Choose a reachable audience
A campaign starts with a reason to contact a particular group. Recent purchasers, inactive customers and new prospects need different introductions. Define the qualifying rule before exporting the list, then remove duplicates, incomplete addresses and contacts who have asked to stop receiving marketing. Record that rule so a later campaign can use a comparable audience.
Give the postcard one job
Choose one primary response, such as requesting an estimate or ordering a refill. The headline, image and destination page should all support it. A garden service might invite local households to book a spring assessment. Sending those households to a generic home page makes them search again for the offer they just read. The USPS guide to customized direct mail describes formats and response options worth considering before design begins.
Build the destination before printing
Create the landing page first. Test the form or checkout on a phone and include a readable web address alongside the QR code. Confirm that staff can recognise telephone enquiries about the campaign. Use the same offer wording on the page and the card so the customer can tell they arrived in the right place.
Set a rule for the next mailing
Record the full campaign cost and the contribution expected from an order. Decide what outcome would justify a second wave. Our direct mail measurement guide explains how to separate visits from commercial results. Check production details through USPS business resources, then fit the campaign into the wider channel plan. A small first wave can reveal a broken response path, although it may be too small to estimate response rates reliably.
Frequently asked questions
Should a QR code lead to the home page?
Use a destination that immediately explains the offer on the card. Provide a readable URL as another way to reach it.