visitors of your site.  People love to receive gifts so they will more likely take the time to visit the site.

Personalize your message.
A personal message generates more response from customers rather than a strictly promotional message.  Don’t make your postcard look like an ordinary print ad.  Instead, try to appeal to your reader’s hearts and make them feel special. 

Use a captivating image.
A heart-warming photograph or a funny picture will say more than what words can.  Take the time to choose an image that will perfectly illustrate what you want to say or what you want the reader to feel.  Beautifully-designed postcards are kept for a long time and achieve more response.

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Retailers could get more aggressive about levying higher prices on customers using credit cards under a measure being considered in the U.S. Senate.

As part of a sweeping bill to change the rules for credit cards, a pair of senators are pushing to lift constraints that Visa, MasterCard and other credit card networks impose on merchants’ ability to offer discounts for paying by cash or check.

Retailers have long chafed under the restrictions, which make it burdensome for them to make transparent to consumers the fees they pay to credit card companies. Those fees amount to tens of billions of dollars a year. The result, they complain, is that cash-paying customers unfairly end up sharing the cost of letting other customers buy on credit.

"Cash customers pay a penalty because we take credit cards," said Jeff Miller, president of Miller Oil Co.

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Post Card Marketing

Business Post Card

Marketing with postcards is a great way to promote a business.  If you’re a newly established business, it is an effective way to let people know that you’ve just opened.  Or if you’re launching a new product or offering a new service, postcards are great medium to announce it.

Postcards can also double as discount coupons or claiming stub for a bonus or a freebie.  Because of its versatility, many entrepreneurs prefer postcard marketing over other forms of direct mail marketing.

Nevertheless, how can you get the most out of marketing with postcards?  How can you design a powerful postcard that will surely generate positive response from your prospects?  Consider the following tips on how to market with postcards more effectively:

Use quality image. Designing your postcards with poor quality images will not attract people’s attention.  A poorly designed postcards will be easily be discarded by a recipient.  True, using high quality print images can cost you more but the results you’ll achieve will also be worth the money you spend.   Since an image is a key element in your postcard design, see to it that you use only the best quality photos.

Avail of quality printing. If you’re going to send postcards in large bulk, it’s better to take your designs to a professional printing service.  This way, you can get to choose the quality of materials you’ll get.  Glossy and colorful postcards easily grab people’s attention.  People also tend to keep beautifully-designed postcards for a long time.

Send the right size postcards. Most postcards come in a standard 4”x6” size.  But if you want to stand out, you may also use postcards at a larger size.  Nevertheless, smaller postcards are a lot handier and costs cheaper via First Class Mail.

Use captivating headlines. Headlines are important part of any type of advertising copy.  Since they are the first words that the recipients will see, choosing attention-grabbing words is the key to attract people’s interest.

Use concise messages. One of the best things about postcards is that they don’t take too much of the recipient’s time.  Since you can only put in short messages in a postcard, you need to make sure that the message speaks exactly what you want to speak.

For instance, if you want them to check out your website, drop by your store or try a new product, make sure that your message conveys what you want your customers to do.  Use lines that are catchy and easy to remember.

Don’t try to advertise all your products. Remember not to flood your postcards with too many things all at once.  Trying to sell all your products in just one postcard will just be a waste of time.  Instead, focus on just one thing for each postcard you send.

Include your contact details. Some business owners forget this basic rule.  Your recipients should know all the possible means of contacting you.  Don’t forget to include your business address, phone number, e-mail address, your website address and other contact details.

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Kenosha — Hundreds of auto workers rallied Monday evening to urge the Obama administration and executives at Fiat and Chrysler to reverse a decision to close the Kenosha engine plant.

The closing was signaled last week by Chrysler in court documents filed as part of the automaker’s bankruptcy proceeding.

In response, local leaders vowed a long fight to keep the factory open.

"We have a fight, and it’s an uphill grade," Kenosha County Executive Jim Kreuser told more than 300 people gathered at the United Auto Workers union hall. "I’m here to tell you we are down but we are not out."

The rally sought to build on outrage voiced Friday by political leaders after they learned of the decision by Chrysler to end engine production in Kenosha. Chrysler has decided to build the new line of engines at factories in Trenton, Mich., and Saltillo, Mexico.

Until Friday, Chrysler had never closed the door officially on building the new engines in Kenosha, union workers at the plant said.

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Marketing with Postcards