If you go to Google or Yahoo! or any other search engine and enter a business name in the search bar, chances are that most of the top results on the first page are coming from one of the following top local listing directories. That means if you’re not listed at these sites, you could be losing hundreds if not thousands of potential customers that are searching online  for your business, your products or services you offer, every day! What are you waiting for, get listed today!

To get you off started in the right direction, here are the top 10 sites you want to be listed at:

1. Google Maps – It’s Google, need I say more!
2. Yahoo! Local – Offers many options, including FREE listings.
3. Bing Local (formerly MSN Local) – Results show up in Maps results.
4. YellowPages.com – Yes, yellow pages is online, and can really bring in the traffic!
5. Local.com – Offers FREE basic listings and also PPC (pay-per-click) advertising.
6. MerchantCircle.com – Offers FREE local business listings, profiles and reviews.
7. Kudzu.com – Offers many options including FREE local  listings, and reviews.
8. CitySearch.com – Offers Listings and Reviews. Very good in search results.
9. Yelp.com – Offers business listings and customer reviews.
10. DexKnows.com – Many Listing Options to drive customers your way!

1. Define the Purpose of Your Postcards.

What do you want your postcards to accomplish? Do you want to generate website traffic, new customers, sales leads, repeat sales, or something else?

2. Describe Your Audience.

Who wants or needs what you will be offering? Make a list of all the characteristics of the perfect prospect you can think of. Make sure your postcard text/offer will be speaking to this audience.

3. Find the Best Mailing List.

If you’re going to mail the postcards to your own customers, you already have the list. Otherwise contact MultiCOLOR Media and we have a very good company that we work closely with, have the description of that perfect prospect you developed in Step 2. Almost any mailing list you can think of is available through most mailing list brokers.

4. Settle on One Idea to Promote.

You only have enough space on a postcard to promote one product, one service, or one idea. If you want to promote more than 1 thing, develop a separate postcard for each.

5. Determine the Best Format to Use.

The standard sizes are 4 x 6 and 5 x 7, but keep in mind that you can send your postcards by First Class Mail for only 26 cents in the USA if you keep them between 3 1/2 x 5 inches and 4 x 6 inches in size.

6. Compose a Captivating Headline.

Postcards get delivered open and ready to read. A captivating 3-to-5-word headline that can be read with just a quick glance at the postcard guarantees almost 100 percent readership, especially if it promises a major benefit to the reader.

7. Create a Powerful but Easy to Grasp Offer.

Try to state your offer in just one sentence. If you use more than one sentence, leave blank lines between them. If you have more than 3 sentences, consolidate several into short bulleted lists to save space and reading time. You can boost the number of responses to your postcard by giving readers a compelling reason to take action right NOW. It’s called “Call to Action”. For example, reward them with a discounted price, a special bonus, or something else if they respond by a deadline.  Remember that if you order large quantities of this postcard, and you are not mailing them out immediately that you give it some time for designing, printing, shipping time to you and mailing out when ready. You don’t want leftovers that have expired offers on them, what a waste!

8. Provide a Simple and Easy Way to Respond.

Briefly tell the reader exactly what you want them to do in response to your postcard. Make it simple and easy. For example, visit your web site, call you on the phone, or come to your store.

9. Bring it to a Graphic Design Studio like MultiCOLOR Media.

Make an appointment to come in and sit down with us and give us your ideas and details for a postcard marketing campaign(s). We can design it for you and email you a proof.

10. Print your Postcards.

Print your postcards professionally with MultiCOLOR Media.  Let us know what size you want, what paper you would like, the quantity and if you would like it printed GREEN. If you did your own artwork, email the file over to us with the subject line “Order from (Your company name here)” to info@multicolormedia.com with the details of your order. We will check your file to make sure it is print ready.

This 10-point checklist does not cover everything about postcard marketing. We wanted to give some basics for you to run with. We are always available to discuss your postcard marketing campaigns, please call to make an appointment for assistance.