With the holidays in full swing and the end of the year getting closer, now is a great time to say “thank you” to the customers who buy your products or services. Most businesses forget this simple step and a small note can make a big difference in helping your business stand out from the competition and generating returning purchases.

Stamps.com has several features to help you easily communicate a note of “thanks” to your customers.

#1 Thank You Message in your Shipment Notification emails
Stamps.com will automatically send out a shipment notification email to your package recipient.  This email notifies the recipient that the package has been shipped and includes the delivery address, mail date, mail class, estimated delivery date, special services, and a link with the tracking number so that the recipient can track their package.

You also have the ability to include a customized personal note in the email. This is a great place for a short “thanks for your order” message.

Get more info on shipment notification emails.

#2  Send Newsletters and Marketing Materials
If you need a bigger canvas to communicate your message to your customers, try sending a newsletter on a regular 8.5″ x 11″ piece of paper for a quick and easy mailer.  With this option, you’ll be able to print your marketing message on both sides of the 8.5″ x 11″ piece of paper. On one side of the paper, leave enough room towards the bottom of the page (one of the three panels) for the address and postage to be clearly printed.   Using Stamps.com, you can print the return address, delivery addresses and correct postage on the empty panel.  Once printed, just fold the paper into a tri-fold, fasten the open edge with tape and drop it in the mailbox!

Get more info on newsletters

#3 Quick Direct Mailings with PC Postcards
These high-quality postcards are great for thank you notes, appointment reminders, invitations, and more.  And by using a postcard, you get to utilize the discounted first class postage rate of $0.32.

Using your favorite word processing program, you can print your marketing message on four postcards in one pass through the printer.  Then, on the opposite side, Stamps.com will easily print the delivery address, return address (optional) and postage on all four postcards.    If you are using MS Word, Microsoft has a number of templates you can use to customize the design on the postcards.

Get more info on PC Postcard
Buy the PC Postcard in Stamps.com Store

Postcard mail campaigns are a great way to stay in touch with your best customers about new products, upcoming  appointments or other important information about your small business.  Since there are no envelopes involved in a postcard mailing, production costs are low and turnaround times can be extremely short.  Best of all, the first class postage for a postcard is significantly cheaper than a letter.  Postcards cost only 28 cents to send via USPS first class postage, whereas a letter costs 44 cents – that is a 36 percent savings for each piece of mail! 

If your small business is planning a postcard mailing in the coming months, check out these great tips to help get your campaign started: 

Tip #1  Messaging – Have a new service or special sale?
Your postcard should have a primary message that alerts the customer to a special sale or new service your business is offering.   Another great option is for basic communication such as an address change or even to remind your customer their appointment is getting near. 

Tip #2  Postcard Design – Simple and clear!
Since a postcard gives you less room to work with, you have to make every word and image count. The larger text and images should engage your potential customer from the first moment he sees it. Keep in mind that less is more when it comes to advertising, so keep the message simple and the postcard uncluttered with relevant images and text. If you’re planning to use postcards to remind customers of appointments, try putting a joke and funny image related to your business as the main image to grab attention.

Tip #3  Call-to-Action – What do you want your customer to do? 
Your business’s postcard should make it easy for a customer to know what to do next. If you’re offering a new service, you need to tell your customer in the postcard how to get that service. Let them learn more about it on their own time by giving them a simple URL or a toll-free number to call for more information. If your customer has an upcoming appointment, be clear as to whether they need to call to confirm. Make sure you’re offering more than just web-based communications so you don’t alienate those without Internet access.

Tip #4  Printing
Putting together a postcard campaign doesn’t necessarily require a graphic designer and a lot of time. Some companies, such as VistaPrint or ModernPostcard.com, offer great deals on postcard printing.  VistaPrint often has great deals and the service includes the ability to either build your own postcard or choose between 3,000 postcard designs that you can easily customize.

Stamps.com Makes it Easy to Print Postcards
If you’re a Stamps.com customer, launching your new postcard campaign is simple. If you already have printed postcards, Stamps.com allows you to print 28 cents NetStamps that will easily affix to your postcards. 

Stamps.com’s store also offers blank PC Postage postcards (SDC-1400) that allow small businesses to completely customize the messaging onto 4 postcards at a time using Stamps.com’s templates for MS Word or using your favorite design software.  The MS Word templates allow you to completely customize your main message and then place the postage, return address and delivery address on the opposite side of the postcard.  These are great for short turnaround projects as they can be produced within minutes.   And by using your own printer, your business has the flexibility to print in small or large quantities as time permits.