Checking my mailbox doesn’t have the same allure it did when I was younger. What once brought letters from pen-pals, birthday cards with checks, and gifts from Nana, now brings bills. And more bills. But, I was pleasantly surprised earlier this week when I received an extra-special postcard and a happenin’ catalog. Here’s what brightened my day – and why.

Oceanic Realty Postcard: Oceanic Realty in Stinson Beach, CA, sent a direct marketing postcard to customers who used their vacation rental services, and offered a discount on their next stay. This postcard is truly effective because it bridges the gap between offline and online marketing.

• They provided the coupon code “STELLAR” which is redeemable on their website, via email, or by a good old fashioned phone call to their office.
• They included their Facebook info so customers could “Like” them.

So, I immediately went to their Facebook Page to Like them, and spoke to my husband about planning our next weekend getaway to Stinson Beach (it’s a special place to us because it’s where we got engaged!). What kind of postcard promotions can you do for your business?

Crate & Barrel Print Catalog: There are a few retail catalogs that I really like, and Crate & Barrel is one of them. This particular edition had inspiring products and pretty pictures as usual, but what really stood out was on the back cover. Similarly to the Oceanic Realty postcard, Crate & Barrel included:

• Links to their social media sites
• A QR Code with “Scan this QR Code to sign up online for email news from Crate & Barrel, and you’ll automatically be entered in our Shop Card Giveaway.”

Great job on growing a mailing list, and offline folks to an online presence. It was a no-brainer for me and I quickly scanned the code with my iPhone and signed up for the chance to win a $500 C&B gift card. Would you scan the code? Why or why not? What methods do you use to grow your mailing list?

© 2011 – 2018, Contributing Author. All rights reserved.