When planning a direct-mail marketing campaign, every company has two primary goals: Reaching a large target audience and keeping costs as low as possible. One of the best ways to accomplish both of these objectives is through the use of direct-mail postcards.

Mailing postcards to promote your company's products and services is an inexpensive and intelligent approach to driving direct response and making sales. The first step is to work with a list broker or online list provider to establish a comprehensive mailing list for your postcards. PsPrint provides such a service and is a great online resource for customizing your own mailing list. The next step is to design the postcard and have it professionally printed by a respected printing company. The final step is to utilize a bulk mail service to send out your finished piece at the lowest price possible. Some companies such as PsPrint offer both printing and bulk mail services, which will save your company both time and money.

Here are a few more tips to driving maximum results via low-cost direct-mail postcard campaigns:

Do a sample mailing

Sending out a test postcard to a small sample mailing list can be a good way to determine how effective your final campaign will be. Record the results of your sample mailing to determine if you will need to make changes to your marketing piece. Perhaps you will need to make a better offer to entice new prospects, or give a more detailed explanation of the services your company provides. Often, simply changing the order of your text will make a significant difference in your postcard's response rate. A small test can help ensure that the message and offer you are sending out to the public is clear, concise and something that will be valuable to the customer.

Establish a budget, and stick with it

It is essential to understand the constraints of your budget and to stick with that budget. Direct-mail postcard promotions are perfect for companies with small budgets, though even the largest corporations rely on them to boost their return on investment. The most important thing is to budget for the right things. While having a striking design will get your prospects' attention, it won't do any good if the prospect is not interested in your offer. For this reason, funds should be allotted for a high-quality, highly targeted mailing list first. Decide whether your best market is businesses or consumers, and build your business mailing list or consumer mailing list accordingly. Once you have the mailing list, then you can focus on stellar design and captivating copy.

Market your company — even if the going is tough

When the economy takes a bad turn, the budget for marketing and advertising is generally one of the first things many businesses cut. This is the perfect opportunity to take control of the market since many of your competitors aren't likely to be marketing. It is imperative to keep your company name and brand in the public eye, and therefore imperative to allow a budget for marketing purposes at all times.

Direct-mail postcard campaigns have the clear benefit of reaching people in their homes, or professionals in the office — in the places they're most likely to need the products and services you offer. People enjoy receiving postcards, and they are much more likely to read them than many other forms of direct mail. If you want to jump start your marketing campaign, remember to establish a budget and stick to it. Locate a reliable company that offers targeted mailing lists, professional printing and bulk mail services and reap the financial rewards that direct-mail postcard campaigns have to offer.