Articles: postcards

A postcard has one quality that cannot be faked in an inbox: somebody had to pick it, sign it and post it. That shows, which is exactly why it works where one more message would simply be scrolled past.

When paper wins

It works best when the point is not a direct sale: a thank you after a purchase, a reminder once the season is over, an invitation back to a place someone has already been. The less a postcard looks like an advert, the longer it stays on top of the pile.

The back matters more than the front

The front decides whether someone keeps it; the back decides whether it leads anywhere. It has room for one short sentence, one concrete detail and one way forward - an address, a code or a date. The rest of the space is worth more left empty.

• After a purchase - a thank you that asks for nothing else.
• After the season - a reminder in a month that is quiet anyway.
• In a tourist spot - a postcard can be a product, not just an advert.
• A handwritten line - one sentence in your own hand changes the whole mailing.