A postcard gets about three seconds. Somewhere between picking it up and deciding what to do with it, a person reads the biggest thing on the card and makes a call. Everything else on the card is only read if that first thing earned it.
These are the eight mistakes that spend those three seconds badly.
1. Leading with your company name
Your name means nothing to someone who has not hired you. It is the answer to a question they have not asked yet. Lead with what you did or what they get; put the name where it belongs, second.
2. Nine services in a list
Roofing, siding, gutters, windows, decks, painting, pressure washing, repairs and more. A list like that says "we do everything" and reads as "we specialise in nothing". Pick the one you want more of.
3. A phone number you have to squint at
The phone number should be the second largest thing on the card. It is the entire point of the card. Print a proof, hold it at arm's length, and if you cannot read the number instantly it is too small.
4. A stock photo
Everybody can spot a stock photo now, and it quietly says you had nothing real to show. A phone photo of the actual finished job outperforms a professional stock image, because it is evidence.
5. Wasting the back
Both sides print at the same price and most cards use one. The back is where the offer, the guarantee, the review quote and the service list go — read second, by someone who has already decided you are worth a look.
6. No reason to act now
"Call for a free estimate" has no urgency. A date, a season, a limited slot or a specific saving does: "Booking October roof work now" or "10% off gutter cleaning before the leaves drop".
7. Important things too close to the edge
Cards are cut in stacks and the cut moves by up to a sixteenth of an inch. Anything within an eighth of an inch of the edge risks being trimmed. Keep text and logos comfortably inside, and let background colour run off the edge rather than stopping short.
8. Low-resolution artwork
A logo pulled off a website is usually 72 dpi and looks soft and fuzzy at print size. Print needs 300 dpi at final size. If all you have is the website version, send it anyway and say so — it is usually fixable, and it is much better to find out before the run than after.
A card that works, in order of size
| Element | Size | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Headline | Biggest thing on the card | NEW ROOF ON OAK ST |
| Phone number | Second biggest | (555) 123-4567 |
| Supporting line | About half the headline | Free estimates this week |
| Photo | Whatever is left | The actual finished job |
| Logo | Small, corner | Your company |