I am going to distribute postcards at various locations and need some advice on postcards. I am still new in the area and am trying to get my name out there and then let word-of-mouth take over later. But with postcards, shouldn't there be something on it to make the viewer take action? Such as some wording or an offer? I don't know if it is good to send out a bigger and prettier version of my business card or it needs more. I would love to hear your thoughts.

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THANK YOU!!!

Of course I had to ask for advice on the big football night right?

Any thoughts?

Lisa...I like it...I don't always have call to actions on my cards either..it works

Thanks Marie...this is my first card and I am excited about it

Hey Lisa,
I love your design! I love your photos too. So clean and it matches your web site so nicely.

But, tell me something though, where do you plan on using these? Who's your target? They don't seem to be focused on any one segment, and the images you chose don't really feel all that "fun" to me, since your tagline is about "fun." I guess I would like to see a clear target market and a clear marketing plan, along with photos that convey the message "it should be fun" to that particular market.

If you are concentrating on families (or children) then use pictures that show families or children having fun -- big smiles and tickle shots, sweet cuddle shots, closeness, togetherness, hand-holding, game-playing.

If you are trying to book more weddings, then do a weddings-only card. Show e-sessions of close couples and fun wedding shots, special moments, that sort of thing.

I would suggest that if you are trying to reach both a wedding market AND a families/children market, do two different designs.

Trust me on this one -- a postcard that has no clear market or purpose will end up gathering dust. And probably, it will gather dust on your own shelf because you aren't even sure who to send it to.

Assuming that your target is a woman...

STEP ONE: DEFINE HER. How old is she, is she in a relationship, does she have kids, if so how many kids does she have, where does she live, how much money does she have to spend on photography, how often does she have pictures taken, how much does she spend on purses and vacations. HOW WILL YOU FIND HER? Will that woman see herself, her family, her marriage, or her kids in your pictures?

STEP TWO: Choose pictures that will appeal to THIS ONE WOMAN. (She has many sisters!)

Hope this helps! Again, I really love the design and colors. I think it's really appealing as-is. And I LOVE your logo and tag-line!

Julie,

You always give such solid and helpful advice! Are you going to charge me for all your tips one day???hahaha. I totally see what you mean and it makes total sense. I have been going back and forth on what my target market is and I think it keeps me from being really focused. I love doing commercial work and I love doing headshots and fashion, I love doing families. The only market that I am not heavily going after would be weddings. I have had a BLAST on the ones that I have done, but I am not going to primarily focus on weddings. I would love to do more e-sessions. I feel as though I am to have a niche and focus on that. But the advice on the card is perfect and I am going to look for other photos to go with the tagline.

Again, THANKS!!!! Back to the drawing board.

That sounds like you need three different cards! And it does sound like you could stand to develop a niche. From those three things, which one would you say you enjoy shooting the most, OR, which one do you feel will be most likely to get you going in your new market? I'm betting that once you develop ONE market, the others will easily follow because your word-of-mouth will carry into the other markets like wildfire.

Develop the family market, shoot young family with young kids, young family tells sister who is getting married about how great you are, shoot wedding.

Shoot young family, young family tells best friend who works in advertising how great you are, she calls you to shoot her next campaign.

Shoot family with older kids, older family tells cousins how great you are, cousins call you for senior shots.

Shoot family with older kids, older kids have boyfriends, young girl calls you to shoot her with her boyfriend, then a year later, her wedding, and a year after that, her advertising campaign, and a year after that, her newborn.

All that from one postcard! It could happen.

Honestly, though, it is more likely to happen NOT from the postcard, but from the simple steps you took to FOCUS on your niche, and finding those great blabber-mouth clients.

A HUGE part of the blabber-mouth marketing plan is to be sure to involve the men and touch them on an emotional level. It makes the WOMAN so happy when you make her husband cry over how much he loves his family. She'll tell EVERYBODY that he cried!